State director informs public about all-purpose information center

By KEVIN CHIRI

Editor and Publisher

LAPLACE – El Cabrel Lee said that it was 10 years ago that the beginning of the 211 phone information system was begun.

Yet after even a decade in operation, Lee told members of the LaPlace Rotary Club this past week that many people are still not aware how helpful the service is.

For that matter, Lee said, many people are not even aware that such a service is as close as their telephone buttons.

&#8220Calling 211 is an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers to information about critical health and human services available in their community,” Lee explain-ed. &#8220But many people don’t even know that 211 exists.”

To that end, the statewide coordinator of the 211 system continues to hit the streets to get the word out to the public about the availability of so much information that many people need on a daily basis.

The 211 system is a way that the general public can instantly get information on many different services, which otherwise might be hard to find.

Lee said that their market research shows that the average person can take &#8220up to six or seven phone calls before finally figuring out who they really need to call to get help.”

The kind of services available from calling 211 include:

Basic Human Needs Resources: food banks, clothing, shelter, rent assistance, utility assistance.

Physical and Mental Health Resources: medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention, rehabilitation, health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, children’s health insurance programs.

Employment Support: unemployment benefits, financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance, education programs.

Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities: home health care, adult day care, congregate meals, respite care, transportation and homemaker services.

Support for Children, Youth and Families: quality childcare, after school programs, family resource center, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services.

Volunteer opportunities and donations.

&#8220Last year we received 300,000 calls to our 211 centers in Louisiana,” Lee said. &#8220But we know many calls going to 911 should never even go there, but should come to us, so we are working on a way of circuiting those calls to us.”

There is presently a database in Louisiana of 15,000 statewide services, and the phones are staffed 24 hours a day.

&#8220We want Louisiana to be the best practice model for the U.S.,” Lee added. &#8220This service offers so many resources that can help you, or help you to help someone else. We just want to get the word out that it is available.”