It’s hard to ask for help, especially when a person does not know where to go or where to start. By simply dialing the numbers 2-1-1, Alaskans are able to connect to over hundreds of programs over the state that are ready to provide assistance. The Alaska 2-1-1 program is a call-center that will route Alaskans to the correct social service or not-profit program. This emergency resource center provides precise contact information for essential services to men, women, and children of all ages.
The United Ways of Alaska created the Alaska 2-1-1 program and has been operated by the United Way of Anchorage since it started in August 2007. Callers of the line are able to obtain referrals to health and human services which include: basic human needs, physical and mental health resources, employment support services, community crisis or disaster recovery, and much more.
Karen Bitzer, director of the Alaska 2-1-1 program says the major aid to expect this winter season is for homeless and financial assistance. She describes what a caller to the 2-1-1 line experiences:
“An information referral specialist offers help to each caller, asking what sort of aid they may need. We are becoming more proactive about what assistance programs to offer individuals, such as the state’s heating assistance program. We try to provide as many referrals as possible.”
Each call specialist asks what zip code the individual resides in which helps to narrow down the service programs to what’s closest to them. There is a reassurance of no run-arounds with dealing with calls, and the goal of the 2-1-1 program is to connect Alaskans with the correct resources. Even when a person does not state what further aid is needed, the call specialists will make recommendations before a person starts plummeting in need again.
According to the Alaska 2-1-1’s website, the five most requested services are: homeless financial assistance programs, general relief, food pantries, low income and subsidized rental housing, and homeless shelters.
The data collected from the call center will provide information that wasn’t available prior to the types of services Alaskans need. This information will also serve to show which regions they are most called for. By collecting information from incoming calls, it will help policy makers determine the services that must be delivered to these identified gaps and to measure trends coming across all areas of the state.
Southcentral Alaska includes Anchorage and leads the number of calls for aid, measuring at about 51 percent of the total calls to the help line. The Mat-Su Borough leads in second taking up to 10 percent of the total calls, and finishing with other regions around the state averaging at a rate of about 4.9 percent of the total calls.
The 2009 snapshot of calls also views the call volume recorded throughout the year. From January to October 2009, there was a steady rate of about one thousand calls taken per month by trained information and referral specialists. There was a spike in the months of November and December when calls taken were more than twice the average of previous months.
“There was a streamline approach for inquiries of rent and utility (homeless) assistance where all calls were exclusively made through 2-1-1,” says Bitzer. “This started in November last year until about March 2010 when we noticed the decrease in volume.”
The call center is only open during regular business hours from 8:30 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The total number of calls taken last year reached 13,060. The projected numbers for 2010 are to reach about 25,000 calls. Online searches, on the other hand, totaled to about 24,713 queries on its 24/7 database.
The possibility of pushing the call center to be available 24/7 is highly likely, as Bitzer says the program staff has also been monitoring calls during off-hours.
“We are looking to expanding the center hours,” says Bitzer. “When voicemail messages are left during our off-hours, the calls will be returned the next day. We are able to find more trends through these off-hours calls as well.”
More information about the Alaska 2-1-1 program can be accessed through the official program website at www.alaska211.org. Calls can be made to the 2-1-1 program directly or by dialing 1-800-478-2221.
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