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2-1-1 Frequently Asked Questions
For all Coloradoans to have easy access to information about the full range of health and human services programs and assistance provided in their local area. A Colorado 2-1-1 Steering Committee, co-chaired by Mile High United Way and FirstCall (an information and referral service in Larimer County) developed a statewide plan for implementation of a 2-1-1 information and referral system in Colorado. Members include nonprofit and referral agencies, United Ways as well as others who support that 2-1-1 vision. This plan was approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission in October of 2000, and a governing board has been elected to oversee the implementation of the 2-1-1 system plan. For all Coloradoans to have easy access to information about the full range of health and human services programs and assistance provided in their local area. Eventually, there will be seven regional call centers within the state and they will be the hubs of all 2-1-1 activity within Colorado. Regional call centers will need to meet operational requirements that are in keeping with the Standards of Professional Information and Referral established by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS). Input will be sought from key stakeholders in the delivery of information and referrals within each county. Protocols will be developed within each Colorado 2-1-1 call center's region to address the specific needs of the region regarding data management and the delivery of information and referrals. Each 2-1-1 call center will be staffed by professionally trained specialists and data managers. The I&R specialists may be preparing to be certified by AIRS. They will provide "high touch" responses consisting of sensitive and confidential interviewing to determine the needs of callers. Detailed local databases provide a high tech tool for the I&R specialists to search for options meeting callers' specific needs regarding location, language, costs, and hours of service. Callers will receive reliable and appropriate information and options about the services they seek.
Each call center will have:
The Colorado 2-1-1 Collaborative recognizes the value of the specialized I&Rs in the communities they serve. It is the responsibility of each call center's leadership to establish protocols with the specialized I&Rs as to how they will be included in the regional system. Beyond referrals to the specialized I&R and services, possibilities include data sharing and data maintenance, after-hour coverage for specialized I&Rs that traditionally operate on "typical" business hours, and comprehensive collection of data for a more complete view of the service needs and gaps within a locality, county or region. Colorado 2-1-1 plans to utilize Internet technologies to make information available to customers. It is essential that the data be accurate and understandable by the general public. Procedures and protocols will be in place to insure a customer who is having difficulty accessing information via the Internet can easily connect with the 2-1-1 call enter personnel who are trained to help the customer get the needed information. The Colorado 2-1-1 Collaborative will oversee the implementation of the 2-1-1 system. Mile High United Way will serve as the fiscal agent. 2-1-1 is meant to complement 911 by filling the gap between emergencies and urgent non-public safety needs, like food and shelter. 2-1-1 hopes to relieve the burden of non-emergency calls on 911 and saves callers' time by providing guidance and appropriate referrals to organizations that can meet callers' needs. Educational and marketing materials will clearly distinguish the difference between 2-1-1 and 911 and will outline when 2-1-1 should be called as opposed to 911. The current funding of I&Rs varies considerably from one area to another. Some organizations are more heavily funded by federal , state and local governmental sources; other are more heavily supported by corporations and foundations. Many receive United Way contributions or are programs or collaborative partners of local United Ways. Many also rely heavily on individual contributions through annual campaigns and the sales of information resource directories. 2-1-1 call centers will lead to better coordination of existing I&R services. Colorado 2-1-1 Collaborative holds the position that initial and ongoing funding for 2-1-1 service in Colorado will be through a public/private partnership including federal, state and local government funding streams and United Way, corporate and other charitable entities and major gifts and endowments. 2-1-1 call statistics may reveal the true need for specific services. Planners for allocation of available resources as well as the acquisition of new resources may use these statistics as a tool. Overall, statewide costs of providing I&R services may actually go down as a better-coordinated and cooperative system is developed among existing specialized and comprehensive I&Rs, statewide and governmental telephone I&R services. Data management coordination and consolidation will be explored as the planning process continues. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved the 2-1-1 system design in October of 2002. Four pilot sites began using the 2-1-1 dialing code in 2003: Weld County, Larimer County, Mesa County and the five-county Denver region. Three new pilot sites are scheduled to start up in 2004: El Paso/Teller County, Pueblo County and Durango County. Each pilot program has one year to implement a multi-county expansion, thereby ensuring state-wide 2-1-1 availability. A national collaborative led by the United Way of Atlanta 2-1-1, United Way of America and more than 20 other members nationwide have led the way to make this number available to the public. 2-1-1 was approved for this use by the Federal Communications Commission in July of 2000. |
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