07/10/2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

B. Organization Capability (Continued) 4. How does your program differ from similar ones provided in the community? How do the programs complement — inose orrerea oy orner agencies!, The 211 HelpLine is the only community helpline and crisis hotline available 24/7 to assist Indian River County residents with information, resources, and emotional support including crisis intervention and suicide prevention services. There are no other programs in the county that offer high quality services as extensive, comprehensive and as accessible as those offered by 211. The 211 HelpLine is easily accessible to anyone in need via phone, text, email, chat, or independent searches of our online database of resources. While our program is unique, collaboration with other community agencies is at the heart of our success. Our team maintains a detailed list of local health and human service agencies and their programs, including eligibility requirements and contact information. Currently, our database includes information on more than 100 agencies specific to Indian River County, while our regional database features 1,600 agencies across our entire service area. We rely on these partners to verify and update their information with us annually, so that we can continue to provide accurate referrals to the individuals who contact us for help. This collaborative approach has allowed us to build and maintain a comprehensive, meaningful database of resources, supporting our ability to track the availability of resources for trending needs. This model also makes it easier for individuals in crisis to get the help they need when they are feeling the most confused and overwhelmed. Furthermore, the 211 HelpLine serves as an alternative contact line for many non -emergency calls that would otherwise be routed to the local 9-1-1 call center and other law enforcement agencies if our program were not available. These efficiencies free up valuable community resources so that services can be applied where and when they are most needed. 5. Please describe the staffing requirements of these programs. Be specific in indicating the number of paid )roressionai positions ana pa/a support starr positions. In order to accommodate our 24/7 operations, our agency maintains an intense level of staff, with a total of 68 employees in the organization, including 56 full-time and 12 part-time. Our Resource Center (the 211 HelpLine) has a total staff complement of 32 Resource Center Specialists, including 25 full-time and 7 part-time individuals. Three of these Resource Center Specialists work as supervisors, ensuring that incoming requests are handled efficiently and in accordance with agency standards. The costs associated with 1 of the full-time Resource Center Specialist would be partially funded by Indian River County. Our agency operates several additional internal programs available in Indian River County, each with their own staff teams. The Sunshine Telephone Reassurance program and our Caregiver program have four part-time employees. Our Help Me Grow program has seven full-time employees. The MYFLVET and Hero4Hero programs at 211 consist of two Veteran and First Responder Care Coordinators. b. uo tnese programs ututze votunteers:l it yes, please oneny aescnoe. Currently, volunteers are heavily utilized without our Sunshine Telephone Reassurance program. A reliable team of approximately 15 trained volunteers, working in conjunction with our staff, make more than 600 phone calls each day to lonely and isolated seniors and other homebound individuals residing in our service region. Another group of volunteers help free up our staff for more essential work by handling light administrative tasks, and representing 211 at fundraisers and community outreach events. We are incredibly grateful for each one of our volunteers, who also help recruit additional volunteers to our organization. uescnption or the countywide purpose the tunas win oe used tor. The funding support that 211 receives from Indian River County and other funding partners is critical to our ability to provide 24/7 services to the residents of Indian River and the rest of the Treasure Coast. Your generous contribution will help offset staff costs incurred in operating the Treasure Coast Resource Center, partially funding the salary and benefits of one full-time Resource Center Specialist. We are requesting a slight increase in funding this year, as more resources are needed to keep pace with rising operating expenses given the continued rise in inflation and cost of living, to help maintain the quality of our services. In 2023, our team responded to nearly 4,000 requests for help from Indian River County residents, 31 % of which were related to housing needs. Another 28.5% of requests pertained to mental health/substance use disorder, including 97 suicide related contacts. Requests related to other basic needs, such as utility assistance, health care, legal and consumer services, individual, family and community supports, and food accounted for another 30% of all requests. Our Resource Center Specialists provided more than 5,700 referrals to help residents connect to services to meet their needs and overcome their unique crisis situations. 203