211 Initiative

Saskatchewan 211

WHY 211?

Individuals and families looking for help often do not know where to turn, and the maze of phone books, help lines, directories and voicemail may be overwhelming. A single call to 211 elimnates all this confusion. 211 connects callers to information about:

basic human needs such as housing, food banks, shelters, clothing depots
services for children, youth and families
physical and mental health services
assistance for people with disabilities, seniors and newcomers to Canada
employment support

WHY IS 211 SASKATCHEWAN IMPORTANT?

The United Way of Saskatoon and Area is taking the lead to bring 211 to Saskatchewan.

Implementation of 211 will make Saskatchewan a national leader in both technical innovation and responsiveness to its citizens' needs. In Saskatchewan, the 211 service will be available province-wide, providing information and referral to every citizen regardless of location, culture, language or circumstance. Whether one lives in an urban centre, a rural farming community or on a First Nation reserve, 211 will be available. Although 211 exists in cities and regions elsewhere in Canada, nowhere has it been implemented province-wide.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF 211 SASKATCHEWAN??

The benefits of 211 are far-reaching. There are benefits to individual citizens, to families, to service agencies, to corporations and to the community as a whole. Benefits include:

Improved Access to Services - 211 will link people rapidly and easily to the services they need, eliminating the stress and confusion of reading multiple phone books and databases. All it takes is one phone call.
Support to Saskatchewan's Aboriginal Population - Aboriginal people make up more than 14 percent of Saskatchewan's population. 211 can steer them to Aboriginal-specific programs and services, ease the transition from First Nation to city, and talk to them in their First Nation language.
Support to Immigrants and Refugees - 211 can help newcomers settle into their new community be speaking to them in their first language, by connecting them will services specifically designed for newcomers, and with health, social and educational programs in the larger community.
Support for the Voluntary Sector - 211 will link people with volunteer opportunities and charitable organizations that need assistance. For individuals, there will be more opportunities to contribute to their communities. For charitable organizations, there will be increased access to volunteers with skills that are aligned with their organization's needs.
Emergency Preparedness - Emergencies and disasters such as floods, severe blizzards and multiple-vehicle traffic accidents place extraordinary demands on emergency personnel and ordinary citizens. 211 can play an immediate and long-term role in disseminating information during crisies and in coordinating the efforts of volunteers.
A Healthier More Productive Workforce - When employees with problems have immediate access to the services they need, problems are resolved more quickly. There is less dysfunction on the job, less absenteeism, and quicker return to work. 211 can also be used by employers to refer their staff to job-related services such as literacy classes, English as an additional language classes, education and training, tax assistance, and child and elder care.
Relief for Emergency Telephone Lines - 211 will relieve pressure on 911 and other emergency telephone lines by off-loading non-emergency calls and calls for information. 911 operators in communities where 211 has been implemented report a significant decrease in the number of non-emergency calls.

HOW WILL 211 SASKATCHEWAN OPERATE?

211 Saskatchewan will be incorprated as a not-for-profit organization and operated by one of the Family Services Saskatchewan organizations. A board of directors that includes broad representation of service providers and client groups will provide governance for 211 Saskatchewan. 211 Saskatchewan will adhere to national operational standards and will be equal in quality to similar services across Canada.

WHAT LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES WILL 211 SASKATCHEWAN UTILIZE?

Telephone Network: It is recommended that 211 Saskatchewan share telephone and network infrastructure with the Saskatchewan HealthLine in Regina. Leveraging existing capacity at HealthLine will provide operational benefits to both parties and reduce overall costs to the province by preventing duplication of call centre technologies. An estimated $150,000 will be saved by sharing the telephone and network equipment in place at HealthLine.

Database - A necessary component in the provincial 211 system is a single, comprehensive, integrated, province-wide database and data management application containing information from which information and referral Specialists can make referrals. While some agencies, like the HealthLine and Farm Stress Line, have databases specific to their own services, a comprehensive province-wide databank does not yet exist.

The United Way of Saskatoon and Area is in the process of building partnerships with local social, government and community agencies to facilitate creation of a database and implementation of 211.

Alberta Health Services has expressed a willingness to license the InformAlberta database application to Saskatchewan. Re-named as InformSaskatchewan and populated with information about Saskatchewan services, it would become the store of information accessed by 211 Information and Referral Specialists when responding to callers.

Public Website- All of the non-confidential information in the 211 database will be available on a public website, so users can locate information for themselves, if they wish.

Call Tracking System - All calls to 211, information provided, and referrals made will be tracked. Unmet needs will also be tracked. The pattern of calls will enable government, non-profit organizations and community agencies to determine the services that are most requested in each area of the province, to identify gaps in service, and to pinpoint services that are underutilized or redundant. Armed with this informatilon, government and community can better tailor their services to respond to community needs.

HOW WILL 211 BE IMPLEMENTED?

211 Saskatchewan will be impemented in three phases.

Phase 1 - Building partnerships with local social and health service agencies, creating the database that supports 211, setting up the 211 centre with facilities and staff. This phase is currently underway,
Phase 2 - A three to four-month pilot of 211 in either Regina or Saskatoon.
Phase 3 - Provincial rollout of 211, one geographic region at a time, as data for each region is entered into the system.

HOW MUCH WILL 211 COST?

211 Saskatchewan will need start-up funding and sustainable on-going funding.

Start-Up Funding - Total one-time start-up funding of $1,253,000 over three years is required to implement 211. This includes the costs to establish the provincial human services database ($560,000) as well as the costs to set up the 211 service ($693,100).
Operational Funding - Operating costs will be in the range of $1.2 million per year once the system is fully implemented. Much of the operational cost will be to gather and maintain accurate data in the human services database.
Sustainable Funding - Provincial government funding for the service is required for it to be sustainable. Without sustainable funding the service is not feasible, as no service agency will take on service delivery province-wide without knowing that they have the funds to operate.

WHAT COMMITMENTS ARE NEEDED?

In order to make 211 a reality, commitments are required from the Government of Saskatchewan and the community.

Government of Saskatchewan

All ministries - Provide data to populate the database and keep it up-to-date.

Ministry of Health - Negotiate an arrangement to licence the InformAlberta database application from Alberta Health and commit to sharing the Saskatchewan HealthLine telephone and network infrastructure.

Provincial Government - Provide funds to cover the cost of creating the database and two-thirds of other start-up costs, along with two-thirds of the annual operational costs.

Community, With Leadership from the United Way

Provide one-third of the start-up costs through corporate gifts

Provide one-third of annual operational costs through ongoing partnerships and fundraising

Provide up-to-date information for the dataase on an ongoing basis

Promote 211 Saskatchewan, so all citizens become aware of this valuable service

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To find out how you can make 211 Saskatchewan a reality call the United Way of Saskatoon and Area at (306) 975-7700.