Ohio Department of Veterans Services

What Ohio Department of Veterans Services does

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS) is a state government agency of Ohio, headquartered at 77 S. High St., 7th Flr., Columbus, OH, that coordinates the delivery of benefits, healthcare, housing, employment, education, and recognition services to the state's military veterans and their families. The agency operates a tiered service network consisting of a central Columbus headquarters, 88 County Veterans Service Offices spanning every Ohio county, and two state-operated Ohio Veterans Homes in Georgetown and Sandusky offering skilled nursing, intermediate nursing, memory care, and independent living for eligible wartime veterans. Its leadership — Director John C. Harris, Jr., reporting to Governor Mike DeWine — oversees programs that include the Veterans Workforce Team, the Women Veterans Program, the State Approving Agency for GI Bill benefits, the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, and the Ohio Veterans Home Military Museum in Sandusky.

ODVS's core products and services span benefits navigation (a comprehensive Benefits Resource Guide covering 16 areas including compensation, healthcare, home loans, legal assistance, and military burials), residential care (the two Ohio Veterans Homes), workforce intermediation (the Veterans Workforce Team that trains Ohio employers and supports veteran hiring), education oversight (the State Approving Agency approving GI Bill programs at Ohio colleges and universities), recognition (Hall of Fame inducting approximately 20 veterans annually), and crisis intervention (a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline partnership). The agency's digital presence runs on the Innovate Ohio Platform and includes the dvs.ohio.gov portal plus active accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Flickr, with a monthly newsletter and annual Ohio Veterans Conference and biennial Ohio Veterans Convention events. The Ohio Veterans Home at Sandusky was named among the nation's best nursing homes by Newsweek for 2026.

ODVS's business model is state appropriation-funded and non-commercial. As an executive-branch agency under the Governor of Ohio, the department receives funding through Ohio state budget appropriations and federal grants rather than generating user fees or commercial revenue. All core services — benefits assistance, workforce services, crisis support, education approval, Hall of Fame recognition, and admittance to Ohio Veterans Homes for qualifying wartime veterans — are provided free of charge to eligible veterans and their families. The agency partners strategically with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, OhioMeansJobs Centers (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services), the Ohio Supreme Court on veterans courts, the National Veterans Memorial Museum with StoryCorps, ODNR on recreation discounts, and a network of Ohio employers and educational institutions to extend service reach beyond what ODVS operates directly.

Name

Ohio Department of Veterans Services

Legal name

Ohio Department of Veterans Services

Website

https://dvs.ohio.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services is a state government agency that coordinates benefits navigation, nursing care, workforce development, education approval, and recognition services for Ohio military veterans and their families, delivered through 88 County Veterans Service Offices and two state-operated Ohio Veterans Homes in Georgetown and Sandusky.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Veteran Services

NAICS

Administration of Veterans' Affairs (923140), Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (62311), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterans & Military Family Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAI), Veterans, Military & Employer/Third-Party Billing Benefits (EDALAJAJ), Memory Care Units within Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF/Nursing Homes) (HLADACAC)

Keywords

• Veterans benefits assistance
• Veterans nursing care
• Veterans workforce services
• GI Bill approval
• Veterans recognition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: As a state government department, ODVS is funded through Ohio state budget appropriations. The agency does not generate commercial revenue but operates through legislative funding to provide veteran services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services is a state government agency that delivers benefits navigation assistance, operates two veterans nursing homes providing long-term residential and skilled nursing care, runs a Veterans Workforce Team assisting veterans with civilian employment placement, oversees state-level approval of GI Bill programs at Ohio educational institutions through its State Approving Agency, administers the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame recognition program, and provides specialized programs for women veterans.

Product overview

Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS) is a state government agency that provides a comprehensive suite of services for Ohio veterans. The portfolio includes residential care through Ohio Veterans Homes (skilled nursing, memory care, independent living), employment support via the Veterans Workforce Team, the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame recognition program, Women Veterans Program with advisory committees, and a Benefits Resource Guide covering compensation, healthcare, home loans, legal assistance, education, and other veteran services. The agency also operates the State Approving Agency for GI Bill benefits and maintains a Military Museum at the Sandusky veterans home.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ohio Veterans Home - Georgetown State-operated veterans nursing home providing long-term residential care, skilled nursing, and rehabilitative services to eligible Ohio veterans in Georgetown, Ohio.
• Ohio Veterans Home - Sandusky State-operated veterans nursing home providing long-term residential care, skilled nursing, and rehabilitative services to eligible Ohio veterans in Sandusky, Ohio.
• Veterans Workforce Team State-run workforce development service that assists Ohio veterans with finding civilian employment, career transition, and job placement support.
• Women Veterans Program Specialized program delivering tailored benefits assistance, peer support, and resources to women veterans in Ohio.
• Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame State-administered recognition program that honors Ohio veterans through nominations, selections, and induction into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.
• State Approving Agency (GI Bill) State regulatory body that approves Ohio educational institutions and training programs for eligibility under the GI Bill, enabling veterans to use their federal educational benefits at approved Ohio schools.
• Benefits Resource Guide Resource guide published by ODVS that helps veterans and their families navigate federal, state, and local veterans benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• OVH Sandusky named among nation's best nursing homes by Newsweek for 2026

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partnership for veteran healthcare facilities, benefits administration, GI Bill services, and electronic health record systems implementation across Ohio VA facilities
• OhioMeansJobs CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to deliver veteran employment services, workforce training for employers, and job placement support through 88 local centers
• County Veterans Service OfficescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 88 county-level offices coordinated by ODVS to provide localized veteran services, benefits assistance, and claims support across Ohio
• Ohio Colleges and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Approving Agency partnerships with educational institutions to approve programs for GI Bill benefits and promote military-friendly campus environments
• Ohio Supreme CourtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Ohio Supreme Court on programs honoring veterans through the court system and veterans courts
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerODNR offers 30% discounts on camping reservations, cabins, and lodge stays for U.S. military veterans as a veterans benefit partnership
• Women Veterans Engage ConferenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerODVS exhibiting at the national Women Veterans Engage conference to connect women veterans with Ohio resources
• National Veterans Memorial Museum (NVMM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NVMM and StoryCorps to record, preserve, and amplify veteran stories for educational purposes
• 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrisis support partnership connecting veterans experiencing mental health or addiction crises with trained specialists through the 988 lifeline

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: Pennsylvania state agency overseeing veterans homes and benefits programs. Directly comparable in operating state veterans homes and providing statewide coordination.
• Texas Veterans Commission: Texas state agency providing claims assistance, employment, education, and grants support to Texas veterans. Directly comparable as a state-level veterans services coordinator with a similarly broad service mandate.
• State Veterans Homes (VA State Home Program): Nationwide network of state-operated veterans homes funded in partnership with the federal VA. Directly comparable as the operator/peer of state veterans nursing facilities like ODVS's Georgetown and Sandusky homes.
• California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet): California state agency administering veterans benefits, operating state veterans homes, and providing memorial/burial services. Closely parallels ODVS in operating state veterans homes and providing benefits navigation.
• New York State Division of Veterans' Services: New York state agency providing benefits assistance and advocacy for veterans. Comparable state-level coordinator with similar benefits-navigation focus.
• Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs: Florida state agency assisting veterans with benefits claims, employment, and education. Comparable in structure and statewide service-delivery mission.

Others

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): National veterans service organization providing benefits assistance, advocacy, and community programs. Adjacent peer in the veteran-services ecosystem with overlapping benefits-navigation mission.
• Wounded Warrior Project: National nonprofit providing programs and services to post-9/11 wounded veterans. Thematically related as a private-sector veteran-services provider, though focused on a narrower population than ODVS.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): National nonprofit providing free benefits assistance and advocacy to veterans. Comparable as a complementary channel for benefits navigation but operates as a private nonprofit rather than a government agency.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Federal agency providing healthcare, benefits, and burial services to all U.S. veterans. Overlaps significantly with ODVS in benefits administration and healthcare coordination, but operates at national scale as the federal umbrella.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OhioVets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/servingohiovets?feature=mhum
• Facebookfacebook.com/ohiodepartmentofveteransservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-department-of-veterans-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/ohiovets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ohio Department of Veterans Services