2-1-1 is an easy to remember phone number for non-emergency information and referral, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention. 2-1-1 is to health and human services what 911 is to emergency services.

How does 2-1-1 work?

2-1-1 HelpLine calls are answered by trained, multilingual staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are confidential. Staff help identify what program or programs will best meet the caller’s needs, provide information, connect, and/or refer callers directly to the programs that will assist them. Staff also provide immediate crisis intervention and suicide prevention. As with all 2-1-1 calls, these calls are strictly confidential.

2-1-1 HelpLine is the first point-of-access to all community services, including shelter and housing, food, drug and alcohol abuse prevention and treatment, health facilities, counseling, mental health services, senior issues, financial assistance, legal assistance, child care, child and elder abuse services, recreation, disaster relief, crisis intervention and suicide prevention, and much more. 2-1-1 is also the number to call when you are looking for ways to give back to the community, find volunteer opportunities, and other ways to support local organizations.

Disaster Relief

In the event of an emergency or disaster in or affecting Santa Barbara County, 2-1-1 HelpLine is now the public resource for immediate information on response, relief and recovery efforts. For example, road closures, evacuation areas, emergency shelters, animal housing, school closures, donation locations and volunteer opportunities, where to go to speak with Federal Emergency Management representatives, insurance adjusters, and more.

What Types of Resources are Available Through 2-1-1?

Basic Human Needs Resources: Food banks, clothing closets, shelters, rent and utility assistance, housing, and legal assistance

Physical and Mental Health Resources: Health insurance programs, medical information lines, crisis services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention

Employment Support: Financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance programs

Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities: Transportation, Adult day care, community meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, home health care, and homemaker services

Support for Children, Youth and Families: Childcare, after school programs, Head Start resources centers, summer camps and year round recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, and Child Protective Services

Volunteer Opportunities and Donation & Sponsorship opportunities: 2-1-1 provides volunteer information and ways to donate to specific organizations

Disaster Relief Services: 2-1-1 will serve as the hub for disaster related information as part of the County Disaster Task Force

What are the benefits of 2-1-1 service?

A single number that is easy to remember
One-stop call center for a variety of services
Single point of access for community, health, government, and social services
Simple for everyone, especially useful for vulnerable populations
Reduces confusion, frustration, and unnecessary delay in reaching services, preventing last-minute crises
Directs people to the right services quickly
Coordinated state-level disaster response services
Provides critical information for community services planning
Reduction in non-emergency calls to 911
Access to critical services at local, state and federal level

2-1-1 Online – www.211sbcounty.org

The online 2-1-1 HelpLine Directory, located at www.211sbcounty.org, allows each nonprofit organization to update their programs and services information daily. For example, updates may include number of spaces available, waiting list information, blood drive locations, seasonal changes and any important change or addition. This updated information is available both to 2-1-1 HelpLine staff and to the public through the website.

Examples of calls to the 2-1-1 HelpLine include:

A senior citizen wanting home care support in order to live independently
A homeless person seeking shelter, a place to get out of the cold or to have a hot meal
A family facing eviction and needing housing options
A recent immigrant needing language and employment training
A pregnant woman seeking information about prenatal care
A laid-off worker wanting to find out about employment insurance
A family searching for child-care services in their community or close to work
A parent asking where to get food for their family
A concerned neighbor trying to help a friend in an abusive relationship
A family trying to find services for their son with a newly-diagnosed illness a person feeling stressed and suicidal
A person experiencing or reporting child or elder abuse

Where does 2-1-1 exist?

2-1-1 is currently available to over 193 million people across the United States. As of November 2006, 209 2-1-1 systems are active in 41 states (17 with 100% coverage), plus Washington, DC and Pureto Rico, reaching more than 65% of the U.S. population (www.211.org). Eight counties in California have 2-1-1 services available, currently serving approximately 55% of the state.

History of 2-1-1

Since 1998, a 2-1-1 collaborative has been working towards a nationwide 2-1-1 system, resulting in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) July 2000 ruling that set aside 2-1-1 as the universal, easy to remember number for community information across the country.

The United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta was the first to use the 2-1-1-abbreviated dialing code as an information and referral hotline in 1997. United Way of Connecticut followed in 1998, turning their InfoLine into a centralized, statewide helpline using 2-1-1 in 1999 and experienced a 40 percent increase in calls seeking assistance. The need for a 2-1-1 service was highlighted in New York, where no such service existed, after September 11 when 400 hotline “800” numbers had to be activated. During that same period in Connecticut, which had a 2-1-1 service, 95% of calls for non-emergency information were handled by
2-1-1.

In 2003, The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously approved an order to implement 2-1-1 dialing in California. In 2004, Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County was selected to be the provider of the 2-1-1 service for Santa Barbara County. Family Service Agency has been providing 24- hour confidential phone information, referral and crisis intervention through its Community Resources and Information Service (CRIS) HelpLine since 1993.

On July 1, 2005 2-1-1 service was launched in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties. Ventura County re-launched its service, which began on February 11, 2005.

Background

2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that, where available, connects people with important community services and volunteer opportunities. The implementation of 2-1-1 is being spearheaded by United Ways and comprehensive and specialized information and referral agencies in states and local communities. United Way of America (UWA) and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) strongly support federal funding so that every American has access to this essential service.

Every hour of every day, someone in the United States needs essential services - from finding an after-school program to securing adequate care for a child or an aging parent. Faced with a dramatic increase in the number of agencies and help-lines, people often don't know where to turn. In many cases, people end up going without these necessary services because they do not know where to start. 2-1-1 helps people find and give help.

While services that are offered through 2-1-1 vary from community to community, 2-1-1 provides callers with information about and referrals to human services for every day needs and in times of crisis. For example, 2-1-1 can offer access to the following types of services:

Basic Human Needs Resource: food banks, clothing closets, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance.
Physical and Mental Health Resources: health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, Children's Health Insurance Program, medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation.

Employment Supports: financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance, education programs.

Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities: adult day care, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, home health care, transportation, homemaker services.

Support for Children, Youth and Families: childcare, after school programs, Head Start, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services.

Volunteer Opportunities and Donations.