211 Santa Cruz County Connecting Residents in Need to Vital Community Services

211 Santa Cruz CountyConnecting Residents in Need to Vital Community Services

August 2014

211 Santa Cruz County 2

Quick Reference

2-1-1 Local Community Services

4-1-1 Directory Assistance and Information

9-1-1 Emergency Services

Imagine thousands of times a day…


I can’t pay my rent

My kid is on drugs

I want tokill myself

I need to find childcare

I want to volunteer

Why did you call

us?I’m not sure who you can

call.

We can’t help with that

I’ll try to transfer you to an

agency who can help

We only do senior

daycare

We only serveSan Jose

Please callback whenwe’re open

I don’t know, please hold.

Imagine a single solution…


I can’t pay my rent

My kid is on drugs

I want to kill myself

I need to find childcare

I want to volunteer

VolunteerCenter

Crisis Hotline

Senior Services

CatholicCharities

SuicidePrevention

Yes, I can connect you

with someone who can help…

2-1-1,how can

I help you?

What is 211?

• 211 is an easy to remember phone number that connects people in need with important community services.

• This free, confidential, 24-hour/seven days a week, multilingual service also serves as a vital link for individuals seeking to volunteer, provide resources and assist during times of crisis.

• 211 serves approximately 240 million Americans – over 80% of the US population;

• Over 200 active 211 systems covering all or part of 46 states (including 19 states with 100% coverage, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico)


211 Santa Cruz County: Four Years of Service

How many people are using it?

•20,000- Total calls since 2010 launch

What are people calling about?

#1 Need: Housing & Utilities

#2 Income Support

#3 Food & Meals


211: Provides Assistance and Information

• Calls typically last 3-5 minutes

• Information and Referral Specialists:

Help the callers tell their story, understand and prioritize their needs

Identify and offer them appropriate resources

Provide advocacy for those needing extra support accessing services

Follow up 100% of crisis calls, such as those for shelter or housing assistance, and on 20% of non-crisis calls

The goal is individuals empowered to be their own advocates.


Benefits to Non-Profits andPublic Agencies

• Fewer inappropriate calls

• More time and resources available to serve clients

• Easy referral source for their clients

• Complements specialized information and referral services

• Visibility for their services

• Online updating capacity – real time accuracy


What types of services can people find by calling 211?

• Food and Housing Resources

• Help for Seniors and People with Disabilities

• Mental Health and Crisis Support

• Access to Income Assistance

• Health Services

• Resources for Children and Families

• Volunteer Opportunities

• Veteran’s Services


Others who use 211

Disaster Officials

Have a dissemination mechanism for critical up-to-the-minute public information

9-1-1

Gets fewer non-emergency calls

Public Officials

Have a place to refer constituents in need of help

General Public and Potential Donors

Have easy access to give or get help – donations, funds, time


211 also plays a Critical Role in Disasters

Santa Cruz County Floods 2011


Resource Database

• Partnerships between 211 call center and designated agencies to provide seamless transfer of callers needing assistance

• Santa Cruz County provides original resource database

• HELPLINK provides resource management program to maintain current and accurate information about available services and add new resources as they become available

• Searchable public access provider database online


Updating Your Agency Listing on 211 Database

Step 1: Send an email to [email protected] or call 415-808-4211 and state your agency and whether you want to create a brand new profile or update an existing one

Step 2: You will receive an email with a unique link to create or update your agency and program profiles

Step 3: Make sure to create a profile for each program your agency offers, including as many key words as appropriate


Contacts and References

211 Information

Statewide 211: www.211california.org

National 211: www.211.org

CAIRS: www.cairs.org

Bay Area: www.211bayarea.org

Your 211 Contacts

211 Database 211 Santa Cruz County Maritza Villagomez Mary Lou GoekeDatabase Manager Executive DirectorUnited Way HELPLINK United Way of Santa Cruz County(415) 808-7388 (831) [email protected] [email protected]


Documents

211 Santa Cruz County Connecting Residents in Need to Vital Community Services