Need information? Dial 2-1-1
Riverside may join other counties planning hotline for social services

By Jennifer Larson
The Desert Sun
June 27th, 2004

Everyone knows to dial 9-1-1 when a house catches fire or a relative has a sudden heart attack. But who can people call to find a food pantry, or a shelter, or maybe some assistance with filing their income tax returns?

The answer isn’t always obvious, given the number of social service agencies and the variety of services they provide.

That’s why Inform Riverside, a division of the Volunteer Center of Riverside County, is pushing for the creation of a free hotline to give people an easy and easily remembered connection to the web of services available.

Instead of 9-1-1 for emergencies, or 4-1-1 for directory assistance, think 2-1-1.

Local service agencies that work with the very people who would be calling the hotline are enthusiastic about the possibilities.

Dick Schroeder, director of the Indio Senior Center, called it an "exceptional" idea.

"There have been so many efforts over the past decade trying to find some way to coordinate information and information dissemination," he said. "There has never been a successful clearinghouse for information for services in our area."

"It’s an absolutely necessary service," said Chantel Schuering, executive director of Family Services of the Desert.

"The thing that keeps many people from getting to the services they need is limited knowledge of the system."

"And having one place to go is important," she added.

A call center with trained volunteers would answer the 2-1-1 calls and make referrals from a centralized database of information from service agencies, thus eliminating the question of "I wonder who can help?"

Often people get frustrated because they really don’t know who to call, or they find themselves making a long battery of calls to find the right service provider, said Dan Bass, executive director of Jewish Family Service.

And Scheuring noted that the lists of agency names in the phone book be confusing and vague, not to mention that for some people, there’s often a language barrier or they may have limited reading skills.

"If it allows people to make fewer phone calls to get to where they need to, that’s terrific," said Bass.

But local social services agencies also have a few demands of their own.

Schroeder is emphatic that a Riverside County 2-1-1 hotline adequately represent the eastern part of the county.

No worries, said Gary Madden, director of Inform Riverside. "The plan is definitely to have a center in the Coachella Valley," he said.

Schuering noted that, in turn, local agencies will have the responsibility of ensuring that hotline staffers have the most current information about the agency.

"We have to keep our information accurate or it won’t be as helpful," she said.

Neighboring counties are already working to roll out the 2-1-1 hotline on July 1, 2005.

Madden said he feels it would be a shame if Riverside County residents picked up the phone and dialed 2-1-1 and couldn’t get an answer then, too.

The first year’s budget for the 2-1-1 hotline would be about $625,000. Inform Riverside County has a contract with the county’s Department of Public Social Services, which will pay for a portion.

It also has funding for the hotline from United Way and First Five Riverside, Riverside County and the city of Riverside.

"And we are seeking additional funding," Madden said.

The 2-1-1 system could get a shot in the arm if federal legislation to create a national 2-1-1 network passes.

The Calling for 2-1-1 Act has gathered bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate an House of Representatives.

If it passes, Riverside County could get $200,000 to aid in base funding, Madden said.

Jennifer Larson covers the city of Palm Desert for The Desert Sun. She can be reached at 360-6477 or by e-mail.