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2-1-1 Monthly Report for February 2019
Noteworthy Updates
During the month of February, 5,172 calls were handled by 2-1-1 Resource Specialists and 7,591 health, housing and human service referrals were provided. Of the unduplicated callers, 71% are female, 26% are single mothers with minor children, and 59% reported they are living with disabilities. (These statistics exclude callers who opted to not provide demographic information during intake.)

F or additional 2-1-1 stats for the month of February, go   here . For 2-1-1 stats for the current fiscal year-to-date, go here .
2-1-1 Launches Texting for Tax Referrals

On February 13th, Eden I&R launched a two-way texting pilot for tax preparation assistance information in Alameda County. Although 2-1-1 staff have been texting referral information to callers over the last several years, this recent enhancement now allows for staff to conduct live texting conversations with those wishing to converse via textin g. Initially two-way texting is specific to the topic of tax preparation assistance and is available Monday-Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. 2-1-1 will be rolling out a larger 2-way texting program with expanded hours later this spring. For information on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and if you qualify, as well as a list of free tax prep sites near you, text 898-211 or call 2-1-1!

We are pleased to join many other 2-1-1 systems in expanding our means of communication. Texting is one more way 2-1-1 Alameda County can serve our community, and can be especially useful for youth, those with a hearing impairment, those fearing for their safety such as domestic violence survivors and victims of human trafficking, and can quickly disseminate information during a disaster.
Benetech Nonprofit Data Collaboration Pilot

Eden I&R is proud to be part of a first of its kind data collaboration, making it easier for people to get connected to the services that they need. Over the next six months, six Bay Area organizations will use Benetech Service Net to share and maintain their records on local social and human services. Click here to read more.
Call Examples
A Hayward senior informed 2-1-1 he was suffering from serious health conditions, including from a previous physical assault.  He received a slight increase in his benefits raising his monthly income by about $40, and was now being required to pay a share of cost for his medical coverage. Because of this, the caller had not been under a physician’s regular care for over a year and had not been taking critical medications. 2-1-1 had previously provided referrals to this caller for agencies that could assist him in understanding his medical benefits, but he needed more support.

A victim of identity theft, the caller shared he was fearful of sharing his information with strangers, but he trusted 2-1-1. The 2-1-1 Program Manager contacted staff at Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) to request help advocating for the caller after receiving permission to do so. He was then conferenced in on several calls with agencies (one at a time) including Kaiser, Medi-Cal, and HICAP-Legal Assistance for Seniors. He was very emotional and sometimes reacted with frustration and anger on these calls, but 2-1-1 kept him calm and focused.

The caller was evaluated by Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center for both lab tests and a medical appointment, and transportation was arranged for him to get seen at their clinic. His medications were also ordered and HCSA and 2-1-1 continued to work with the caller to get them delivered, as he could not get to the pharmacy and did not have internet access .

For additional 2-1-1 call examples handled in February, go   here .
Caller Feedback
" I appreciate your taking the time to help me. No one has done this... You can change the world with your (work) ethic and your compassion. At the beginning of this call, I know I was upset and complained that no one is helping homeless seniors like me, but I really want you to know that I appreciate all the time that you have taken to help me understand how (the Coordinated Entry System) works and what I need to do now."
Databases

During the month of February, 112 agency record updates and 527 program records updates were made to the Services Database, which currently contains 1,216 agencies and 3,121 programs.
230 new units were added to the housing database in February for a total of 73,893 housing units. Staff made 2,824 record updates this month.
AHIP (AIDS Housing Information Project) offers housing and human services resource referrals to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) via a designated phone line and through one-on-one, in-person assistance at clinics and AIDS Service Organizations. In February, AHIP handled 147 calls, provided 227 service referrals and 587 housing referrals.
Website
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Eden I&R's health and human services data is provided free through the agency's publicly accessible websites at www.edenir.org and  www.211alamedacounty.org , and www.achousingchoices.org .

In February, Eden I&R's websites received 59,592 page views and 6,215 sessions/visitors. 
Meetings & Presentations

In February, staff participated in 18 m eetings, phone calls, and webinars with current and potential partners. Highlights included a half-day all staff team building exercise, a first since 2-1-1 launched in 2007. This was made possible with support from 2-1-1 Ventura County who handled calls during the session.
Fairs / Events / Outreach
In February, Eden I&R served 78 people at training, events, and fairs and distributed 3,855 pieces of outreach materials to service providers and residents of Alameda County.

Eden I&R's Housing Coordinator attended a "Mixer Event" hosted by the Rental Housing Authority (RHA) and Hayward Chamber of Commerce, to promote our housing services, and work adding new property owners and landlords to our database.
Outreach materials were distributed by request to City of Oakland Head Start in Oakland and Center for Independent Living in Oakland.
Disaster Preparedness Trainings

In February, the Disaster Preparedness Coordinator conducted trainings for:

⁃ Union City Public Works Department supervisors on Incident Command System

⁃ American Indian Model (AIM) Schools staff in Oakland on Safety Kept in Place (SKIP), Personal Preparedness, Incident Command System , and workplace violence

⁃ Seniors at Wittenberg Manor in Hayward on Safety Kept in Place (SKIP)

Eden I&R provides a full range of disaster preparedness training classes. All trainings are interactive and fully customizable. Contact Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, Lars Eric Holm, at 510-727-9516 or   leholm@edenir.org to schedule your training today!
Staff In-Service & Training
In-service presentations were provided to staff by representatives from the following programs:
Season of Sharing
Alameda County Tobacco Control Program
Photo by William Iven on Unsplash
Technology

Eden I&R’s disaster response plan and capabilities keep moving forward. This month testing was completed that confirmed the ability to enter call data into the 2-1-1 Alameda County contact forms by 2-1-1 Ventura County from their remote office location. Additionally, inbound 2-1-1 phone calls were temporarily rerouted to 2-1-1 Ventura County to successfully confirm that they could receive our phone calls if ever needed in the event of a disaster. This access is now in place should a disaster occur that is of a large enough impact that it necessitates assistance from an additional 2-1-1 call center.
Volunteer Opportunities

Help us tackle some of the Bay Area's most challenging issues.  Eden I&R is looking for volunteers to support the organization at all levels. If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities,  please contact Volunteer Coordinator Jeanette Mills at 510-727-9503 or    jmills@edenir.org .

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