News | Article
from Redlands Daily Facts
Study of 2-1-1 calls shows promise of
success
By George Watson, staff writer
Fontana (October 12, 2007) - A new study of phone
calls made to the Inland Empire's 2-1-1 call center should be a
valuable tool for the county's decision-makers and governmental
directors, a United Way official said.
The information should help officials determine where the
needs are greatest for health services and social programs, said
Gary Madden, Inland Empire United Way's 2-1-1 director. For
example, he said, the data could be a treasure trove for grant
writers.
"The Inland Empire has lots of growth but what that really
has done is strained the infrastructure," Madden said. "This
will help identify what it is we need to focus on to strengthen
our communities."
Use of the call center has nearly tripled from a year ago.
Last July, more than 2,600 information and referral calls were
made to 2-1-1 call center staff, as opposed to the 900 in August
2006. Calls can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week by
dialing 2-1-1 or (888) 435-7565.
More than 3,000 calls per month are expected to be made
before the end of the year.
The 2-1-1 number is toll-free, connecting San Bernardino
County residents to a 24-hour service that provides access to
food, shelters, clothing, employment services, programs for
children and families, support for seniors and disabled people.
The hot line operates in 31 states. The service is part of a
nationwide movement that streamlines information for people in
need of health services or social programs. The hope is for
people to learn that they can call it, rather than dialing 9-1-1
for non-emergencies.
United Way officials compiled vast amounts of data from the
calls to assess how well the call center worked and what sort of
changes could be made to improve service.
More than 23,800 calls came in from Aug. 1, 2006 to Aug. 18,
2007. But many were not made by people seeking information or
referrals, but instead, they were phantom or transferred calls
or wrong numbers. Still, officials expressed optimism that the
total number of calls was growing each month.
On average, Mondays and Tuesdays got the most calls with the
number steadily falling as the week progressed. Weekend days
proved to be the quietest at the center.
Slightly more than 68 percent of callers had what officials
called "basic needs," meaning such things as help with
utilities, rent, shelter and food.
"The anniversary for 2-1-1 was a testimony to the growth and
significance of the 2-1-1 system in meeting the needs of
children and families in the city and county of San Bernardino,"
Kent Paxton, community safety and violence-prevention liaison
for the city of San Bernardino, said in a prepared statement.
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