2-1-1 Texas’s Role in Assisting People
During Disasters
This is How it Began….
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In 1997, the 75th Legislature passed House Bill 2596 establishing
the Texas Information and Referral Network as the single point of
coordination for statewide health and human services information
and referral in Texas.
Since the initial legislation in 1997, several additional legislative
actions have expanded and refined the 2-1-1 Texas Information &
Referral Network scope of work.
Senate Bill 397 (76th Session, 1999) required agencies receiving
state funding to provide resource information to 2-1-1.House Bill
2641 (76th Session, 1999) required transportation information to be
included in 2-1-1.
House Resolution (77th Session, 2001) affirmed the importance of
the 2-1-1 Texas Information & Referral Network.
Enabling Legislation – Cont.
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House Bill 2048 (79th Session, 2005) was passed, instructing HHSC to
expand the www.211texas.org site to include information about early childhood
programs that are overseen by the Texas Education Agency..
* RP 57 – (Directive issued by Governor Rick Perry, 2006) relating to
implementing recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on
Evacuation, Transportation, and logistics. Created the system now known as
the Transportation Assistance Registry (TAR). The 2-1-1 Texas Information &
Referral Network is assigned the role of data entry for the TAR.
Senate Bill 1058 – Senate Bill 1058 (80th Session, 2007) required 2-1-1 to
provide referrals for reintegration services to military service members and
their families.
House Bill 2558 (81st Session, 2009) required home and community support
health care providers to register clients and their families with the emergency
Transportation Assistance Registry available by dialing 2-1-1.
House Bill 1831 (81st Session, 2009) requires Assistive Living Centers and
Nursing Homes to register as entities and to explain to their patients and their
guardians the process of registration with the Transportation Assistance
Registry.
2-1-1’s Role in the Texas Hurricane
Response Plan
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2-1-1 Texas Information and Referral Network (TIRN) seated at the SOC will
coordinate dissemination of disaster-related public information to the 2-1-1
Area Information Centers in order to provide an information and assistance
conduit for the public.
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Provide disaster-related Information and Referral for all phases of the event.
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Register callers in the State Transportation Assistance Registry. TIRN
representative at the SOC will monitor activity of Transportation Assistance
Registry and provide reports as scheduled or requested.
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Receive and document calls and forward information and reports to
appropriate State agencies or non-governmental organizations. Calls
include, but are not limited to, shelters needs, medical concerns,
transportation issues, lack of fuel, lack of essentials items such as food,
water, and ice, the presence or lack of shelter space, spontaneous shelters
and other pertinent concerns.
2-1-1 Roles
1) Help disaster victims and/or shelter population in understanding
what recovery programs may be available to them and assist in the
application process.
2) Assist in the identification and provision of appropriate services to
individuals with special needs.
3) Assist individuals to register in the Transportation Assistance
Registry.
4) Provide information on needs-based programs including the
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly
known as the Food Stamp Program.
Dallam
Sherman
Hartley
Moore
Oldham
Potter
Deaf Smith
Randall
Hansford Ochiltree Lipscomb
Hutchinson Roberts
North Central Texas Fort Worth Region*
Hemphill
North Texas Region
Panhandle Region*
Parmer
Castro
Carson
Gray
Armstrong Donley
Swisher
Briscoe
North Central Texas Dallas Region*
Wheeler
Collingsworth
Hall
Childress
Texoma Region*
Hardeman
Bailey
Hale
Lamb
Floyd
Cottle
Motley
Wilbarger
Clay
Cochran Hockley
Lubbock
Crosby
Dickens
Lynn
Garza
Kent
King
Baylor
Knox
Montague
Archer
West Central Texas Region
Cooke
Grayson
Lamar
Fannin
Red River
Bowie
Delta
Terry
Yoakum
Stonewall
Haskell
Concho Valley Region
Jack
Young
Throckmorton
Wise
Denton
Collin
Gaines
Dawson
Borden
Scurry
Fisher
Palo Pinto Parker
Shackelford
Stephens
Jones
Hood
Martin
Andrews
Loving
El Paso
Winkler
Ward
Culberson
Ector
Crane
Reeves
Howard
Midland Glasscock
Mitchell
Sterling
Nolan
Coke
Taylor
Coleman
Brown
Reagan
Irion
Tom
Green
McLennan
Llano
Val Verde
Burleson
Kerr
Alamo Region*
Uvalde
Tyler
Washington
Caldwell
Comal
Guadalupe
Gonzales
Medina
Orange
Liberty
Fayette
Harris
Heart of Texas Region
Central Texas Region*
Deep East Texas
Region
Bryan/ College Station*
Hardin
Montgomery
Austin
Bexar
Kinney
Polk
San
Jacinto
Bastrop
Hays
Bandera
Grimes
Lee
Kendall
Real
Walker
Brazos
Travis
Blanco
Edwards
Brewster
Madison
Milam
Williamson
Kimble
Terrell
Presidio
Trinity
Robertson
Burnet
Gillespie
San
Augustine
Angelina
Sabine
Houston
Leon
Bell
Menard
Mason
Shelby
Nacogdoches
Limestone
Falls
Lampasas
East Texas Region
Panola
Cherokee
Anderson
Freestone
Coryell
Crockett
Sutton
Rusk
Navarro
Hill
Harrison
Jasper
Schleicher
Pecos
Jeff Davis
Gregg
Henderson
Bosque
Concho
Upshur
Marion
Smith
Ellis
Hamilton
McCulloch
San Saba
Rio Grande Region*
Van Zandt
Mills
Upton
Wood
Kaufman
Erath Somervell
Comanche
Runnels
Cass
Camp
Rains
Dallas
Johnson
Eastland
Callahan
Tarrant
Titus
Hopkins
Hunt
Rockwall
Permian Basin Region*
Hudspeth
North East Texas Region
Wichita
Foard
South Plains Region*
Chambers
Jefferson
South Central Texas Region*
Gulf Coast Region*
Colorado
Fort Bend
Southeast Texas Region*
Lavaca
Wharton
Brazoria
Wilson
De Witt
Middle Rio Grande Region
Maverick
Zavala
Frio
Atascosa
Jackson
Karnes
Victoria
Goliad
Dimmit
La Salle
McMullen
Live
Oak
Bee
25 AIC Partners for
Statewide Coverage
Jim
Wells
Duval
South Texas Region
Refugio
Nueces
Kleberg
Zapata
Jim
Hogg
Brooks
Kenedy
Starr
Tip of Texas Region*
Hidalgo
Golden Crescent Region
Calhoun
San Patricio
Webb
Matagorda
Willacy
Cameron
Aransas
Coastal Bend Region
What the Community Expected from 2-1-1
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Good Information
– Accurate and up to
date
A place to call for help
and to give help
To be able to talk to a
live person who was
willing to listen
Things That Work Well:
* Technology
– Ability to work as a single network (calls went to first available agent
anywhere in the state)
* Communications and Support
– Direct connection to State Operation Center
– Debriefing Sessions
* Resource Information
– Sharing information about regional resources throughout the
network
* Special Needs
– Support from Department of State Health Services
and TIRN Staff
* Volunteers
– Caring, dedicated and committed
Contributions
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Expanded the capacity to respond to the high
volume of calls
Provided critically needed management of
information about availability of services
Identified unmet and emerging needs, helping
direct resources to high priority areas
Provided critically needed telephone
reassurance for callers
Planning for this Hurricane Season
Special Needs Registry
Contact Information
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David Jobe, LMSW, CIRS
United Way of Greater Houston
713 685-2309
djobe@unitedwayhouston.org