United way sponsors local 211 program
–Since January 2010, United Way has made available 2-1-1 SLO County, a free program that is a one-stop way to get timely access to health and human services information and referrals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The phone line is free, confidential, and provides bilingual assistance.
San Luis Obispo County has a long history of providing 24-hour referral and support services to those in need. Incorporated in 1970, Hotline of San Luis Obispo County recruited and trained volunteers to answer information, referral, crisis and support calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
In 1998 the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS), United Way of America, United Way 2-1-1 (Atlanta, GA), United Way of Connecticut, Florida Alliance of Information and Referral Services, Inc. and Texas Information and Referral Network filed a petition for nationwide assignment of an abbreviated dialing code for access to community information and referral services; two years later the Federal Communications Commission, in a unanimous decision, concluded that “assigning an N11 code for such purposes is in the national interest.” Since that time, communities and states across the country have been implementing 2-1-1 systems into their infrastructure, allowing them to connect residents with important health and human service resources, as well as provide disaster-related information in times of natural or man-made disasters.
In SLO County, Hotline implemented 2-1-1 in 2007. In 2009, SLO hotline was split: the 2-1-1 call service became a program of United Way of San Luis Obispo County, while the mental health and crisis service became the SLO Hotline program of Transitions-Mental Health Association and is accredited by the American Association of Suicidology. Today, information and referral calls are still answered by knowledgeable, bilingual call specialists, and Transitions provides more in-depth crisis and support counseling when callers have immediate mental health needs. The mental health hotline phone number is 1-800-783-0607.
Users can call, click or text to be connected to local service providers and agencies for non-emergency needs like housing, mental health and addiction and legal, consumer and public safety resources. This number is for anyone and everyone. It is safe, free, confidential and available 24/7 in multiple languages.
Last year alone, SLO County’s 2-1-1 answered over 10,000 requests for services via phone call, text and website. One caller commented, “When you’re out there in the world it’s nice to know that there is someone to hold on to.”
2-1-1 is a one-stop, agency referral marketplace.
There are three ways to connect with 2-1-1:
1. Call 2-1-1 on your phone
2. Click to the Website specific to San Luis Obispo County: www.211slo.org
3. Text your zip code to 898211.
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