We Need 2-1-1 in Yolo County
By Dave Rosenberg, Yolo County Supervisor, 4th District
How about 2-1-1 for Yolo County?
"What," you say, "is 2-1-1?" Simply put, it is a dedicated telephone phone number that provides quick and convenient access to health and human services information and referral (I&R). No such system is currently in place.
What sort of information might be available at a 2-1-1 phone number? Lots. For example, callers who are facing difficult times might call to obtain information on county food banks, clothing closets, shelters, rent or utility assistance. Callers requiring physical or mental health resources could get information on Medicaid and Medicare, health insurance programs, maternal health care, crisis intervention, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation. Callers looking for work can get information on financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance and education programs. Elderly callers can obtain information on adult day health care, Meals on Wheels, respite care, home health care, transportation, homemaker services, adult protective services and in-home support. Those callers needing information on children's services can get information on child care, after-school programs, Head Start, family resources centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, and child protective services. And everyone can get basic data on volunteer or donation opportunities.
With trained volunteer operators, 2-1-1 can truly become one-stop shopping for citizens with questions concerning I&R.
Though certain telephone services such as 4-1-1 and 9-1-1 provide communities with a great deal of aid, they do not satisfy every need. 4-1-1 is simply a telephone directory service while 9-1-1 should only be used as an emergency service. The hole for I&R can be filled with 2-1-1, a single system where the contact information for all the agencies that provide health and human services is available.
In the Fall of 2001 I requested, and the Yolo County Board of Supervisors concurred, that staff take a preliminary look at 2-1-1 implementation in Yolo County. This national abbreviated dialing code for easy access to health and human services information was assigned by the Federal Communications Commission on July 21, 2000. It is already in use in some states and is close to implementation in several other sites around the country. It is on its way to California, and Yolo County should be at the head of the line.
On February 13, 2003, the California Public Utilities Committee unanimously voted to begin taking the steps necessary to initiate 2-1-1 dialing in California. Also, the California Alliance for Information and Referral Services (CAIRS) is currently strategizing to find ways of developing this I&R service statewide. Steering committees made up of representatives from all over California have also begun to work together so the needs of all people in our diverse state will be met.
In Yolo County as well as the rest of the country, 2-1-1 will play a key role in improving our current methods of accessing important health and human services information. There are many people out there who need these services and are having trouble getting to them and understanding them. A 2-1-1 phone system for Yolo County will go a long way to solving this problem of information and access for residents of the county. For more information, visit www.211.org.