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What are 2-1-1’s hours of operation?
Is the service available in my area?
Can I use my cell phone to call 2-1-1?
Can I call from my business PBX phone?
Who provides the 2-1-1 service?
What happens when a person calls 2-1-1?
What kind of help can I get through 2-1-1?
Is 2-1-1 an emergency hotline?
Why do we need a 2-1-1 program?
Is my local United Way involved in this effort?
How will community information be kept up to date?
Does a health or human services organization have to be a United Way-funded agency in order to be listed in the 2-1-1 service directory?
Why are Missouri Foundation for Health and United Way of Greater St. Louis working together on this program?
What are 2-1-1’s hours of operation? [top]
2-1-1 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Is the service available in my area?
[top]
2-1-1 is active across the state of Missouri and for residents of St. Clair,
Clinton, Randolph, Monroe, Madison, Jersey, Greene, Calhoun or Macoupin
counties in Illinois, covering every resident using a landline.
See more information about coverage.
Can I use my cell phone to call 2-1-1?
[top]
If you have AT&T/Cingular cell phone, 2-1-1 will work on your phone. Other
cell phone providers are being added quickly. You can also access 2-1-1 by
calling 1-800-427-4626.
Can I call from my business PBX phone?
[top]
Companies who use PBX (Private Branch eXchanges) may not be set up to
accommodate 2-1-1. If you are unable to access 2-1-1 from your office,
contact your phone system administrator to see if your system can be programmed
to make 2-1-1 calls. You can access 2-1-1 by calling 1-800-427-4626.
Who provides the 2-1-1 service? [top]
United Way of Greater St. Louis
provides the 2-1-1 service to all of Missouri,
except 16 counties around Kansas City that are covered by the
Heart of America United Way,
and to nine Illinois counties: St. Clair, Clinton, Randolph, Monroe,
Madison, Jersey, Greene, Calhoun and Macoupin. Some other Illinois counties are
covered by United Way of the
Quad Cities Area and Path Crisis.
What happens when a person calls 2-1-1? [top]
A trained information and referral specialist will determine the area from which the
person is calling and what services are needed, and then provide contact information
for all appropriate services in the person’s community.
What kind of help can I get through 2-1-1? [top]
A wide variety of help exists that callers can access. 2-1-1 has information
on basic human needs; physical and mental health resources; employment support;
support for older adults, people with disabilities and children; volunteer/donor
opportunities; and help in non-emergency crisis situations.
Find out more.
Is 2-1-1 an emergency hotline? [top]
No, 2-1-1 is designed to relieve the 911 system from dealing with non-emergency
situations, which sometimes slow down response times in dealing with real
emergencies. 2-1-1 does not replace 911 or other community emergency access
numbers. Residents should continue to call local emergency numbers for situations
such as medical emergencies, fires and police assistance.
Why do we need a 2-1-1 program? [top]
A 2-1-1 program enables residents to have better access to needed health and
human services. Many people aren’t sure who to call for assistance when they
have a problem. With one call to 2-1-1, a person can be assured they are being
confidentially referred to the correct agency or organization in their area to
deal with their specific problem or concern.
Is my local United Way involved in this effort? [top]
Currently 11 other United Ways partner with United Way of Greater St. Louis
on this effort. Those are:
Columbia Area United Way,
United Way of Central Missouri,
United Way of the Ozarks,
United Way of Southeast Missouri,
United Way of Adair County,
United Way of the Mark Twain Area,
Callaway County United Way,
Carthage Area United Way,
United Way of Southwest Missouri,
United Way of St. Francois County and
United Way of the Quad Cities Area.
How will community information be kept up to date? [top]
2-1-1 staff is responsible for
continually updating information about various community services, to ensure
access telephone numbers, contact names, lists of services offered and other
relevant information is current.
Does a health or human services organization have to be a United Way-funded agency in order to be listed in the 2-1-1 service directory? [top]
No. Information is included about non-profit, government and faith-based health
and human services programs and organizations in each Missouri and Illinois community,
and made available to residents through 2-1-1. For information about
applying for inclusion, please see the
agency information page.
Why are Missouri Foundation for Health and United Way of Greater St. Louis working together on this program in Missouri? [top]
Missouri Foundation for Health’s funding of the start-up costs is in line with its
mission to empower the people in the communities its serves to achieve equal access
to quality health services. It is a natural fit for United Way to take the lead in administering the program,
which is a statewide expansion of a similar hotline service United Way has operated in
the St. Louis region for years. Together, the two organizations
are jointly funding operational costs for the first five years to ensure stability.
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