12/10/2025 8:00:00 AM
Sometimes you just want to talk to a person and get some answers. If you’re a Minnesota Veteran or family member, LinkVet is just that person for you.
LinkVet is the “call center” for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) staffed by real people who have a variety of information at their fingertips to share with Veterans and their families. Hundreds of connections are made every month as LinkVet receives phone calls, online chats from the MDVA website or email messages.
Topics of inquiries cover all areas including housing, food insecurity, mental health, financial challenges, dental care, optical care, education and employment. “If the LinkVet team does not have the answer, they will find it,” says LinkVet Director Mary Lenz. “We have a large database of information that allows our team to quickly find answers to most questions from our callers. But we are also committed to doing research and connecting with other organizations to get more information if needed.”
LinkVet prides itself on its customer service. In addition to a real person answering the phone, the team always ensures a “warm transfer” if the caller needs to be connected to another organization. That means that the LinkVet staff stays on the line with the caller to ensure that the caller is introduced, their situation explained and the receiving organization is prepared to continue the conversation with the caller before LinkVet drops off the line. Later, LinkVet will reach back out to the caller to make sure they received the answers or services they needed. “People are very grateful that we follow up and make sure they were taken care of,” Lenz says.
While LinkVet staff members are trained to handle calls from Veterans in crisis, MDVA continues to encourage Veterans to call 988 and press 1 for Veteran-specific support for a mental health issue.
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