2-1-1 Bay Area
Connecting Residents in Need
to Vital Community Services
May 2007
Quick Reference
2-1-1
Local Community Services
3-1-1
City Government Services (currently in
San Francisco)
4-1-1
Directory Assistance and Information
5-1-1
Traffic and Weather Information
7-1-1
Call Relay for Hearing Impaired
9-1-1
Emergency Services
United Way of the Bay Area
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Imagine thousands of times a day…
I can’t pay
my rent
My kid is
on drugs
I want to
kill myself
I need to find
childcare
We can’t
help with
that
Please call
back when
we’re open
I’ll try to
transfer you to
an agency
who can help
We only
do senior
daycare
Why did
you call
us?
I don’t know,
please hold.
United Way of the Bay Area
I want to
volunteer
We only serve
San Jose
I’m not sure
who you
can call.
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Imagine a single solution…
I can’t pay
my rent
My kid is
on drugs
United Way of the Bay Area
I need to find
childcare
Bay Area
2-1-1,
how can
I help you?
Suicide
Prevention
I want to
kill myself
Yes, I can
connect you with
someone who
can help…
2-1-1
Catholic
Charities
Senior
I&A
I want to
volunteer
Crisis
Hotline
Volunteer
Center
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What is 2-1-1?
2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember phone number that connects people in need
with important community services.
This free, confidential, 24-hour multilingual service also serves as a vital link
for individuals seeking to volunteer, provide resources and assist during times
of crisis.
2-1-1 serves
approximately 196
million Americans –
over 65% of the US
population;
212 active 2-1-1 systems
covering all or part of
41 states (including 19 states
with 100% coverage, plus
Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.)
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Why do we need 2-1-1?
• Many people make as many as 4-8 phone calls
• Many give up
• Twenty to forty percent of calls received by service providers
need to be directed to another, more appropriate provider.
• Professionals often try to help callers nonetheless, resulting in
misspent professional and client energy.
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Benefits to Non- Profits
and Public Agencies
• Fewer inappropriate calls
• More time and resources available to serve clients
• Easy referral source for their clients
• Complements specialized I&R services
• Visibility for their services
• Online updating capacity – Real time accuracy
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United Way HELPLINK , Eden I&R,
Contra Costa Crisis Center
Comprehensive Information and Referral service with 30 years of
experience serving the Bay Area
Free, confidential, 24/7, multilingual service
Professional staff, certified by Alliance of Information and Referral
Systems
Thousands of calls per year, assisting low-income parents, immigrants,
laid-off workers, homeless, and many others
For information and referral service across the Bay Area:
HELPLINK
800-273-6222
United Way of the Bay Area
Eden I&R
888-886-9660
Contra Costa Crisis Center
800-830-5380
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2-1-1: 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 on 100% of crisis calls, such as those for shelter or
housing assistance, and 20% of non-crisis calls.
Our goal is individuals empowered to be their own advocates.
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What types of services
can 2-1-1 callers find?
• Basic Human Needs: food, clothing, shelter, rent assistance, utility assistance.
• Physical and Mental Health Resources: medical information lines, crisis intervention
services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol programs, community clinics,
Medi-Cal and Medicare, maternal health, children’s health insurance programs.
• Employment Services: job search assistance, unemployment benefits, financial
assistance, job training and placement, education programs, vocational skills
assessment.
• Support for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities: independent living skills
workshops and adapted devices, home health care, adult day care, congregate site and
home delivered meals, respite care, transportation, and homemaker services.
• Support for Children, Youth and Families: quality childcare, homework assistance and
after school programs, Head Start, family resource centers, summer camps and
recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services.
• Volunteer opportunities and donations: local volunteer centers, donation drop-off and
pick-up services, distribution of donated goods, thrift stores.
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Resource Database
Eden I&R’s comprehensive provider database for Alameda County
includes 1250 agencies; Plus specialized databases for people
living with AIDS/HIV, and a housing database of over 54,000 units
includes subsidized, Below Market Rent and Market Rent units.
HELPLINK maintains an all-inclusive database of over 1300 agencies
providing services to residents of Marin, Napa, San Francisco and
Solano Counties; Plus specialized databases for Immigration
Assistance Line of Northern California, the Bay Area Self Help
Clearing House and statewide Key Access to other comprehensive
I&R and 2-1-1 programs.
CORD (County Online Resource Database), created and maintained
by the Contra Costa Crisis Center, has current, comprehensive
information on 2,500 services available to Contra Costa residents.
Up to date English and Spanish Resource guides for central, east,
and west Contra Costa can be downloaded from CORD.
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Resource Database
Partnerships between 2-1-1 service providers designate agencies to
provide seamless transfer of callers needing assistance in those
counties
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 at 211bayarea.org
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Others who Use 2-1-1
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
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2-1-1 Disaster & Emergency Information
Communications System
In 2004 Florida was hit by five “tropical cyclones” in a single year. 2-1-1
centers across a state played a vital role throughout the major emergency.
 Pre-storm—information about evacuation, location and availability of
shelters, inquiries from people with special needs, preparation for the
storm
 During the storm—reassurance, crisis intervention, emergency
assistance
 Immediate aftermath—location of essential services (water, ice, food),
rescue needs, debris removal, power outages
 Recovery—disaster relief financial assistance, property damage,
disaster-caused health issues, disaster-related transportation issues
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2-1-1 Disaster & Emergency Information
Communications System
“We estimated that 2-1-1 got 60,000 calls
that normally would have gone to 911,
freeing those operators to handle
emergency calls.”
Matt Recommier,
911 Coordinator for Lee County, FL
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2-1-1 Disaster & Emergency Information
Florida 2004 Case Study
• 2-1-1
Community
Resources
in Orlando
took 19,551
calls between
August 12
and Sept. 20—
a 300% increase
over their normal
call volume.
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2-1-1 Disaster & Emergency Information
Katrina Case Study
Government emergency numbers were slammed to capacity
Louisiana Governor selected 2-1-1 as the “go to“ number for all social
services, shelter, feeding station, volunteer and donation information.
Call volume of The United Way of North Eastern Louisiana’s 2-1-1: 7,358/day
Up from normal call volume which was: 200/day
In Texas, 2-1-1s helped determine what services evacuees needed and how to
best provide those services, especially those who needed medical attention.
In Texas, September 2005 call volume: 267,000/month
Up from normal call volume which was: 70,000/month
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2-1-1 Disaster & Emergency Information
How many 9-1-1 calls are for non-emergency
services?
5% of callers yearly dial 2-1-1 for non-emergency services instead of 9-1-1
(University of Texas)
In 2004, 911 in Lee County, Florida estimated that 2-1-1 received 60,000
calls that otherwise would have gone to 911 during relief efforts for
hurricane season. (Trial by Wind and Water, 2004)
A Grand Jury review of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department’s 9-1-1
Call Center found that about 53 percent of the 9-1-1 calls were not
emergencies.
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2-1-1 Disaster & Emergency Information
What is the relationship with 9-1-1 and
Emergency Services?
• San Diego County:
 MOU with Office of Emergency Services
 Working relationship with 9-1-1
• Ventura County
 Discussing MOU with 9-1-1 but have open working relationship
 Work with both 9-1-1 and OES as a part of Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster (VOAD)
• Santa Barbara County
 Works with 9-1-1 as a part of a Disaster Emergency County Plan
 Collaboration and working relationship with OES for emergency
planning
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2-1-1 Disaster & Emergency Information
What effect has 2-1-1 had on county 800 crisis
lines?
San Diego County Social Services refers to 2-1-1 for food, shelter and
clothing needs. The Health and Human Services Agency also refers
to 2-1-1 for their services.
Orange County Social Services refers to 2-1-1 for most services, but
has its own Health Referral Line for Public Health programs and
needs.
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Contacts and References
2-1-1 Information
Statewide 2-1-1:
www.211california.org
National 2-1-1:
www.211.org
CAIRS:
www.cairs.org
Bay Area:
www.211bayarea.org
2-1-1 Contacts:
2-1-1 San Francisco
2-1-1 Alameda
2-1-1 Contra Costa
Ed Schoenberger
Executive Director
United Way HELPLINK
(415) 808-4304
eschoenberger@uwba.org
Barbara Bernstein
Executive Director
Eden I&R
(510) 537-2710,ext.8
bbernstein@edenir.org
John Bateson
Executive Director
Contra Costa Crisis Center
(925) 939-1916
johnb@crisis-center.org
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