211 SLO County Annual Report FY 21-22

In 2021, the national 211 network:

• Answered more than 19.7 million phone calls

• Responded to more than 1.4 million texts, web chats and emails

• Made more than 23 million total connections to help.

• Was designated by governors and health departments in 32 states as the official COVID-19 resource line.

What is the impact?

When people call 211, they speak to a trained specialist who can find services most tailored to their needs. When callers find themselves in a tough spot, often multiple forms of assistance are needed. 211 can connect them to all applicable services to form a cohesive recovery plan. Then, once receiving services, the caller can take proactive measures to mitigate future struggles.

211 is available 24/7 to answer the question “I need help, what should I do?”. By directing callers to the correct service, 211 reduces the amount of inappropriate calls to 911 and other services. Callers withimmediate crisis or mental health needs are connected to an appropriate hotline via warm transfer, which means that callers do not need to hang up the phone while being transferred. 211 also helps streamline intake at social service organizations by informing callers of the services offered and intake process ahead of time.

During times of disaster, 211 is an indispensable resource to help callers stay informed of recovery services. By helping us recover quickly when affected by disaster, 211 is key in strengthening the resilience of our community.

A Note from the Program Manager

As we recover from the effects of the pandemic, 211 SLO County is beginning to return to pre-pandemic measures. Call numbers have decreased overall from last year, as requests for COVID-19 information have decreased. Housing resources have returned to being our most requested need, including rental assistance and homeless services.

Going forward, we look to continue helping SLO County residents find services to best suit their needs.

-Riley Smith, 211 Program Manager

CALLER

Top Caller Needs

AND DEMOGRAPHICS

Caller Demographics

Ethnicity:

by Location

Breakdown excludes calls that did not originate from within

County, and

that did not contain location

THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

County of San Luis Obispo

Thank you to the County of San Luis Obispo and to the Board of Supervisors for your support of 211 through the Covid Relief Fund and the Preventative Health Grant. We are very grateful for this funding, and look forward to your continued partnership.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office

Thank you to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office for supporting 211 SLO County since 2014. We greatly appreciate your continued partnership!

City of San Luis Obispo

Thank you to the City of SLO Human Relations Commission for awarding us funding through the Grants in Aid. We appretiate the opportunity to use these funds to help the most vulnerable populations in San Luis Obispo.

City of Pismo Beach

Thank you to the Pismo Beach City Council for your continued support of 211. We are thankful to serve our entire county, and help those in South County connect to services near them.

Media Sponsors

Thank you to KSBY , American General Media, ESPN Radio, and K-Jewel Radio for your media sponsorship.