San Diego County CA— 2-1-1 San Diego, the region’s leading information and resource organization, will launch a new technology ecosystem that will allow service providers to offer more comprehensive care to San Diegans in need.
The system is designed to bridge service delivery gaps for San Diegans by providing nonprofit organizations with a complete record of clients who call 2-1-1 for help. The system will give each 2-1-1 San Diego partner an interactive shared record of that person’s needs, past and current referrals, and outcomes.
“This is a quantum leap forward in assuring that our partners have access to shared client information, providing a complete view of how each service provider is helping each client,” said John Ohanian, CEO of 2-1-1 San Diego. “We’re confident that this advanced technology will allow for proactive and agile care coordination among providers, while receiving and sharing real-time feedback client reports.”
2-1-1 San Diego, which will celebrate 2-1-1 National Awareness Day on February 11, 2017, operates a free, 24/7 confidential phone service in 200+ languages and searchable online database that covers all of San Diego County. The organization has connections to more than 6,000 community resources in the areas of health, wellness, housing, utilities, military and veterans’ services, food assistance, disaster support, and community data. 2-1-1 has connected more than 1.5 million clients to resources since it launched in June 2005.
“Sometimes, people call 2-1-1 for help with one particular problem,” said County Supervisor Greg Cox, a longtime supporter of 2-1-1. “With this system, 2-1-1 can be forward thinking, and help people sign up for programs and services they may not be aware of.”
Ohanian noted that the organization remains pretty much under the radar despite taking nearly 50,000 calls for housing assistance last year, an Enrollment Center that submitted over 13,000 applications (bringing $35.64M in economic stimulus to San Diego), and connecting people to food assistance programs.
“We have earned respect as one of San Diego’s key resources for data and information on homelessness, healthcare options, military and veterans’ services, food assistance, and housing. We have been recognized as one of the nation’s most entrepreneurial and successful 2-1-1 programs. Still, people seem to know us best for our disaster support hot line that provides real-time information and referrals to San Diegans in times of crisis, such as wild fires and floods. This is just one of the many vital programs we provide to the community,” said Ohanian.
“For example, 2-1-1 San Diego answered almost 500,000 inbound calls last year, and that number is increasing daily. Because of this, we have robust data that offers vital information and trend reports for proactive community planning and action.”
He added that 2-1-1 San Diego Health Navigation offers comprehensive needs assessment, health education, case planning, connection to resources, and ongoing care coordination. The organization identifies, screens, and helps people apply over the phone for benefit programs including CalFresh, Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Recertification, CARE, and Covered California. In the area of housing and utilities, 2-1-1 San Diego connects people to housing resources, emergency services, affordable and supportive housing options, rental assistance programs, tenant/landlord mediation, utility assistance, and housing-related information.
Alliance Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is proud to be a partner in the evolution and growth of 2-1-1 San Diego into a region-wide system of community connections that will result in better care coordination for the thousands of people who call 2-1-1 each year. “AHF supports this effort because it provides for a more efficient exchange of information, less duplication of services and effort as well as faster identification of need and connection to the appropriate services” Says Nancy Sasaki, Executive Director of Alliance Healthcare Foundation.
“We also take a vital interest in the health and well-being of our military and veterans by providing a variety of services,” said Ohanian. “Courage to Call, San Diego’s peer-to-peer talk and chat line, offers the single access point for information, referrals, navigation, and ongoing care coordination for active duty military, veterans and their families.”
On March 3, 2017, 2-1-1 San Diego will hold a Sponsor Appreciation Event to thank their partners who supported their awareness campaign. This sponsors only event will include a demonstration of 2-1-1’s data visualization tool and review of the impact made during February.