New Contra Costa Hot Line for Social Services!!!!!

The New 211 Hot Line

Beginning today, a new hot line lets anyone in the Bay Area who needs help with food, housing, employment or health care, can dial 211.  This service has is slowly rolling out to all the bay area communities.  There are six Bay Area counties who now have implemented this service-- Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, San Francisco and Solano.

So far, the most frequent 211 calls in the Bay Area are for emergency shelter and housing.  We still have several more cold months before are weather gets warmer.  Other common queries are about food, health care, employment assistance, mental health services, utility assistance, public benefits, substance-abuse treatment and landlord-tenant mediation. Call Center operators can provider a much wider array of information on everything from child care to senior services.  This is a service that is well timed with current social economic conditions.

One major goal for the 211 hot line will be to relieve pressure on 911 dispatch centers by drawing away non-emergency inquiries.  Another goal will be to play a vital role in disasters, helping spread basic information, dispensing information on evacuation sites, road closures, emergency shelters, releasing correct information and more.

The next step is for all county services to go regional which will allow Bay Area 211 coordinated marketing, disaster response and referrals.

Three-digit dialing Services Currently in Place:

• 211- Health and human services
• 311- Local government services (limited areas)
• 411- Directory assistance
• 511- Traffic and transit
• 611- AT&T repair service
• 711- California relay for the hearing impaired
• 811- Call before you dig (underground utilities)
• 911- Life-threatening emergencies

Alan 'AJ' Nisen, California Contra Costa Mortgage Loan Officeris a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.