2-1-1 TexasConnecting People and Services

2-1-1Texas Information & Referral Network

2-1-1 Texas Information & Referral Network

* 2-1-1 Authority* The HHSC Texas Information and Referral Network is

authorized pursuant to the 77th Legislature's HCR 109 and Texas State Government Code §531.0312 (HB 2596 75th Legislature) to establish and maintain a statewide 2-1-1 network.

* Texas Public Utilities Commission amended rule 26.127 in April 2001, assigning HHSC responsibility for implementing 2-1-1 in Texas

Hood

Howard

Presidio BrewsterVal Verde

CulbersonHudspeth

Jeff Davis

El Paso

Crane

Pecos

Reeves

Crockett

Terrell

Upton Reagan

Andrews

Ward

Loving Winkler MidlandEctor Glasscock

Martin

Bandera

Jim Hogg

La Salle

Webb

Starr

Zapata

Dimmit

ZavalaMaverick

Kinney Uvalde

Frio

Medina

Nueces

Brooks

Hidalgo

Duval

Kenedy

Willacy

Cameron

Jim Wells

Kleberg

Wilson

McMullen

Bexar

Atascosa

BeeLive

Oak

San Patricio

Karnes

Guadalupe

Gonzales

Mason

McCulloch

Edwards

Sutton

Schleicher

Kerr

Real

Kimble

Menard

Nolan

Tom GreenIrion

Mitchell

Sterling CokeRunnels

Concho

Coleman

Taylor Callahan

Bell

Blanco

Kendall

Comal

Gillespie

Llano

Travis

Hays

Caldwell

Burnet

Williamson

Comanche

Mills

San Saba

Brown

Eastland

Hamilton

Lampasas

Coryell

Erath

Bosque

Somervell

Swisher

Randall

Hockley

Gaines

Yoakum

Cochran

Dawson

Terry Lynn

Lubbock

Deaf Smith

Bailey

Parmer

Lamb Hale

Castro

Hartley

Oldham Potter

Moore

Dallam Sherman

Knox

Kent

ScurryBorden

Garza

Crosby Dickens

Fisher Jones

King

Stonewall Haskell

Hall

MotleyFloyd

Briscoe

Hardeman

CottleFoard

Childress

JackYoung

Stephens

Shackelford

Throckmorton

ParkerPalo Pinto

Wise

Baylor Archer

WilbargerWichita

Clay

Montague

GrayCarson

Armstrong Donley

Hutchinson Roberts

Wheeler

Collingsworth

Hemphill

OchiltreeHansford Lipscomb

Jefferson

Trinity

Brazos

Lavaca

Victoria

Goliad

Refugio

De Witt

Calhoun

Aransas

Jackson

Wharton

Milam

Bastrop

Fayette

Lee

Austin

Colorado

Burleson

Washington

Robertson

Waller

Brazoria

Matagorda

Fort Bend

Harris

Galveston

Chambers

Montgomery

Walker

Grimes

Madison

Jasp

er

Liberty

Hardin

Polk

San

Jacinto

Tyler

Anderson

Ellis

Falls

McLennan

Hill

Freestone

Limestone

Leon

Navarro

Henderson

DallasTarrant

Johnson

Denton

KaufmanVan Zandt

Collin

Rockwall

Hunt

Smith

Cherokee

Houston

Nacogdoches

Angelina

Rusk

Shelby

Panola

Fran

klin

RainsWood

Hopkins

Marion

Gregg

Upshur

Harrison

Titus

Camp

Mo

rris

Cass

New

ton

Orange

San Augustine

Sabine

FanninCooke Grayson

Delta

LamarRed River

Bowie

Gulf Coast Region*

South Central Texas Region*

North Central Texas Dallas Region*

North Central Texas Fort Worth Region*

Rio Grande Region*

Panhandle Region*

South Plains Region*

Alamo Region*

Tip of Texas Region*

Heart of Texas Region

North Texas Region

Bryan/ College Station*

Coastal Bend Region

Permian Basin Region*

Central Texas Region*

Texoma Region*

Concho Valley Region

West Central Texas Region

Southeast Texas Region*

South Texas Region

Golden Crescent Region

East Texas Region

North East Texas Region

Middle Rio Grande Region

Deep East Texas Region

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2-1-1 Texas Information & Referral NetworkRegions

Governor Perry’s Homeland Security Strategy

Disaster and Emergency Management Support

Types of Calls Handled During Hurricanes Katrina & Rita

* Evacuation Information

* Shelter Information

* Special Health Care Needs

* Missing Persons

* Federal, State, Local Assistance

* Reassurance and Rumor Control

Number of Calls Handled

* June 2005 70,136

* July 2005 74,378

* August 2005 88,848

* September 2005 267,855– 73% Increase – Daily Average before Storms 2,500– Daily Average in September 10,000

Transportation Assistance Registry

* Executive Order (RP57) issued by Governor Rick Perry on March 21, 2006

* “The Governor’s Division of Emergency Management shall develop and implement a statewide database to assist in the evacuation of the special needs population, with coastal jurisdictions as a priority.”

Creating the Transportation Registry

* Governor’s Task Force Identified Need for Registry

* Multi-Agency Committee

* Necessary to have Neutral Entity for Data Maintenance

* Simple, Direct Database

* Quality Control of Data

* Establishment of protocol for receipt of data

* Building Relationships with Local Emergency Management

Transportation Assistance Registry (TAR)

Flow of Data

2-1-1 Texas

UT Center for Space

Research

Local Jurisdictions

2-1-1 & the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management

* Phase I – Assigned the Registry

* Phase II – Defined plan with cutoff at H-72

* Phase III – Local Emergency Management response

* Phase IV – First try ( Hurricane Dean)

* Phase IV – Regroup, Revise, Build Relationships

* Phase V – Local EMCs call themselves 2-1-1

* Phase VI – Hurricane Season 2008 (Dolly, Eduard, & Ike)

* Current – Still tweaking

2-1-1 Texas Information & Referral Network Warm Centers

* Data Quality Control– Correct spelling of names, addresses– Faxed entries from home health, dialysis, hospice,

etc.

* Transportation Registry Data Entry Training

* DR skill group

Transportation Registry Data Entry Training

* Questions that individuals may ask– How will my information be used?– Who is going to call me?– How will I know if I will be picked up?– How long is the registry active?– Do I need to call to update my information?– Can I register for someone else (mother or other

elderly/disabled friend/relative)?

Transportation Registry Data Entry Training

* Probing for further information– Specialists don’t read definitions of the levels – Do they take medications – what type & why prescribed– Ask if they need help walking, bathing, driving, etc.– If they indicate they need help, ask if they need a nurse to

administer medication– We may also ask if they are well enough to ride a bus for 8-14

hours (amount of time it may take to evacuate)

* Make liberal use of the “Notes” section to give EM an idea of a person’s overall level of functioning

FAXED Registration Forms* Hurricane Dolly – and this isn’t all of them!

Publicity Examples* Coastal Bend/Corpus Christi Area Billboard

* Houston Area Billboard

Training for Emergency Managers* Emergency management isn’t “geared” toward this type of

registry

* Don’t understand how/why people register

* Need to learn effective means of outreach to get more people registered

* Think 2-1-1 Texas “owns” the data & manages it

Challenges when Starting

* How will you use the registry?

* How will you publicize the registry?– Remember to account for increased call volume

* Will individuals need to re-register– How will database address the re-registrations?

* Will individuals call 2-1-1 with changes?

* Who will be “data custodians” for the area where the registry will be active?– Will receive data from the registry as well as updates

More Challenges to Consider* Are individuals expected to fill out additional survey

items after they register?– Local communities need to have mechanisms for

thorough follow-up with each registrant to determine additional needs.

* Will individuals be notified that their information is in the registry or that it needs to be updated annually?– Will they receive a letter? Postcard? Phone call?

Additional Survey?– How soon will notification go out? People will ask

when they register, so be prepared with this answer.

More Challenges to Consider* Is there special outreach for senior centers, adult day centers, home

health care providers, etc.? – These centers often have high populations of people who need

transportation assistance during an emergency.– Houston’s 2-1-1 sends a form that the center fills out & then faxes back.

May want to consider a proactive mail-out to help with this process.

* Are there special handling procedures for those entities who are required by licensing standards to have an evacuation transportation plan?– In Texas these entities should be excluded from the database.– EM may be willing to go out to conduct transportation assessments with

these entities to help them with planning.– Have phone numbers prepared of licensing entities and EM offices for

referrals when these agencies call to register their clients/patients.

Behind the Current System

* 24/7 365 days a year

* Multilingual staff

* National AIRS accredited agencies

* Professionally certified staff

* Comprehensive regional databases

* Community presence

* Statewide coordination with local control

* Continuous quality improvement process with data validation

* Robust system that is scalable

Contact Information

Deborah Ballard M.S., CIRSProgram LiaisonHHSC/2-1-1 Texas I&R Network512-483-5111Deborah.ballard@hhsc.state.tx.us&Sandra Ray, M.S., CIRSManager, Information & Referral ServicesUnited Way of Greater Houston713-685-2469sray@unitedwayhouston.org