DOI: 10.25549/cswa-c34-462
title: Info Line (211) panel, 2008; Julio Puchalt interview, 2011

description: Info Line (211) of Los Angeles County - Oral History Interview - CSWA ❧ Part 1: Info Line (211) Panel Discussion. Led by: Richard (Dick) Thor, MSW. Date: August 6, 2008. A panel discussion on the creation of 211 LA County (formerly known as INFO LINE of Los Angeles) - the largest information and referral service in the nation. Panelists: Frances Feldman, Sara Turnbull Matta, Marj Nichols, Toby Osos, Marj Wyatt, Esther Gillies. ❧ CONTENTS: (01:08) -- Panel Introductions. (02:45) -- The founding of Info Line. (05:25) -- Study for Community Chest. (06:45) -- The importance of Social Service Exchange. (09:00) -- The importance of confidentiality. (10:11) -- Start-up of Welfare Information Service call center. (12:06) -- Distribution of first agency directory in 1945. (12:55) -- The emphasis of mental health. (14:50) -- Short Doyle Act Formerly the Hume Act & the creation of the Department of Mental Health. (18:15) -- More on the 1945 Study of the Community Chest. (19:50) -- The board of the Welfare Information Service. (21:22) -- The formation of the Information and Referral Federation of LA County. (23:50) -- Study published to document the extent to which referral services were being provided. (29:13) -- The need for a central agency providing 24/7 service. (32:15) -- Costs of getting toll-free access for entire county. (34:50) -- Sandra Day O'Connor was the incorporating lawyer. (36:00) -- United Way of America National Report on referral services. (37:20) -- Los Angeles impact on national services. (39:15) -- Importance of the relationship between the public and the private sector. (39:45) -- The introduction of automated data processing in the information referral process. (42:00) -- Funding and budget for Info Line. (43:20) -- The rarity of county ownership. (45:20) -- Child Care Information Service Committee in Pasadena. (49:15) -- Support of telephone company. (50:30) -- Current staff and languages used at Info Line. (53:00) -- Volume of calls and measurement of dropped calls. (55:00) -- Answering calls for First Five. (57:30) -- Limitations and separate services for specializations such as Domestic Violence and Suicide Prevention. (01:00:45) -- Change in technology including 211 and Internet. (01:06:00) -- Limitations of statewide coverage. (01:08:00) -- Importance of taxonomy. (01:09:10) -- Budgetary issues and lack of volunteers. (01:10:25) -- Need for federal mandate for services like Info Line. (01:14:13) -- California Social Welfare Archives (CSWA) and the importance of archiving the history of social work. ❧ Part 2: Interview with Julio Puchalt, Associate Director InfoLine. Interviewer: Esther Gillies, LCSW. Date: May 20, 2011. ❧ CONTENTS: (01:22:50) - Puchalt's early years with Info Line. (01:25:19) -- History of the transition from United Way Information and Referral Service to Info Line (211). (01:26:00) -- TRI Unit -- Telephone Referral Information Unit. (01:28:25) -- Study of Information and Referral Service and the Telephone Referral Information Unit revealed duplication of services -- led to the creation of Info Line in 1981. (01:29:50) -- Info Line's evolution of becoming a national leader in information and referral services. (01:30:40) -- Development of specialized lines such as Elder Abuse Hotline. (01:32:00) -- The Parenting Help Line with First 5 LA Commission. (01:33:30) -- Partnerships and funding. (01:35:45) -- Info Line usage and volume of calls. (01:38:20) -- Breakdown of caller gender, ethnicity and language. (01:39:30) -- The impact of technology. (01:40:45) -- Volatile nature of information -- need for accuracy verification. (01:41:50) -- Taxonomy of Human Services -- Categories. (01:43:20) -- Typical Info Line call procedure. (01:45:15) -- Current staffing as of 2011. (01:45:45) -- Georgia Sales --Taxonomy Development. (01:46:25) -- Transition to 211 system. ❧ Infoline/211. Info Line (211) Panel Discussion. Led by Richard Thor. Panelists: Frances Feldman, Sara Turnbull Matta, Marj Nichols, Toby Osos, Marj Wyatt, Esther Gillies. Date of discussion: 8-6-08. Length of discussion: 1 hour and 32 minutes. DVD containing discussion. Part 2: (1:22:50) Interview with Julio Puchalt, Associate Director InfoLine. Interviewer: Esther Gillies, LCSW. Date: 5-20-11. Length of discussion: 20 minutes.