2-1-1, a United Way partnership with the State of Connecticut

The other day, I had my first tour of the 2-1-1 call center at United Way of Connecticut in Rocky Hill, and it was very impressive. We've written before about the incredible services offered by 2-1-1 and their most recent statistics are on our website. The numbers somehow seem even more impressive after visiting the call center and seeing just how efficient the operation is.

Connecticut was the first state in the country to adopt 2-1-1 statewide as a 24 hour a day, 365 day-a-year information and referral service. When I first started at Valley United Way, there were several regional call centers located throughout the state. Several years ago, it was determined that a consolidated call center would better service the state and the one center in Rocky Hill was established. It is a very high tech operation very similar to call centers operated by many commercial businesses.

The center's staff operates three shifts a day, and they are highly qualified with a minimum of a bachelor's degree and one year of equivalent service. In addition to those who handle the calls, additional staff members manage the database with its listing of thousands of services available throughout the state. On top of that, it requires a very skilled IT staff to keep the computer and phone systems working efficiently.

In addition to the generic services offered by 2-1-1, there are additional specialized services such as 2-1-1 Childcare, Child Development Infoline, HUSKY Infoline and Care 4 Kids. They handle over 450,000 calls per year, including the ability to handle multi-lingual calls.

They also maintain a very useful website and a second website called the 2-1-1 Navigator that allows people to quickly determine their eligibility for 24 state and federal programs related to health, food, child care and much more.

Connecticut's 2-1-1 is the national model for a successful information and referral service and is a unique partnership between the State of Connecticut and local United Ways that benefits all the residents of the state. After visiting the call center, i have a much greater appreciation for just how complex a job that it is - and how well it is being handled.