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

211 Santa Cruz County is a free, confidential, 24-hour multilingual helpline that connects residents in need to a wide range of community services. With over 20,000 calls since its launch in 2010, 211 provides assistance with housing, utilities, income support, food, mental health, senior services, and more. It serves as a valuable resource for individuals, non-profits, public agencies, and disaster officials.

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

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  1. 211 Santa Cruz CountyConnecting Residents in Need to Vital Community Services September 2014

  2. Quick Reference • 2-1-1 Local Community Services • 4-1-1 Directory Assistance and Information • 9-1-1 Emergency Services 211 Santa Cruz County

  3. 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 • I want to • volunteer • 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’m not sure who you can call. • I don’t know, please hold. • We only serve • San Jose 211 Santa Cruz County

  4. Imagine a single solution… • I need to find • childcare • I want to • volunteer • I can’t pay • my rent • My kid is • on drugs • I want to • kill myself • Yes, I can connect you with someone who can help… • 2-1-1, • how can • I help you? • Suicide • Prevention • Catholic • Charities • Senior • Services • Crisis • Hotline • Volunteer • Center 211 Santa Cruz County

  5. What is 211? • 211 is an easy to remember phone number that connects people in need with services. • Free, confidential, 24-hour/seven days a week, multilingual • 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

  6. 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 Santa Cruz County

  7. 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. 211 Santa Cruz County

  8. 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 211 Santa Cruz County

  9. 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 211 Santa Cruz County

  10. 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 Santa Cruz County

  11. 211 also plays a Critical Role in Disasters • Santa Cruz County Floods 2011 211 Santa Cruz County

  12. 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 • United Way Bay Area 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 211 Santa Cruz County

  13. Updating Your Agency Listing on 211 Database • Step 1: Send an email to resources@uwba.org 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 211 Santa Cruz County

  14. Access 211 Outreach Resources • http://www.unitedwaysc.org/node/625 • Overview Power Point Presentation • One-Page Informational Flyer • 13-14 Santa Cruz County Annual Report • Success Stories • Request additional outreach materials, including brochure rack cards, bookmarks and posters, contact: • Brenda Gonzalez, Administrative Assistant • bgonzalez@unitedwaysc.org • (831) 465-2201 2-1-1 Santa Cruz County

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