Testimonials
On my way home I needed to pick up some items and dashed in a liquor store and about half way through I found myself crying! A homeless man asked me what the problem was and I said, “They are going to pull the plug on my dad tomorrow and I can’t even contact the doctor to talk to him about it!” The homeless man, said “Oh, you need to call 211, they will help you.”
And I said “They can’t possibly help me with this.” The homeless man said “Oh yes, they help with just about everything!” So the next morning I called 211 and someone on the line said they would help me. He called somewhere on my behalf with me and right after that the doctor called and we made a plan for my dad to recover…he is 81 years old now, in a wheelchair, but I have my dad… and I have 211 to thank.
How 2-1-1 Helps Access to Health Coverage and Care
Access to Health Coverage and Care
Protecting Public Health
In public health crises, as in other emergencies, 2-1-1 relieves pressure on 9-1-1 and serves as an invaluable resources for public health agencies that need to provide residents with information and resources about health threats.
2-1-1 call centers are staffed with highly trained specialists who have expertise in navigating the web of health and human services in a particular community. 2-1-1 call center specialists can connect a person with vital information and resources, including access to healthcare for the uninsured and under-insured, home care assistance and services, and medical information lines.
2-1-1 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, allowing residents to access information about emergency care, crisis intervention, and substance abuse when they need it most. And, because 2-1-1 call center specialists are able to answer calls in over 150 different languages, they're able to provide critical health information to otherwise hard to reach ethnic populations.