What is 2-1-1?

• 2-1-1 is a referral service for people, supported by the United Way.
• Calling 2-1-1 or going to www.211.org will connect you to a multitude of services, including: housing, utilities, food, transportation, individual and family support, mental health, addictions.

2-1-1 in Santa Clara County

• 2-1-1 is the dialing code for free, confidential, non-emergency community, health and disaster information in Santa Clara County.
• Calls are answered 24/7/365 by a live specialist trained to work with clients to understand core concerns and make useful referrals.
• Call specialists are generally bilingual English/Spanish. Calls can be handled in more than 190 languages using a quickly accessed translation service.

Who Can Use 2-1-1

• If you, or someone you know, need help with issues such as housing, health care, senior services, child care, legal aid – or if you just don’t know where to turn – call 2-1-1.

When you call …

• Specialist will answer, sometimes after a short wait; you will be greeted and treated with courtesy, dignity and respect
• You will be asked for a zip code; whether you have children in the household age 5 or younger; your ethnic background and your primary income source. These questions help us target services
• You will then be asked for your information/referral request
• You will not be asked your name unless you agree to a follow-up call

2-1-1 in a Disaster

• During emergencies and disasters, 2-1-1 will serve as an important conduit of public information, with a seat at the County’s Emergency Operations Center and working with local officials and various response agencies.
• 2-1-1 also plays a critical role in providing information and support in times of disaster, such as evacuation, shelter, food, medical and recovery information, and providing public officials with feedback from callers about changing conditions. For example, in 2007 during the San Diego wild fires local 2-1-1's handled 130,000 calls in 5 days.