2-1-1 Maryland

                                Maryland Task Force
                                100 South Charles Street
                                Baltimore, Maryland 21201

 2-1-1 Maryland Pilot Fact Sheet

What is 2-1-1?

2-1-1  is an easy-to-remember, free-to-the-user phone number that links people with the health and human services they need.

1. A Simple, Quick 24-Hour Link

2-1-1 is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in more than 150 languages.

Dialing 2-1-1 connects callers to specialists who assess their needs and link them to the right solutions using a comprehensive database of federal, state and local services - both government and nonprofit. 2-1-1 cuts through the confusion and helps callers connect to the service they need. For example, it helps with information about these kinds of resources:

• Basic human needs: food and clothing, shelters, rent and utility assistance.

• Physical and mental health: health insurance programs for adults and children, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol services.

• Employment support: job training, transportation, education programs.

• Support for older Americans and people with disabilities: adult day care, congregate meals, respite care, home health care and transportation services.

• Support for children, youth and families: childcare, after-school programs, Head Start, family resource centers, mentoring, tutoring and protective services.

• Volunteer Opportunities and Donations: organizations that rely on help from people who care.

 
2. A Barometer of Need

2-1-1 helps identify needs or gaps in service and communicates them to planners and funders, providing them a more accurate picture of local needs.

3. A Homeland Security Partner in Emergencies and Crises

By providing easy access to rumor-controlled information, 2-1-1 reduces inappropriate calls to 9-1-1 and other emergency personnel, freeing them to focus on what they do best.

Why 2-1-1? 

Each day, thousands of Marylanders search for information about health and human services such as food, shelter, medical care, substance abuse treatment, protection from domestic violence or disaster relief – the list is endless. While nonprofit and government services are ready to help, the large number of providers, with more than 500 different telephone numbers, makes it hard to find the right place quickly. The result is often repeated calls and frustration.  

During disasters and emergencies, 9-1-1 and other responders are overburdened with calls related to the crisis, but not emergencies, This ties up resources when they are needed most.

How Does 2-1-1 address the problem?

2-1-1 streamlines the search, offering specific, appropriate information with just one call. 

In times of crisis, 2-1-1 provides easy access to rumor-controlled information and frees 9-1-1 and other responders to focus on immediate emergencies. 2-1-1’s round-the-clock status eliminates the need to activate new numbers during emergencies.

 2-1-1 also helps human resources professionals and service providers locate services for their employees and clients quickly and efficiently.
 

What Are 2-1-1’s Biggest Benefits? 

• Speed, efficiency and ease of use, plus access in multiple languages

• Reduced time and frustration in navigating the maze of more than 500 referral numbers in Maryland

• 24-hour/7 days-a-week availability

• Instant availability before, during and after a community crisis such as an attack, flood, fire or other local or national tragedy

• Confidentiality

• Easy way to find or give help in the community

• Great tool for planners/funders in anticipating demand for services and changing needs

• Lessens burden on the 9-1-1 system and Baltimore City’s
  3-1-1, saving their vital resources for life and death emergencies and focused services
   

Cost Savings of 2-1-1

A study commissioned by United Way of America and conducted by the University of Texas Ray Marshall Center concluded that:

• As a one-stop center for social services, 2-1-1 would ultimately save U.S taxpayers millions of dollars.

• A national service of this type is estimated to provide $1.1 billion in net value over the next ten years.

What Is The Status of 2-1-1 in Maryland?

A statewide 2-1-1 Maryland Task Force, designated by the Public Service Commission and led by United Way of Central Maryland, is conducting a pilot of 2-1-1 from October 11, 2006 through August 21, 2007.
 

It is supported through the generous sponsorship of Constellation Energy.
 

The pilot covers 70 percent of Maryland and is available free of charge, 24 hours a day to Verizon landline customers who could have normally reached one of the following four centers through a local call: 

1. Community Crisis Services, Inc., Hyattsville,  (Prince George’s County)

2. Life Crisis Center, Inc., Salisbury (Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties)

3. Mental Health Association of Frederick County, Frederick (Frederick and Washington Counties)

4. United Way of Central Maryland’s First Call for Help™, Baltimore (Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties).

 In its pilot, 2-1-1 Maryland joins 41 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in implementing 2-1-1. 190 million people across the country – 65 percent of the U.S. population – now have access to a 2-1-1 system.

 WHO made 2-1-1 Maryland happen?
The 2-1-1 Maryland Task Force  and the four pilot centers across the state are grateful to: 

• Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

• Senator Thomas Middleton

• Former Delegate John Hurson

• Delegate Peter Hammen

• Delegate Rudolph Cane

• The Governor’s Health and Human Services Referral Board

 For more information contact: Martina Martin at United Way of Central Maryland, 410-895-1476.

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