FW: 211

[Craig Brooks]

This might be of interest.  http://www.minnesotahelp.info/en/mn/cgi-bin/location.asp The web sub-committee of our GAPS group would like to ask that we identify all local agencies we think should be accessible on an information and referral source like 211 and start to list the kinds of search words you might use in looking for various kinds of services.  Our committee would then meet with First Call to try to improve the usefulness of their service covering Winona agencies. This will be brought up Thurs at the meeting. Craig ********************************* State's 211 phone-information system launches Web site Warren Wolfe Star Tribune Published 01/28/2003 Without fanfare, Minnesota's statewide 211 telephone information and referral service went online last week, giving people throughout the state computer access to more than 36,000 services, agencies and programs.  The new service, called MinnesotaHelp.Info (also its Web address)  http://www.minnesotahelp.info/en/mn/cgi-bin/location.asp    -- is funded in part by about $800,000 from the Legislature. It also offers a special section about thousands of services for older Minnesotans. "If you need help with housing, job training, food shelves, fitness centers, nursing homes, schools . . . MinnesotaHelp.Info can help," said Tom Tjepkema, manager for First Call Minnesota, which fields 211 calls outside the Twin Cities area. Remaining in place will be regional information and referral phone banks serving Greater Twin Cities United Way 211, First Call Minnesota outstate and the statewide Senior Linkage Line. But marketing of those services soon will shift solely to the 211 phone system and the new companion Web site, officials said. The computer program is a work in progress, officials admit, with plenty of information gaps. For instance, if you live in Litchfield and need a hospice program, MinnesotaNeeds will tell you about one 40 miles away in Glencoe, but it neglects the Litchfield Area Hospice. If you need emergency financial help, it doesn't mention Meeker County Social Services, instead steering you to six programs, none local and only three in Minnesota And if you want to know about "bars and nightlife" in Red Wing it tells you how you can hire Les Fields and the Turkey River All-Stars from Rochester. New information daily "We're adding more information every day, and we're putting most emphasis on safety-net emergency services rather than community amenities," said Krista Boston, a primary architect of the online program who also supervises consumer information and assistance at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Since late last week, for instance, most Minnesota nursing homes were added to the list of providers, as well as scores of programs that help people in need find lower-price prescription drugs. Later this year, officials will add more information about services for people with disabilities. And by the end of the year -- depending on legislative funding -- the users seeking help may be able to exchange messages online with specialists. The Minnesota 211 telephone system -- similar to the 911 emergency system, but for social services and community information -- was inaugurated last July in the Twin Cities metro area. It now is available in most parts of the state by land phones, and on cellular phones served by Qwest and Hickory phone companies. Callers who dial 211 in Minnesota are connected with local information and referral agencies that took about 250,000 calls last year. That number is expected to rise sharply with the advent of the 211 system and its Internet program. The Legislature authorized money for MinnesotaHelp.Info last year after a state task force concluded that lack of information was a major barrier to making use of thousands of programs for older people and their families. The new computerized-help program resulted from a collaboration of the Department of Human Services, Minnesota Board on Aging, Greater Twin Cities 211 and First Call for Help Minnesota. "We had been talking about bringing the Senior Linkage Line online, but combining that with the 211 services just made the most sense to help consumers," Boston said. "One number to dial, one Web site to look at -- it removes a lot of confusion." How it works The new site takes users through several layers to reach the services they need. Users first type in the ZIP code or name of the city where they want services, then choose the general type of help they want, for instance, "Emergencies and Disasters." That brings up another set of choices, and the user might choose "Crisis Nurseries" to find the Children's Home Society of Minnesota in St. Paul. Clicking on a "View the Details" box brings up information about its crisis-nursery service. "The phone and Internet system already is proving itself," Tjepkema said. A southwestern Minnesota woman recently sought help for an unwed pregnant teenager who had no phone. She called 211 and was answered by an information specialist in Marshall, Minn. "Not only did we get some medical help for the teenager, but we also got her phone service, too," he said. "Boy, stories like that just warm my heart. We're getting help to the people who need it." -- Warren Wolfe is at [EMAIL PROTECTED].