Jackie Harris column – Rowan a leader in use of 211 hotline
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009
By Jackie Harris
Rowan County United Way
Over the past month, the Rowan County United Way office has received many calls requesting assistance. Each call is referred to 211, a human services hotline available in Rowan County. 211 provides free, confidential 24-hour-a-day, seven-days a-week, access to comprehensive information and referral for callers in our community. The three-digit access number gives callers quick linkage to get help in the same way 911 links callers to emergency assistance. The call center receives thousands of calls a year. The database includes more than 10,000 health and human service programs. These programs include governmental and nonprofit agencies.
Locating vital services can become difficult, time-consuming and overwhelming, especially if you are experiencing a crisis. Information and referral specialists assess callers’ needs and determine the service provider best equipped to handle their problems or crises. Finding access to dental care, health care, child care, etc. is easy with 211. There are trained staff available to assist the caller in locating the service they are seeking. Some services may be simple to find while others may take some research by the specialist.
With the closing of Rowan Information and Referral in 2005, the Rowan County United Way board of directors made the decision to join NC211, enabling Rowan County to have broader coverage with less costs.
From the beginning, Rowan County has ranked high in usage of the service. In 2007, the first full year of service, Rowan County represented 4 percent of the population in the coverage area and ranked third in the number of calls made to the 211 center. Triangle (Wake, Orange and Durham counties), High Point and Greensboro (Guilford) were the only communities having more calls than Rowan County.
In 2008, Forsyth County moved ahead in the number of calls placed to 211. With more than 4 million people in 37 counties served through NC211, Rowan County continues to be a leader in usage. Rowan County citizens are using 211 and have better access to information regarding health and human services.The NC211 Web site contains the same information without making a phone call. It is www.nc211.org. Access by cell phone is now available through the following providers: AT&T, Sprint, Suncom, T Mobile and Verizon. Callers with other phone carriers may call toll free 1-888-892-1162.
For your convenience, there is a post note on the front of today’s Salisbury Post readers can save for future reference.