FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tempe, Arizona, [July 29, 2020] – Crisis Response Network announces that its statewide 2-1-1 Arizona Information and Referral Service program is now operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week and every day of the year. Live operator service is available at all times in both English and Spanish.
New funding from the Arizona Department of Economic Security will allow 24/7 operation of 2-1-1 Arizona for Fiscal Year 2021.
2-1-1 Arizona operators will help individuals and families find resources that are available to them locally, throughout the state, and provide connections to critical services that can improve – and save – lives, including:
- Supplemental food and nutrition programs
- Shelter and housing options
- Utilities assistance
- Emergency information and disaster relief
- Employment and education opportunities
- Services for veterans
- Health care, vaccination and health epidemic information
- Addiction prevention and rehabilitation programs
- Re-entry help for ex-offenders
- Support groups for individuals with mental illnesses or special needs • A safe, confidential path out of physical and/or emotional domestic violence
“On behalf of CRN, I want to express our profound gratitude to Governor Ducey and the Arizona Department of Economic Security for the funding that will allow us to provide 24/7/365 live-answer service through June 2021,” said Justin Chase, President/CEO of Crisis Response Network. “Live-answer service provides a personal, human connection that people deserve and allows us to better assist callers with any and all needs they may have.”
In addition to the information and referral service, 2-1-1 also serves as the telephone number for the statewide COVID-19 Hotline, launched on March 22, 2020, and the Resilient Arizona Crisis Counseling Program, launched on June 22, 2020, which provides free counseling to any Arizonan affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Upon dialing 2-1-1, callers are prompted, in both English and Spanish, to navigate to the COVID-19 Hotline, the Resilient Arizona Crisis Counseling Program line, or the 2- 1-1 information and referral line depending on their needs. In addition to English and Spanish, assistance in hundreds of other languages is also available via real-time interpreter services.
Due to funding challenges, live-answer service was suspended for 2-1-1 Arizona in July, 2019. Since then, CRN worked diligently to identify short-term funding partners to restore live-answer service.
A select group of Arizona organizations – including Valley of the Sun United Way, Arizona Public Service, EPCOR, Salt River Project, Southwest Gas, Tucson Electric
Power, UniSource Energy Services and Vitalyst Health Foundation – contributed to fund the return of live-answer service from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days per week beginning on April 30, 2020. Remaining contributions from this group of funders is being used to support the line through staffing, resources and reporting through June 2021, while CRN seeks long-term funding for the program.
In addition to the phone line, 2-1-1 Arizona’s information and referral services also can be accessed through its website, www.211arizona.org and mobile app.
In 2018, 2-1-1s across the United States made more than 12.8 million connections to assistance and, as of 2019, 2-1-1 is available to 94.6 percent of the U.S. population. In 2018, 2-1-1 Arizona provided more than 950,000 referrals for health and human services to Arizona residents.