United Way: Support 2-1-1

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Evansville Courier and Press on 1/25/15 by Carol Braden-Clarke

Every hour of every day, people need essential human services. In the 2015 State Legislative session, lawmakers will be considering HB 1010 authored by Representative Jud McMillan to provide $2 million in state funding for the Indiana 211 Partnership for funding the 2-1-1 Information and Referral service. 2-1-1 is an easy to remember number that connects individuals in need with state or local health and human service resources in their community. 2-1-1 addresses urgent needs or everyday concerns. When individuals, families, or communities do not know where to turn, 2-1-1 Information and Referral is there for them.

In 2004, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved the 2-1-1 number as the Human Service Information and Referral number. In 2005, the United Way of Southwestern Indiana First Call for Help service became part of the 2-1-1 Statewide Partnership. First Call for Help had been in operation since the 1980s and by becoming a 2-1-1 Call Center this increased the hours of operation to 24/7/365 allowing our community to have a reliable, consistent connection to community resources.

United Way’s 2-1-1 Information and Referral Service connects callers to resources for help they need. In 2014, 626,000 people, nearly one out of 10 Hoosiers, contacted 2-1-1 for help. There are eight Call Centers in Indiana’s 2-1-1 Partnership. The Indiana 2-1-1 Partnership maintains a centralized database with over 20,000 resources. When a caller is looking for help, it can be overwhelming to find the service that can help. Our Information & Referral Specialist assess the caller’s needs and determine the most appropriate community resources. Additionally, I&R specialists are trained to determine whether a caller may be eligible for other programs, to intervene in crisis situations and to advocate on behalf of the caller, who may need additional assistance.

Indiana residents using 2-1-1 reported more than 700,000 needs and received nearly 1 million referrals to community resources. The top requests for help are utilities, housing, income support or assistance, food and health care. Seniors are the fastest growing age group in the country and in 2014 nearly one fourth of the callers to 2-1-1 were seniors 55 and older. In the last three years, calls from veterans have increased by 170 percent.

In Southwestern Indiana, the United Way 2-1-1 Call Center answered over 14,000 calls. The top request for help is for housing and shelter, followed by utility assistance and food resources. Like the rest of the state our local 2-1-1 Call Center has experienced a rise in calls from seniors. Call specialists report that callers often don’t realize the services they may qualify for or be aware of existing programs in the community.

During a disaster, 2-1-1 plays a vital role as a central point for information, not only for disaster survivors but also for individuals wanting to volunteer. During the 2005 tornado, 2-1-1 became the hub for information. When the Whirlpool plant closure was announced 2-1-1 played a critical role in the transition team to link workers to resources and to plan for the transition.

Without additional funding, this statewide service will not be sustained. We ask you to contact your state representatives and urge them to support funding for 2-1-1.