211 Program Dr. Christopher Allers, Vice President for 211, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta met with Memphis-area linkage participants at their May 4 th meeting. Dr. Allers, who has worked with over 50 different communities on issues related to implementation of 211, shared his extensive experience and practical advice on planning, implementation, and operational issues. Atlanta's 211 Program is one of the first in the country and one of the most comprehensive efforts. The 211 dialing code is designed to provide direct access to organizations providing community information and referral services, such as child care solutions, housing assistance, maintaining utilities, legal assistance, counseling, and hospice services that are not currently available through the 911 emergency code.
Some communities also use the system to facilitate the collection of donated goods and services.
Also of interest is the ability of 211 systems to identify new and emerging needs or trends in the community. A Steering Committee has been formed to further assess what resources are already available in the community and identify what resources would be needed to implement the 211 Program. The new program will be located at Friends for Life with collaborative services provided by Family Services of the Mid-South, HIV Family Care Network, and African American Pastors Consortium. The new program resulted from a series of four linkage meetings held during the spring, 2001. Susan Schmidt served as the Linkage Committee Liaison and Nancy Record as the facilitator.