80 likes | 86 Views
1-800-447-1985. History of Iowa Concern (Rural Concern) Hotline. Services Iowa Concern Provides: Information and Referral Legal Education Stress Counseling. Mandated by legislature in 1985 during the Farm Crisis Organized by various agencies
E N D
History of Iowa Concern (Rural Concern) Hotline Services Iowa Concern Provides: • Information and Referral • Legal Education • Stress Counseling • Mandated by legislature in 1985 during the Farm Crisis • Organized by various agencies • Toll free national number1-800-447-1985 • Name changed to Iowa Concern during the floods of 1993 to serve all of Iowa and not just rural Iowa.
Iowa Concern Projects Disaster Projects • Tornadoes • Floods • Ice storms • Blizzards • Hay Hotline • Rebuild Iowa Calls – answered and filtered • DHS Crisis Counseling after disasters Mental Health Projects • Ticket to Hope • Sowing the Seeds of Hope Other • H1N1 Calls • 2009 Substance abuse Disaster Media Campaign • Protect Iowa Health • DHS Compromised Records (multiple times)
Current Hotline Specifics • Iowa Concern Hotline is written into the State of Iowa Disaster Plan • Iowa Concern has received over 350,000 calls since 1985 • 10 – 20 live chats per month • 12 – 20 emails per month • Currently 12% of calls are rural • Callers are from all over the nation/world • Calls answered 24/7 • Bi-lingual staff and services available
Other hotlines answered by Iowa Concern Staff • Healthy Families • Teen Line • Bets Off • 211 • Targeted Case Manager After Hours
211/Hotline Staff All staff have 4-year college degrees Human Services Family & Marriage Counseling Health Services, etc. Most staff are I&R AIRS certified (or in process) All staff attend monthly training for updates. Staff are cross-trained and updated as needed for new projects and programs.
Helping Iowans Become Their Best • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Connecting toAll Iowa Residents through Iowa Concern,211 and other Hotlines 24/7
Margaret VanGinkel, Hotline Coordinator ISU Extension Outreach 10861 Douglas Avenue, Suite B Urbandale, IA 50322 (515)727-0656 vangin@iastate.edu www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern