-
Land & Roads
-
- Natural Areas & Parks Picnic Facility Reservations Locate a park or natural area Find a trail, take a hike Conserving our native habitat Salmonberry Campground Property Information Search Property tax accounts Search for a deed Pay taxes online Appeal property taxes Find property on a map Survey your property Property tax records
- Sustainability Building & Land Use Building Permits & Codes Request an Inspection Code Compliance Septic Systems Planning and Zoning GIS Maps GIS Data Links to Other Maps
- Roads and Utility Services Road closures and delays Request road maintenance Access utility bills Public Transportation Event Center & Fairgrounds
-
-
Public Safety
-
- Sheriff's Office Sheriff's Message Volunteer Opportunities What's Happening Emergency Services Current Information Emergency Alert System Disaster and Hazard Preparedness Search and Rescue Child Support Collection
- Jail Inmate Rosters Inmate Services Criminal prosecution Victim Services Court Calendar Juvenile Services Supervision and accountability Detention Teen Court
- Parole and Probation Mission and programs Sex offender notification Law Enforcement Report a crime Daily activity log Concealed Handgun Licenses Justice System Improvement Program
-
-
Health & Family
-
- COVID-19 Information Public Health Communicable disease reporting Mental Health and Addictions Peer specialists Gambling prevention Tobacco prevention Children and youth programs Adult programs Substance Use Disorder
- Food and Water Safety Restaurants Temporary Food Service Well Testing Septic Systems Community Health Centers Find a physician Dental services Family Planning Developmental Diversity (Disabilities) OSU Extension
- Maternal and Child Health WIC Healthy baby programs Licenses and Certificates Birth Certificates Death Certificates Dog License Marriage License Pay My Medical Bill Event Center & Fairgrounds
-
-
Our Government
-
- Board of Commissioners BOC Meetings Advisory Committees County Legal Counsel Meeting Agendas and Minutes Licenses and Passports Marriage Licenses Passports Dog Licenses
- Voting Elections & Voting Register to Vote Updates & Absentee Voting Elections Put a measure on the ballot Run for office Precinct maps County News Newsletter News & Announcements Subscribe
- Departments County office locations Department List OSU Extension Business in Benton County County Budget See county RFP opportunities Economic Development Veteran Services
-
-
I Want To...
-
- Work for Benton County Apply for a job Volunteer Pay property taxes online View a tax statement Apply for … Marriage license Dog license Passport Building permit Septic permit Restaurant licenses Find Requests for Proposals
- Vote Elections & Voting Register to vote Updates & Absentee Voting Find an event View county calendar View fairgrounds calendar Make a … Medical/Dental appointment Mental health appointment Medical Bill Payment Locate a county office
- Find out about … County Budget Current road conditions Adopt-a-Road Program No Spray Program Veteran Services See who's in jail Report a crime Reserve a facility County park picnic facility Benton Oaks RV park Salmonberry campground Fairgrounds facility Ride a Bus
-
County receives funds for veteran suicide awareness and prevention
Stress, difficulty coping, mental health conditions, and unaddressed issues lingering from military service put veterans at greater risk for suicide. In the United States, 22 veterans commit suicide every day. In response, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has focused special attention on raising awareness and preventing suicide by veterans.
And now local efforts have received a boost from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs. In June, Benton County was awarded $4,700 to provide additional resources to help veterans in crisis. Benton County was among 26 in the state to receive these funds.
Jennifer Moore, Community Services Program Director with Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments, which is contracted to provide veterans services for Benton County, said the plan is to reach more people by partnering with Benton County Health Department, Samaritan Veterans Outreach, Oregon State University Military and Veterans Advisor, as well as the Linn County Veterans Services Office.
“We’re really looking at how we can promote and bring awareness to existing services,” Moore said.
That includes publicizing a new service that enables built-in assistants on smart phones to use voice activation to automatically dial the Veterans Crisis Line (800-273-8255) through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The first local project funded through the award will be holiday care packages with information about veterans services, including information about how to access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by phone, text or online. Moore hopes to include holiday greeting cards from area school children with the packages.
“The holiday season can be an especially vulnerable time for veterans,” Moore said.
Additionally, Moore said the funds will be used to aid efforts by local social service agencies to assist veterans who are transitioning out of homelessness.
There are more than 5,300 veterans living in Benton County, according to the last Census report. But officials believe that count underestimates the actual number of veterans. Currently, only 27 percent of the veteran population is currently being served. That makes awareness and outreach work even more important.
“There are a lot of folks we haven’t talked to,” Moore said.
The office often hears from veterans who say they didn’t know they qualify or didn’t know a benefit was available to them. Veterans Services works to support claims for pension or service-connected disabilities, but there are many more benefits, including education, health care, long-term care, housing and home loan programs and emergency assistance. Moore notes they can also connect eligible Veterans with other services, such as Meals on Wheels, or other Senior & Disability Services programs.
“It’s a very large array of services,” Moore said.
Contact Veterans Services: veterans@ocwcog.org, 541-758-1595 or 777 NW Ninth St., Suite 202C, Corvallis.