2-1-1 Information Line
2-1-1
2-1-1 is the abbreviated dialing code the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) authorized to “…provide easier
access to comprehensive information and referral service for
health and human services resources.” [www.crisisclinic.org/211kc.html].
The phone number is meant to work much like 9-1-1 as an easy to
remember number that will route to the nearest call center that
can provide assistance, in this case information and referral
rather than emergency.
National
- 2-1-1 prefix was authorized in July 2000
- By November 2008 over 234 million Americans have access
in 48 States, Washington D.C and Puerto Rico[1]
- The system incorporates existing information and
referral providers and databases
- 2-1-1 acts as a single access point promoting
efficiencies for both callers and providers
- Following local disasters, 2-1-1 acts as a hotline for
relief and recovery so 9-1-1 and the Red Cross can focus on
safety
- Community Resources can be shared on the internet to
allow both web and telephone access
- Information is available for those wishing to donate or
volunteer in the local community
Washington – WIN 2-1-1
- There are 8 Call Centers serving Washington State.
King County is designated as region #6 in Washington State.
- www.win211.org/
statewide data base of health and human service providers
- In 2008, WIN2-1-1’s call centers received 361,859 calls,
a 24% increased compared to the 2007 [2]
- 6,425 health and human service providers in Washington
state
- 10,201 sites in Washington state
- 18,205 local services
- Services include TDD/TYY for the hearing impaired and
English interpretation for those with limited English
speaking abilities
King County
- Crisis Clinic which has been providing information and
referral since 1963 is the designated 2-1-1 provider for
King County.
- 2-1-1 operations began in February 2006
- Crisis Clinic communicates with callers in 155 languages
through teleinterpreter services
- 107,873 incoming calls to King County 2-1-1 in 2008 a
7.2% increase over the prior year
- Hours available as published in 2-1-1 Factsheet dated March
3, 2008
- Monday through Friday: 8:00AM to 6:00 PM
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Call Volume
Call volume represents the number of incoming calls and
number of calls operators place in response to caller needs.
In addition to call volumes the Crisis Clinic tracks the number
of problem codes representing issues that are addressed in a
single call. Because several issues may arise in a single
incoming call the volumes will not be identical.
Immediately below is the tally of King County based caller
volumes. Below the call volumes are details on problem
summaries.
|
Calendar Year 2008 2-1-1 Community
Information Line Quarterly Call Volume |
|
|
Incoming Calls |
Outgoing Calls |
|
|
|
|
|
01/01/08 - 03/31/08 |
26,774 |
1,522 |
|
04/01/08 - 06/30/08 |
23,973 |
1,154 |
|
07/01/08 - 09/30/08 |
26,897 |
999 |
|
10/01/08 - 12/31/08 |
30,231 |
1,017
|
|
2008 TOTAL |
107,875 |
3,170 |
|
Download Data
| Source:
Crisis Clinic,
Caller Data Report: 2-1-1 Community Information Line
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Problem Summaries
Problem summaries reported by the Crisis Clinic reflect the
types of issues that are identified over the course of a
conversation between callers and 2-1-1 staff. There are 15
themes tracked for reporting. Because multiple issues may arise
the number of Problem Summaries cannot be directly tied back to
the call volume.
Three Problem Summaries accounted for 81.6% of the
problems/needs identified by callers: Basic Needs (23.6%),
Financial (28.9%) and Other – e.g., calls for directory
assistance, holiday assistance (29.1%).
2008 Calendar Year
summary
|
2008 Crisis Line Problem Summary Codes |
|
Problem Code |
% of Calls |
|
Basic Needs |
23.1% |
|
Community Involvement |
1.1% |
|
Disaster |
0.1% |
|
Emotional health |
2.2% |
|
Employment/Education |
1.3% |
|
Financial |
28.0% |
|
Government Assistance |
1.0% |
|
Legal |
6.6% |
|
Other |
31.0% |
|
Physical health |
2.8% |
|
Relationships |
0.1% |
|
Substance Abuse/Addiction |
0.7% |
|
Social Insurance Programs |
0.2% |
|
Support Services |
1.4% |
|
Threat/Abuse Violence |
0.5% |
Download Data
| Source:
Crisis Clinic,
Caller Data Report: 2-1-1 Community Information Line.
Comprehensive details available upon download
Regional Problem Summary Code Information
North King County
- 3,196 incoming calls were received in 2008, a 9.3%
increase over the prior year
- The number of callers identifying themselves as homeless
decreased from 290 in 2007 to 283 in 2008
- Problem summaries (separate issues addressed) went up by
22.4%
- Every Problem Summary field recorded an increase with
exception of the category Social Insurance Programs" which
dropped from 6 down to 3 in the North King County subregion
- A comprehensive download showing changes between 2007
and 2008 can be found on the following link:
Download Data
| Source:
Crisis Clinic,
Caller Data Report: 2-1-1 Community Information Line North
East King County
- East King County received 8,692 calls in 2008, a 7.6%
increase over 2007
- The number of callers identifying themselves as homeless
decreased from 876 in 2007 to 865 in 2008
- Problem summaries (separate issues addressed) went up by
2.7%
- East King county saw an increase in Problem Summaries
with the exceptions of "Community Involvement" and
"Relationships"
- A comprehensive download showing changes between 2007
and 2008 can be found on the following link:
Download Data
| Source:
Crisis Clinic,
Caller Data Report: 2-1-1 Community Information Line East
South King County
- South King County received 36,982 calls, up from 32,098
in 2007
- The number of callers identifying themselves as homeless
decreased from 3,746 in 2007 to 3,528 in 2008
- Problem summaries (separate issues addressed) went up by
19.9%
- "Relationships" was the sole problem code to show a
decrease from 2007-2008
- A comprehensive download showing changes between 2007
and 2008 can be found on the following link:
Download Data
| Source:
Crisis Clinic,
Caller Data Report: 2-1-1 Community Information Line South
Seattle
- Seattle saw a decline in call volumes with 48,141 in
2007 then 46,614 in 2008, a 3.3% decline
- The number of callers identifying themselves as homeless
decreased from 8,151 in 2007 to 5,888 in 2008
- Problem summaries (separate issues addressed) went up by
2.7%
- A comprehensive download showing changes between 2007
and 2008 can be found on the following link:
Download Data
| Source:
Crisis Clinic,
Caller Data Report: 2-1-1 Community Information Line Seattle
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Crisis Line
The Crisis Line is a 24 hour immediate emergency assistance
hotline run by the Crisis Clinic.
Crisis Line Highlights from 2007Annual Report:
- 216 volunteers
contributed 27,000 hours of service
- Community Resources Online is linked to the WA State
2-1-1 datasets.
- Calls are
accepted from the community and professionals/clinical staff
- 4,800 callers
were seriously considering suicide, 78% agreed to a safety
plan
- Teen Link, using trained teen callers answered more than
1,000 calls. Additional training
was provided in the classroom
Resources
211 Website:
http://www.resourcehouse.info/Win211/
Footnotes
[1] 2-1-1 US, from
http://211us.org/ February 17,
2009.
[2]
http://www.win211.org/docs/WIN%20Newsletters/WIN2114thqtrnewslette%202.pdf
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