211 VIRGINIA Presentation

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2-1-1 VIRGINIAPresentation

• Prepared by
• Kristi Stilen-Lare
• 2-1-1 Coordinator
• Council of Community Services

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Who do you call if you need help but its not
really an emergency?
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Who Would You Call?
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HELP!
Right now, you have to hunt through hundreds of
numbers in the phone book.
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What if. . There was one easy to remember health
and human services number?
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• Just dial
• 2-1-1 VIRGINIA!

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What
is 2-1-1?

• A single, easy-to-use, 3-digit phone number for
  health and human services.

• Accurate and specific information about vital
  community resources.

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is 2-1-1?
What

• 2-1-1 Provides Community Information and Referral
  (I R) Services.
• Trained staff use the latest information
  technology to help
• Define callers needs.
• Provide accurate information on the right
  community resources
• Refer and Follow-Up as needed with service
  providers to be sure people get the help they
  need.
• 2-1-1 Connects People with the Right Information
  at the Right Time.

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Will Call 2-1-1?
Who
The laid-off worker struggling to feed a family.
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Who
Will Call 2-1-1?
The teenager seeking a Support Group for
substance abuse.
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Who
Will Call 2-1-1?
The newly widowed father in need of child care.
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Who
Will Call 2-1-1?
Someone wanting to donate clothing or furniture.
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How
Does 2-1-1 Help?

• People will no longer struggle with hundreds of
  numbers.
• 52 of calls in Atlanta are for basic needs
  including rent / utility assistance, and food.
• 15 of calls in Connecticut are from teachers,
  government officials, clergy and others seeking
  help for their clients.
• It helps so much that citizen calls to 2-1-1
  increased significantly in just the second year
  of operation.

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How
Does 2-1-1 Help?
2-1-1 Strengthens Communities

• 2-1-1 strengthens communities by giving those in
  need access to help, and those who want to help a
  chance to do so.
• Reduces misdirected calls to 9-1-1 improving
  response times. Some communities estimate that
  over 50 of 9-1-1 calls are non-emergency in
  nature.
• Acts as a Social Barometer providing accurate,
  unbiased, real time information about community
  needs to policy makers.
• Community agencies can use the data from 2-1-1 to
  help plan for future services

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.
How
Does 2-1-1 Help?

• 2-1-1 is a Key Part of Disaster Preparedness
  Strategies

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How
Does 2-1-1 Help?

• After September 11th,
• Connecticut Calls to 2-1-1 Involved
• People who got out of the World Trade Center and
  felt guilty.
• Families looking for victims.
• Mentally ill persons feeling overwhelmed with the
  disaster.
• 2-1-1 served as the back-up system for the
  Governors Hotline Red Cross Blood Banks.
• Over 90 of CT victim calls came through
• 2-1-1 rather than 888-CT-HELPS.

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How
Does 2-1-1 Help?
In the Aftermath of a Crisis in Virginia
2-1-1 Will Provide Information Access to
Community Resources
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The National 2-1-1 Coalition

• Administration on Aging (U.S. Dept. of Health
  and Human Services
• Alliance of Information and Referral Systems
• American Library Association
• American Association of Suicidology
• American Red Cross
• Contact USA
• National Association of ChildCare Resource and
  Referral Agencies
• National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
• National Information Center for Children and
  Youth with Disabilities
• National Mental Health Association
• Points of Light Foundation
• United Way of America

to bring together national organizations
representing the full range of comprehensive and
specialized information, referral, assistance and
volunteer services to facilitate the development
of systems for the sustainability of 2-1-1.
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Where
Is 2-1-1?
Activity Across the Nation

• Over 100 million Americans (34 of US population)
  already have access to 2-1-1 dialing.
• There are 139 active 2-1-1 Centers in 28 states
• The District of Columbia launched 2-1-1 in
  October 2004
• The goal is for 50 of the US to have access to
  2-1-1 by December 2005

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2-1-1 VIRGINIA ACTIVITY

• Virginias existing professional IR network,
  the Virginia Statewide Information Referral
  System has assisted citizens since 1984.
• The VA Statewide IR System has six regional
  call centers that serve the entire Commonwealth.
• The six regions have strong working relationships
  and an established protocol for best serving the
  state of Virginia.
• Each IR Center in the system uses the same
  software, website, and methods for importing
  data.
• The Virginia Statewide Information Referral
  System can easily be expanded and upgraded to
  bring 2-1-1 to Virginia.

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2-1-1 VIRGINIA ACTIVITY

• Virginias Statewide IR System is the only
  comprehensive professional IR in the state,
  which means that they are members of the Alliance
  of Information Referral Services (AIRS), they
  have certified call specialists, and they use a
  nationally recognized classification taxonomy.
• Sothe process of creating 2-1-1 in Virginia will
  actually be building on the existing resource
  that is the Virginia Statewide IR System.

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2-1-1 Virginia

• Get Connected
• Get Started
• Get Answers

2-1-1 Connects People with the Right Information
at the Right Time
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Contact Information

• Kristi Stilen-Lare
• 2-1-1 Coordinator
• [phone] x211
• kristisl_at_councilofcommunityservices.org
• www.211.org
• www.vaiandr.com