The Itasca County Veterans Crisis Response Team (VCRT) received the “Life Saving Award” from the national Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at the local VFW Post 1720 in Grand Rapids.

The award was presented by Post 1720 Commander Joel Kvilvang, a ten-year U.S. Army Veteran, who was notified by the national VFW organization that the local VCRT would be a recipient of this award.

The VCRT is a team of local Veterans, who work directly with local community Veterans and servicemembers in Itasca County to assist them and their families with mental health crises intervention and connect them with other local resourcing needs.

Itasca County is among the highest Veteran-populated counties in the state, yet remains the only Veteran-dedicated crisis response team in Minnesota,and one of only a handful in the entire United States.

During the presentation ceremony, Executive Director of First Call for Help, Cre Larson, who helped pioneer this unique Veteran’s service in 2018, thanked her team, community members and local organizations who make VCRT a possibility.

“This is our work,” said a tearful Larson, to the community support that was present.

Larson, stood beside First Call for Help’s Clinical Director, Tom Gaffney and Clinical Supervisor, Michelle Rinne, on the stage at the ceremony, all three of which provided the vision and leadership to pilot a program that was so desperately needed by a hurting Veteran community.

Larson, Gaffney, and Rinne have shown brilliance and fortitude in their work, to go right along with their unwavering support of Veterans and love for country.

They received this Life Saving Award as well; on behalf of the amazing work they continue to do for Veterans.

The current VCRT members are U.S. Army Veteran Illa Glisson, U.S. Airforce Veteran Randall Yoder, and U.S. Army Veteran Jason Anderson. They were joined by former VCRT members U.S. Navy Veteran Art Schoonmaker and U.S. Army Veteran Jonathan Ryan, proud and united together while receiving the award. This team of local Veterans is who are and have been on the “frontlines” helping and supporting local community Veterans and former servicemembers.

Just like the local Crisis Response Team (CRT), the VCRT are always on call and ready to help, anytime, day or night. The wide-ranging experience among the current and former VCRT has helped create a healthy program, but one that is still growing and still has much work to do.

There are nearly 4,000 Veterans in Itasca County and the suicide rate among Veterans is around 4 times higher in the Veteran population compared to civilians, which is why this team is so vital to our community.

During the presentation, Larson informed the crowd that post 9/11, there have been significantly more deaths of Veterans from suicide than deaths from combat in the Global War on Terrorism campaigns that claimed nearly 10,000 American lives in combat over the last 22 years. Larson’s startling information unveiled some of the complex trauma experienced by servicemembers following their time in service and the importance of the work the VCRT is doing, with the support of the community.

“This is our work.”

Our as in us: Itasca County. This Life Saving Award from the national VFW shows the work and dedication of the VCRT and First Call for Help, and that more work is needed by Itasca County overall to spread awareness that the VCRT exists and is available to local Veterans. The community’s role in this fight for Veterans is equally vital and important for the VCRT to be more successful in getting those who have served the help and resources they need and deserve.

Grand Rapids Mayor Dale Christy issued a Proclamation on Aug. 28 challenging “the citizens to join together in supporting this life saving work through the spreading the awareness of this team to all Veterans and Veteran Service Member Families.”

The Proclamation was read aloud and presented alongside the VFW Life Saving Award by Grand Rapids City Councilman Dale Adams, who following the Proclamation, read the motto of the VCRT:

“In your darkest hour, when demons come, call on me and we will fight them together.”

If you or anyone else you know may be experiencing thoughts of suicide, contact First Call for Help by dialing 2-1-1 to speak to a locally trained professional, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.