NEWARK – First it was “Call 2-1-1”. Then it was “Visit 2-1-1 online”. And now, it is “Text 2-1-1”.
Pathways of Central Ohio is making it easier for Licking and Knox County residents to find and access all types of community services by adding texting capability to its 2-1-1/Crisis Hotline service. Texting to 2-1-1 allows anyone to receive referrals for human, social and governmental services via text so they do not have to use valuable phone minutes. Texting to 2-1-1 can also be used to reach crisis services in situations such as domestic violence, substance abuse and even suicide.
“In 2016, the 2-1-1/Crisis Hotline received nearly 19,000 information and referral and crisis calls from Licking and Knox Counties,” said Walt Zang, Program Director of the 2-1-1/Crisis Hotline. “But many lower-income residents have limited phone minutes and unlimited texting. This information combined with preferences among people 55 and under for texting, led us to explore ways to use texting in the 2-1-1 setting.”
Licking and Knox County residents can text their zip code to 898211 if they need assistance or have questions about local services. The staff will then utilize the 2-1-1/Crisis Hotline resource database to find the services that meet their needs.
“Many people don’t realize how challenging it is to know what organizations are open and available on the day they need assistance,” said Zang. “We are continuously updating our resource database to make sure we have the most accurate information available.”
Residents are still welcome to call 2-1-1 or 1-800-544-1601 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The texting service is available 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The online resource database where residents can conduct their own searches for resources at 211pathways.org.
2-1-1 is a simple, easy-to-remember number to be connected to local social, human and governmental services. As 9-1-1 eliminated the need to remember the number for the police and fire departments, 2-1-1 eliminates the need to remember local social service numbers. 2-1-1 is available to over 90% of the United States and Ohio.
The 2-1-1/Crisis Hotline is a service of Pathways of Central Ohio. It is funded by Mental Health and Recovery for Licking and Knox Counties, the Licking County Foundation, the United Way of Licking County and the United Way of Knox County.