We need current details about veteran wellness and livelihood circumstances. With this update, our public and private actions and resources will have deeper results.

Our survey technology is adapted from 25 years of successful employee and research survey projects. The veterans surveyed can use home computers to send their responses; doing the survey with a smartphone is an option, although it is easier to use a tablet or a full-screen computer.

Completing the survey is expected to take about 13 minutes.  Many items are background and factual questions that can be answered rather quickly.

Confidentiality is automatically preserved by a program that removes all personal information from the data set.

UVLC will initiate the first round in Q1 of what can become quarterly statewide surveys done by UVLC and others later in the year. Some of the items can be repeated to explore changes over time on core issues while also adding in new questions to address more contemporary issues as they arise.

Cost of the first survey is $15,000. Initial funding is by private sector and civic organizations. Follow-on surveys will cost less.

The first survey will be created through a collaborative design process of developing the initial questions (search of relevant literature on veteran wellbeing and health issues to identify items and normative data), do pilot test, revise the final version, create sample text for use in email invitations for each promotional partner organization.

The survey weblink url address is sent to project sponsors, who in turn email the link to their individual members/clients. Then individuals log on to the survey website and complete the online survey.

The survey will remain open for three-week period. Past experience suggests that the majority of responses will likely be created in the first two weekends (10-day period) of the survey open date. Attridge Consulting will provide weekly updates on the size of the respondent sample and data collection progress.

Attridge Consulting will prepare the dataset and conduct a formal analysis and write up of the survey results. This is a written report, graphics of key findings, and a slide show. An executive summary and press release will summarize the project and list key results and implications for action to be taken.

Dr. Attridge, UVLC, and key stakeholders will do a public press event and discuss the survey findings.

MN legislature; MN Congressional Delegation; state, regional, and federal agencies; Association of MN Counties; League of MN Cities, MN Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition; MN Farmers Union; Strong Towns; Institute for Local Self-Reliance, MN Initiative Foundations; pastoral and mental health organizations.