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June 30, 2009

211 ready for North Country crisis calls

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG

PLATTSBURGH — Navigating through the region’s health and human services agencies can sometimes be a challenge for those in need.

But a new telephone number is designed to ease the confusion and help direct callers to the most appropriate services for their situation.

“We believe this is going to be an excellent resource to get the information,” United Way of Clinton and Essex Counties Executive Director John Bernardi said about the new 211 system. The service is also available in Franklin County.

“And this is a service that will always be in place.”

After three years of planning, the three-digit phone number is up and running in this region, operating out of the Hudson Valley 211 call center 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week.



THE RIGHT SERVICE

During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Bernardi said the 211 system is a “single memorable” way residents can access health and human services, such as child-care programs, veterans affairs and support groups.

Clinton County Legislator Sara Rowden (D-Area 4), who sits on the system’s local Steering Committee, said she knows firsthand how emotional and difficult it can be for residents to find appropriate services and that 211 will be more efficient for both callers and agencies.

“It’s making sure that people get the right services,” she said, as fellow committee members nodded in agreement.



CONTRACT

Bernardi said it would have cost state and regional resources about a half-million dollars to build and operate a local call center.

Instead, officials decided to contract the service with Hudson Valley at $87,000 a year and use its certified and fully trained informational specialists to help answer the North Country need.

“For what we’re getting, it’s really cost-efficient,” said Ron Jackson, a member of the Essex County Board of Supervisors. “We’re getting a lot of bang for our buck.”



NON-EMERGENCY ONLY

Jackson said the system will be a critical service, especially during times of disaster, and will “take some of the (non-emergency) calls off 911.”

Bernardi said the system “will be beneficial in a variety of ways,” such as helping officials understand what type of services are most needed and where.

“The service is really there to provide callers with information they need to access the services they need.”

He stressed that 211, which can also be connected to by dialing 1-888-774-0289, is for non-emergencies and does not in any way replace the 911 system for emergency assistance.

“If your house is burning, you call 911. If you have a burning question, call 211.”



E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at:

avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com

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