Today is National 211 Day, an annual awareness day focused on educating people about the 211 helpline.

Indiana 211, a division of the Family and Social Services Administration, specifically serves the entire Hoosier State. On any given day, the staff makes hundreds of referrals, connecting Hoosiers with the resources and information they need.

According to in211.communityos.org, Indiana 211 connects Hoosiers with help and answers from thousands of health and human service agencies and resources right in their local communities.

In the past year, Indiana 211 has received 201,635 calls and made 464,986 referrals to health and social service resources within the state.

Tara Morse, executive director of Indiana 211, said since Indiana 211 became a part of Indiana Family and Social Services Administration in July 2020, 211 community navigators have answered more than 275,000 calls and helped more than 250,000 callers by making nearly 675,000 referrals to community organizations and programs.

Indiana 211 averages 1,231 referrals and community connections across the state each day.

“In addition, Indiana has expanded services and risen to the challenge as the needs of the state have evolved throughout the pandemic,” Morse said. “Indiana 211 answered an additional 1.8 million COVID-related calls in 2021.”

She said Indiana 211 is a free 24-hour service that assists Hoosiers communities quickly, easily and confidentially.

“Hoosiers can dial 211 for support with access to resources, including food and clothing, health care, housing and utility assistance, education and employment, tax assistance, access to mental health and substance use disorder counseling, as well as information on COVID-19, including testing, vaccines and assistance with scheduling appointments,” Morse said.

She said Indiana 211 supports Hoosiers with everyday needs and in times of crisis.

“When individuals dial 211, they are connected to an experienced team of community navigators who are skilled at identifying a need and providing referrals to local resources that best meet those needs,” Morse said. “Examples of crisis-based resources include mental health and addiction crisis helplines, rent and utility payment assistance programs, homeless shelters and transitional housing, community kitchens and food assistance programs, comprehensive job assistance centers and more.”

A full list of the different types of resources provided can be found online at IN211.org.

To access Indiana 211, individuals can dial 211 or 866-211-9966 from anywhere in Indiana, text their ZIP code to 898-211 or visit the website.

“Indiana 211 community navigators are highly trained to assess a caller’s needs and find the most appropriate resources and connections to programs and community organizations,” Morse said. “Callers are asked a few questions related to social determinants of health for the purpose of identifying additional needs the caller may have.”

She said often, callers have one specific topic in mind when they call; however, the skilled community navigator can help identify other needs and corresponding resources for that caller.

Resource or program information also can be shared with the caller via text message or email.

Indiana 211 is available to every Hoosier, and there are no eligibility requirements to call. Although many are in crisis when calling 211, not all calls to Indiana 211 are crisis calls.

Examples of common calls are: I don’t know where to turn because, I want to earn my GED/HSE, I want to donate or volunteer, I need help writing a will, I just lost my job, I have run out of food, I just received an eviction notice, I need child care assistance, I am staying in my car and it is really cold, I don’t know how to complete my taxes and I am feeling isolated and anxious.

The Indiana 211 data dashboard, which can be found on the website, provides insight to community leaders and funding organizations about what is happening in their local community based on the types of calls received by Indiana 211 and can be filtered by date, county or community organization.

“As we celebrate National 211 Day on Feb. 11, 2022, on behalf of all Hoosiers, thank you to the community navigators and the entire Indiana 211 team for everything they do to make calls meaningful and making a trusted place for Hoosiers to turn for their community resource needs,” Morse said.