What if there was a single phone number that could connect you to essential community services 24/7, 365 days a year? Join us, Kim Chapman, as we reveal the powerful impact of 2-1-1, a lifeline for individuals seeking vital health and human services. This episode features Edie Edison, Vice President of Community Impact at Capital Area United Way, John Hudson, Community Impact Manager for 2-1-1, and LaDuan Butler, 2-1-1 Referral and Care Coordinator. Together, we break down how 2-1-1 connects communities to critical resources like food, shelter, and employment assistance, and the comprehensive care coordination efforts that go beyond just referrals.
Ever wondered what happens when you call 2-1-1? We'll take you through the process, from connecting with a local call specialist to the collection of demographic information to ensure you receive the most appropriate resources. During times of disaster, calls might be routed to other states, but the focus remains on identifying specific needs and offering the right support. Learn about the innovative care coordination program that guarantees follow-up and personalized assistance, ensuring that repeat callers receive the continuous support they need to navigate their challenges effectively.
Discover the vast network of community partners working with 2-1-1, including the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Salvation Army, and Catholic Charities. We'll distinguish 2-1-1 from other important three-digit numbers like 3-1-1 for non-emergency government services and the new 9-8-8 for mental health crises. Hear a heartwarming success story of a client who found stability after moving to Baton Rouge, thanks to ongoing support from 2-1-1. This episode is packed with invaluable insights and information to help you and your community thrive.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want – brought to you by Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.
What if there was a single phone number that could connect you to essential community services 24/7, 365 days a year? Join us, Kim Chapman, as we reveal the powerful impact of 2-1-1, a lifeline for individuals seeking vital health and human services. This episode features Edie Edison, Vice President of Community Impact at Capital Area United Way, John Hudson, Community Impact Manager for 2-1-1, and LaDuan Butler, 2-1-1 Referral and Care Coordinator. Together, we break down how 2-1-1 connects communities to critical resources like food, shelter, and employment assistance, and the comprehensive care coordination efforts that go beyond just referrals.
Ever wondered what happens when you call 2-1-1? We'll take you through the process, from connecting with a local call specialist to the collection of demographic information to ensure you receive the most appropriate resources. During times of disaster, calls might be routed to other states, but the focus remains on identifying specific needs and offering the right support. Learn about the innovative care coordination program that guarantees follow-up and personalized assistance, ensuring that repeat callers receive the continuous support they need to navigate their challenges effectively.
Discover the vast network of community partners working with 2-1-1, including the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Salvation Army, and Catholic Charities. We'll distinguish 2-1-1 from other important three-digit numbers like 3-1-1 for non-emergency government services and the new 9-8-8 for mental health crises. Hear a heartwarming success story of a client who found stability after moving to Baton Rouge, thanks to ongoing support from 2-1-1. This episode is packed with invaluable insights and information to help you and your community thrive.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want – brought to you by Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.
Speaker 1:
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want. Now here is your host, ms Kim.
Speaker 2:
Chapman, welcome to another edition of Money Matters. I am your host, kim Chapman. Did you know? Some sources suggest that the average human makes over 35,000 choices a day. Take a moment and think about it. You decided when to get up, what to eat and how to get to wherever you are right now, and then, most importantly, you decided which podcast to listen to. And, by the way, such a great choice. With so many choices to make, you need to stay informed, and that's why I'm here, because, with all of those choices you have to make, many of them revolve around money, and with Money Matters, you can count on information that will help you make the best decision with the remaining 34,999 choices you have left to make today. So let's go ahead and get started.
Speaker 2:
My quote for the day is awareness is like the sun when it shines on things, they are transformed. Look, life is full of ups and downs and often it's very, very unpredictable. In an emergency, I think it's safe to say we are all aware of where to call 9-1-1, right, but what about if it's a non-emergency? Who can you call? Just the other day, I had a person approach me with a problem. It wasn't an emergency, but it was a problem, yet still very important to that person, and I was kind of at a loss. You know, I couldn't help them and I wasn't quite sure where to refer them. And then, just before the conversation ended, I remembered 2-1-1. I bet they can help.
Speaker 2:
How many of you have heard of 2-1-1? Have you ever called it? Where can you call if you need a resource and it's not an emergency? Well, that's why we're here today. We're going to be exploring who 2-1-1 is and some of the other three-digit non-emergency services. So my guests today are Edie Edison, john Hudson and LaDuan Butler. Welcome, thank you, thank you. So, before we talk about your individual roles, how would you basically summarize, if you could, what 2-1-1 is?
Speaker 4:
So 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember phone number that connects callers to information about critical health and human services available in their community. It's available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The service never turns off. Some good examples of resources that you can find in 2-in-1 are food, clothing, shelter, physical and mental health resources, employment support and elder care for persons that are over the age of 60.
Speaker 2:
All right, okay, so we'll go ahead and start with you. Edie, since you answered the question, tell us a little bit about who you are and what your role is with 2-1-1.
Speaker 4:
Great. So my name is Edie Addison. I'm the Vice President of Community Impact at Capital Area United Way. Our Community Impact team is the team that's responsible for external services in the community, so grant making, direct services, volunteerism and advocacy. And one of our largest programs that falls in that portfolio is 2-1-1. So I'm responsible for a little bit of the bigger picture of 2-1-1. So thinking about the relationships that we manage with the program throughout the state and here locally, funding sources for the program and just kind of making those bigger picture connections. And then I have two wonderful team members that are really boots on the ground managing the service day in and day out.
Speaker 1:
So I'm John Hudson. I'm the community impact manager for 2-on-1. So, yeah, ED kind of handles the bigger picture and I'm more on the detail side of 2-on-1. So I manage our database. So that's keeping up with all the resources in our 11 parish area, making sure all the information is up to date, reaching out to agencies, organizations, making sure any need that callers have is in our database. Then I also manage all of our call data and numbers and work through our contracts, different things like that. So definitely more on the detail side of 211.
Speaker 3:
And my name is LaDuan Butler. I am the 2-1-1 referral and care coordinator at Capital Area United Way, which is a new initiative. Capital United Way is doing care coordination and so on a day-to-day basis I handle client cases that are referred to the 2-1-1 Care Coordination Center. We follow a closed-loop system so I am taking those clients and addressing their needs, connecting them to community organizations that can address their needs and working with them until those needs are met. Sometimes those needs can be met immediately and sometimes it is a longer process of working with those clients and community organizations to meet those needs.
Speaker 2:
Awesome, sounds like a lot, a really good team to have here to talk about this topic. So let's kind of circle back. So we know, 2-1-1 is definitely a universal number and that can be reached by landline and cell phone.
Speaker 4:
Correct, so anyone can call 2-1-1. We use geo-routing, so no matter where you are calling from whether it's a landline or cell phone you will reach the 2-1-1 database. That's for your physical location and so that applies anywhere in the state of Louisiana. Awesome.
Speaker 2:
And when you say anyone, is this a service that even children can use or is it just for adults to call? Who can call 2-1-1?
Speaker 4:
Anyone can call 2-1-1. Actually, one of the data points that we track is age of caller, if we're able to get that information, and so we do see that there are some youth that are utilizing the service to reach out for resources.
Speaker 2:
Okay, and can you talk a little bit about some of those resources? Who are some of the partners or what types of calls do you receive if it's not a 911 or emergency call?
Speaker 4:
So there are several big trends that we see with data and I'll let John go more into the details of that data, but we have on a big picture every month. We are tracking data and the biggest needs are always related to housing. There's not enough affordable housing in our capital region. Transportation so you know we have a wonderful CAT system but in the other nine, 10 parishes surrounding East Baton Rouge there's not great transportation resources for people available. Utility bill payment assistance, rent and mortgage assistance are also huge, huge call needs that we see every month.
Speaker 2:
And so is there a physical building that individuals or consumers can visit for these resources, or is it only the 211 number?
Speaker 4:
Right, it's just a virtual service so you can reach 211 by calling, texting or chatting online with our 211 call specialists, but we do not have a physical building here in Baton Rouge. All of the United Ways in the state actually share one call center. That's located at the United Way in Monroe, Louisiana, which is a wonderful cost-sharing mechanism, and our call specialists are trained to answer those calls for anyone anywhere in the state and use the database that's local to that caller.
Speaker 2:
And we talked a little bit earlier about the history of 211, and how long has it been here available in Louisiana?
Speaker 4:
So I'm not exactly sure how long it's been. Here in Louisiana. I know that we have 100 percent coverage in the state as of about five years ago, but the FCC actually approved 2-1-1 for national use in July of 2000. So nationally 2-1-1 has been a formalized effort for about 22 years and we're starting to see a lot more advocacy and policy efforts around increasing dollars available for 2-1-1 usage across not only the state but also nationally.
Speaker 2:
And John tell me you're the numbers guy, so talk a little bit about the calls that we get here in Louisiana. What are the greatest needs that you find? Call 2, call 211 for.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so, like Edie said, definitely housing is always our number one. I think it makes up close to 30% of our 211 calls. So that's the biggest thing. You know. Rental assistance, looking for transitional housing, homeless shelters, anything that falls under the housing category is always one of our biggest needs, as well as utility assistance. And then another one Edith didn't mention that we get a high volume for be food. So that's, you know, food pantries, people calling for the food bank, you know any kind of food distribution programs, anything like that. That's also a big need that we see in our area as well distribution programs, anything like that.
Speaker 2:
That's also a big need that we see in our area as well. And how has that need changed or how?
Speaker 1:
has the volume changed, if at all, considering before COVID and now? So, on an annual basis, in our 11 parish area, we get close to around between 40 and 50,000 calls a year for two-on-one and that kind of just depends. You know, what events happen if there's any disasters. Like you said during COVID, 2020 was definitely a huge spike and it really there was. No, I wouldn't say it's definitely an increase in all needs across the board, you know, during COVID and afterwards. So it wasn't just one need, it was basically we saw an increase in everything, whether that be housing, food, utility assistance, whatever the case may be, transportation, you know, employment services. So definitely it's an overall big spike in calls.
Speaker 2:
So what happens if I call 2-1-1? Who am I talking to? First of all, where are the individuals calling, since this is a national number? Am I talking to somebody in the local area? Am I talking to somebody across the country? And then, basically, what can I expect on this phone call?
Speaker 4:
Yep. So on any average sunny day, when you call 2-1-1, you are reaching a call specialist that is a Louisiana resident and trained to use our Louisiana databases, and that's really important to us. The only time that you may call 2-1-1 and reach someone that's located nationally would be during times of disaster. So we are part of a statewide network of 2-1-1s and our state is able to partner with other states during times of disaster, and that goes both ways. So when we're experiencing a really big local, national disaster think Hurricane Katrina, the 2016 floods, hurricane Ida we might call on some of our neighboring states to help us answer calls, because our own staff is dealing with power outages, evacuations, flooding in their own homes, and so we're able to say, hey, texas, 2-1-1, can you pick up some calls for us. Or hey, mississippi, hey, arkansas. And that's just a really wonderful relationship that we have and it goes both ways. So when those states are experiencing times of crisis, we're able to pick up some of their volume as well.
Speaker 2:
So you mentioned before. Of course they're partnering resources. So if I call in, for example, I need housing, what's going to happen? Is somebody going to send somebody, you know, to pick me up and find a place for me to stay? What happens at basically during that call? I know every situation is a little different, but just in general, what happens if somebody calls for housing, somebody calls for food? What information is provided?
Speaker 4:
So when someone reaches out to 2-1-1, they are asked to give their well. First they have to decide whether they're calling for an information and referral call, which is our traditional service, or they might be calling for a crisis service so that person is experiencing some mental health symptoms and needs to talk to a trained mental health provider. So they're going to self-select into one of those options. For the majority of our calls those are information, referral calls. That caller is going to be asked for their zip code right off the bat so that the call specialist can make sure that they're looking at resources that are physically available for that person and where their area of residence is, or maybe the area if they're experiencing homelessness, the area that they want to be in or the parish that they hope to be in. From there, the call specialist is going to start asking questions about the client. So asking demographic questions maybe it's age, gender, geographically, you know some questions, circumstances around their past. So are they a veteran, are they experiencing homelessness? And all of those questions are designed to really hone in on the resource that's most appropriate for that caller.
Speaker 4:
Our call specialists are also trained to not just provide resources for that specific situation. Maybe it's emergency housing. They're going to ask questions about that person's life circumstance so that they can figure out what other resources might be available. So why is that caller experiencing homelessness? Have they experienced a decrease in hours at work experiencing homelessness? Have they experienced a decrease in hours at work? If so, can we help them get into a job training program? What kinds of transportation needs will that person have in order to get to the housing referral that we're providing them With 2-1-1, it's really up to the caller to follow up upon those resources themselves.
Speaker 4:
So when you're calling 2-1-1, you really are advocating for yourself to say I have this need. I'm committing to following up with these resources, to seeing if they're available and appropriate for me. With our care coordination program that LeJuan is responsible for, that's when we really take it to the next step. That's when we're following up individually with these callers that are referred into the program in order to ensure that they not only are referred to services but they're actually receiving services.
Speaker 2:
And so how often and this may be another data question do you have repeat callers?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, no, fairly often I wish I had the percentage off the top of my head, I don't. But, yeah, definitely, definitely repeat callers for various needs, either the same, either you know the same need or you know if it's a month-to-month basis, or if they're calling back and they, you know it could be they just forgot what they're looking for. Maybe they were able to find, or, a lot of times, if they're, if we were able to help them, they'll just call us back and tell us, you know, even just like a thank you for helping us. You know, helping them find. You know, whatever service they're looking for, you know, whatever the case may be. So, yeah, so we definitely do have repeat callers.
Speaker 2:
And so I know that the care coordination you mentioned is fairly new because in general it was always a referral service in terms of connecting consumers with basically the resources that they need. But tell us a little bit more about the care coordination program and how assistance goes beyond that phone call.
Speaker 3:
So generally I receive a referral, I contact that client within 48 hours of receiving that referral to do an assessment. Sometimes an assessment has already been done and sometimes even with that assessment being done, I need to get further information from the client about their situation or just, depending on the severity of the situation, sometimes that situation can change from day to day. So within 48 hours I will contact the client to find out and confirm what their needs are. Confirm what their needs are and then from that point I begin to connect their needs to community organizations that can meet those needs. And that entails me physically making those phone calls and ensuring that that community organization has the capacity to meet those needs. If they do, connecting that client to the community organization and then following up with that client to ensure that they have received the service. If the community organization for some reason has reached capacity and is unable to provide the service, then looking for another community organization that can meet that client's need.
Speaker 2:
And so, on average, how long, would you say, would you work with a particular client, in terms of the transition from when you first received the phone call to at least having them in a more stable circumstance?
Speaker 3:
That is very situational and individualized from client to client. Sometimes I'll receive a referral for a client that has multiple needs and then it also depends on the severity of the. So it could last anywhere from a day, and I can, you know, connect them with the service in a day, to you know several weeks.
Speaker 2:
And I imagine with calling 2-1-1, more than likely, in general they can't get back to the same person that they call. But in the care coordination are they able to be connected to just a certain individual that they continually respond to throughout their transition?
Speaker 3:
Yes, so I am the person throughout the process, I am their point of contact, the person who works with them to get their needs met throughout the process and then if there is an additional need after that particular need or those particular needs are met, let's say two or three weeks down the line another need may arise. I'm the person that they contact and I have the ability to reopen their case and work with them to meet those additional needs that they're facing.
Speaker 2:
And I know, edie, you mentioned before that you do collect a lot of data in terms of, maybe, demographics, their sex, their age. When a caller calls 2-1-1, do they have to give any of their personal information, their name, their actual physical location?
Speaker 4:
So none of that information is required. However, it is useful when we can get as much information as possible, first so we can give them the referrals that are most appropriate for their situation. Um, first so we can give them the referrals that are most appropriate for their situation, but also because we have a best practice that our call center follows, where we actually follow up upon about 10% of our callers. So you know, we call them within the next month and say, hey, did you connect to that referral? If so, how is the experience? Are there other ways that we can help you? And so when we do get information from a caller, caller a callback number and their name, it allows us to better provide them a wonderful follow up service.
Speaker 2:
And can you talk a little bit about some of the different partners I heard John mentioned earlier? For example, if it's a food need, that it's a housing, you know the food bank here in Greater Baton Rouge area. What are some other partners? If you're able to list some of the connections that you have, sure, so just off the top of my head, I know that one.
Speaker 4:
the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and their dozens of pantry locations are a huge referral source for us. The Society of St Vincent de Paul Salvation Army. Many of the City of Baton Rouge community centers are also referral sources. The LAHEAP program for utility assistance John, you might be able to think of some others off the top of your head.
Speaker 1:
No, yeah, those are some big ones. Catholic Charities would be another one. Yeah, community centers are big. You know the Quad area, all the Council on Aging. So, yeah, definitely a long list. And then, yeah, if there's any, definitely anyone interested in looking any data heads, you can go to our website and it has. You know, all of our top referrals and everything like that and how many calls we get.
Speaker 2:
So Now is there a charge to call 211?.
Speaker 4:
Nope, absolutely not. So no charge for the caller. It's a totally free service available for the community.
Speaker 2:
And then, what about the different partners that you partner with them? Should they anticipate any charge for the services that they actually offer?
Speaker 4:
Nope. So we work with nonprofit organizations to get their information uploaded in the database. The only cost that's incurred is really for our organization to run the service. So we write grants, we seek out contracts and sponsorships in order to offer this service to the community for free. There will never be a charge for a organization that's providing referrals or for the callers.
Speaker 2:
And so there are a couple other, of course, three-digit services. I know that there's 311. For callers that may be familiar with 311, can you explain, maybe, the difference between 2-1-1?
Speaker 4:
Yes, so 311 is a service that's available from city or parish entities that offer that. So here in our capital region, the City Parish of East Baton Rouge offers 311 services and that's for city parish specific services such as garbage collection, street lights, drainage issues, anything that's a service that the city offers and maintains. We do provide a lot of referrals from 211 to 311 because people often confuse that number. But the city of Baton Rouge is a wonderful partner of ours so we are often connecting with 311. We coordinate during times of disaster and we recognize that there is some overlap in those services.
Speaker 2:
And 211 really seems to be a well-kept secret. I'm surprised sometimes when I mention 211, a lot of just consumers just don't know about it. So how is it marketed? What is the best way that we can let our consumers know other than this podcast about the 211 service?
Speaker 4:
Yeah, so we have information that you can share on social media. We have flyers available, we have billboards. We run paid advertising for the service, but I agree that it's definitely a well-kept secret. Our promotion is kind of limited to the dollars that we have available for advertising. So we're always seeking out grant opportunities that we can apply for advertising dollars for the program. So you know anybody that can just tell a neighbor, tell a friend, bring a flyer over to a house. We're happy to share information with anybody that would like to help us market the program.
Speaker 2:
Do you often get 911 calls to 211? Things that should be an emergency get 911 calls to 211?
Speaker 4:
Things that should be an emergency. Not often, but we do have the ability to warm transfer a caller. So if a caller reaches out to 211 and they are experiencing emergency situation, we direct that call straight to 911. The caller does not need to hang up. We are able to keep the caller on the line and get them to their local 911 service.
Speaker 2:
Awesome and I'll take you back to LaDawn just to see if you have any stories that you can share with us of basically the impact 2-1-1 has made in the community To share just one story that is still in progress, so it's not a finished product.
Speaker 3:
There was a client that was referred to us from another area that was looking to move to the Baton Rouge area. She had several needs that needed to the support as far as child care, because she has four children that is assisting her with finishing school. So she transferred from the school that she was in in her area to the same school technical program in the Baton Rouge area and she has also been able to find a job, and so she's actually working on a plan to have permanent housing in the area within the next 12 or so months, and so I am checking with her monthly to see where she is in the process in her process of reaching her goal, and so that's a success story that is still in the process.
Speaker 2:
That is awesome and I think it's definitely something that our callers need to be aware of, because 2-1-1 is definitely a great awesome and I think it's definitely something that our callers need to be aware of, because 211 is definitely a great resource, and I just want to follow up with Edie again in terms of when is 211 available?
Speaker 4:
24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. And not just here in Louisiana, but over 95% of the United States as well.
Speaker 2:
All right, any final thoughts, john or LaDawn, as we wrap this up?
Speaker 1:
No, no, nothing. Nothing final for me. I'm just glad, happy to be here and appreciate you letting us talk about this great program that we have.
Speaker 3:
I don't think I have anything other than the fact that you know everyone should take advantage of 2-1-1, or if you know someone in need or have needs, tell them about 211 and we are more than likely going to be able to connect them to the resources that they need. Many times people have needs and don't know where to go, and I see a lot of it with care coordination. But getting the word out is helping our community more than you know, and that is what the service is there for to help our community and to help the neighbors in our community.
Speaker 2:
Well, thank you both everyone, John Edie and LaDuan for joining us today and giving us information about this very good resource. 2-1-1.
Speaker 4:
Thank you for the opportunity to share.
Speaker 2:
Source 211. Thank you for the opportunity to share. Some say life is 10% of what happens and 90% of how we react. Knowing who to call can make all the difference in the world. Here's a list of three-digit phone numbers and the services that they provide that you should be familiar with. That you should be familiar with 2-1-1 is Health and Human Services. 3-1-1 is Non-Emergency Government Services. 4-1-1, Directory Assistance. 5-1-1, Traffic Hotline. 9-1-1, Emergency Services. And one of the latest or newest three-digit numbers is 9-8-8, the National Suicide Mental Health Crisis. And for your financial concerns, please check out neighborsfcuorg or slash financial education to learn more on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you run.
