2025 VSO Excellence Award Winner: Beltrami County

For Veterans Service Officers in large, rural areas, distance is a critical barrier to access. In Beltrami County, Minnesota, veterans often reside in remote communities, making it difficult to initiate the claims process due to long travel times or a lack of transportation. The Beltrami County Veterans Services office confronted this challenge head-on by launching the Northern Warriors Outreach (NWO) Mobile Claims Unit, a pioneering effort that earned them the 2025 Awesome Organization Award.

By using VetraSpec, the NWO team can securely process claims directly at outreach sites, track documents in real time, and update veteran files immediately, eliminating the need for time-consuming follow-up appointments.

This innovation allows VSOs to streamline a process that once required multiple office visits into a single meeting at a community center or rural gathering space. Veterans now leave these meetings not only with their questions answered, but also with the required forms completed, confident that their claim is already moving through the system.

Tyler's Veterans' Benefits

Interested in how this technology can improve your agency’s delivery of veteran services? Learn more about Tyler’s Veterans’ Benefits solution, and the full suite of Workforce Case Management solutions

Immediate and Measurable Impact

The impact of the Mobile Claims Unit was immediate. In just the first few months of operation, the unit connected dozens of veterans who had never filed for benefits before. Several of these individuals had delayed filing for decades, unsure of how to start or unable to travel the distances required.

The Beltrami County Veterans Services office is truly an Awesome Organization, demonstrating that by combining hands-on outreach with the efficiency and security of technology, they are successfully leading the way in transforming service delivery for their rural veterans.

Congratulations to the Beltrami County Veterans Services.

Interested in how this technology can improve your agency’s delivery of veteran services? Learn more about Tyler’s Veterans’ Benefits solution, and the full suite of Workforce Case Management solutions at tylertech.com/veteransbenefits.