MACV Employee Spotlight – Katie Splittstoesser
This week, we are featuring Katie Splittstoesser.
Katie came to MACV with a wide variety of experiences throughout her life. She grew up in northern Minnesota and came to the Twin Cities Metro area to work in construction. She was a union Bricklayer for a dozen years before she had to stop due to health issues. Katie then returned to college and became a Social Worker, completing her undergraduate degree in 2004 and her master’s degree in 2007. She took the LICSW test in 2015 while working with a large housing company, where she also worked for almost a dozen years. . At MACV, Katie works as a Healthcare Navigator (HCN) in the metro region. HCN’s assist veterans with connecting to medical providers both in and outside of the VA system and assist with county benefit applications for SNAP, MNsure, and GA. Katie joined the MACV team for this position to use her Social Work License, as she feels her previous position didn’t use it.
Katie has several connections to the military because her father was a Korean Veteran who served as a Helicopter mechanic. Katie says, “So if you watch MASH on old-time TV, those helicopters.” Also, her uncle unfortunately did not return from Korea and is still considered Missing in Action. Additionally, her brother is a Vietnam vet who served as a decoder in Thailand.
“All homelessness is sad. Veteran homelessness is one of the most disheartening types of homelessness. The Veterans we serve are often battling disabilities that are unseen. Many have mental illness that was caused by or exacerbated by their service. Most believe that their country, the country that they served, has abandoned them to the wind. Mental and Physical disabilities go untreated because there is distrust of the system that could treat them. Healthcare Navigation attempts to be the bridge to treatment of both mind and body, either inside the VA system, or outside with private practice doctors.” –Katie Splittstoesser
Katie finds the most rewarding part of her job at MACV to be “hearing a Veteran say the word “Home” when it has been a long time since they’ve felt that way about a place that is their own.”
Outside of work, Katie enjoys being with my family and friends, riding my motorcycle, fishing, and just enjoying life. She considers herself a crazy cat lady, even though she only has 2.
Katie, we thank you for your service to our community!