On Monday, February 5th we celebrated 2-1-1 Day alongside Representative Stephen Bloom (R-Cumberland) and Senator Patrick Browne (R-Lehigh)!
2-1-1 is the free, confidential, 24-hour information and referral service that connects 97 percent of Pennsylvanians with all the health and human services available to help. In 2017, almost 200,000 people turned to 2-1-1 in Pennsylvania for help. The top needs of contacts with 2-1-1 were electric assistance, tax preparation assistance, rent payment assistance, food pantry assistance, and gas service payment assistance. United Way of Pennsylvania secured a first-time investment of $750,000 from the state to ensure quality standards across the state and help expand the 2-1-1 service so that all 67 counties can provide this service.
PA 2-1-1 is also working alongside the Eastern Region Continuum of Care to create Connect to Home: Coordinated Entry System of Eastern PA. 2-1-1 is serving as the 24/7 phone access point for people who are homeless or at immediate risk of homelessness. Coordinated entry is a strategy to connect people to the right services as quickly as possible, prioritize based on need and vulnerability, help a community know all who are experiencing homelessness, and enhance data-driven decision making for planning, resource allocation and performance evaluation.
2-1-1 performs a prescreen, followed by a comprehensive, standardized assessment for eligible individuals who qualify. The results of the assessment will determine prioritization of needs, and referrals will be made through the community queue for the entire region.
The 2-1-1 system is funded by a combination of United Way support, state funding, grants and private contributions, and contracts. Leadership for the system is provided at the national level by United Way Worldwide and the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) in partnership with their state and local networks. In Pennsylvania, the United Way of Pennsylvania and the non-profit, PA2-1-1, are partners supporting this community-strengthening service.
For more information on 2-1-1 in Pennsylvania visit www.pa211.org.
To view the 2-1-1 Press Conference at the Capitol with Senator Browne and Representative Bloom, click
here
.
