Know the Facts

What is 211

211 is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects people to a full range of non-emergency social, health and government services in their community. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, trained counsellors answer 211 calls, assess the needs of each caller and link them to the best available information and services. 211 is also available on the Internet, allowing users to find their own way to programs and services .

Why 211?

Health and social services are delivered by a wide variety of government and community-based organizations and agencies, but finding the right service or program can be difficult. 211 connects callers to the information they need about, for example:
• services for children, youth and families
• physical and mental health services
• assistance to the disabled, seniors and newcomers to Canada
• employment support

Why 211 Works ...

Single window : 211 provides one access point to a community’s full range of social, health and government services.
Targeted help : 211 counsellors are trained to draw out necessary information, understand the problem and find the best way to help.
A personal touch : 211 calls are answered by live operators, not voicemail. Callers can explain their situation in their own words.
Multilingual : 211 has multilingual capacity, an important asset in Canada ’s diverse society.
Around-the-clock access : 211 meets needs that arise beyond business hours. Confidential : 211 offers a non-judgmental environment where callers’ information is kept private.

Who benefits from 211 ...

Service organizations : in government or in the community, benefit from 211 because it efficiently links their services with people in need and reduces wasted time and effort.
Volunteers : 211 connects people who want to help their community with opportunities to donate time or money.
Governments : 211 relieves pressure on other information services provided by governments and can reduce duplication and overlap amongst helplines.
Society : 211 benefits all of society because it creates an integrated social infrastructure that supports people in times of personal difficulty and during emergencies. The integrated system also creates real-time data on service utilization and community needs across the country.

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211’s Success Story

Since opening in 2002 in Toronto, Canada 's first 211 centre has proven itself as a credible and valued resource, helping more than one million callers in its first three years of service. Of that number, more than 90% report that they got the help they needed and 97% said they would use the service again. During the 2003 SARS outbreak and blackout in Toronto, 211 provided essential, accurate information to thousands of callers. The success of 211 Toronto has inspired other communities toward a vision for a Canada-wide 211 system. The recent launch of service in Edmonton and Calgary means that 15% of Canada’s population now has access to 211. In the United States, where 211 began in 1997, 47% of the population now has 211 access.

What's next for 211?

The goals established for Canada's 211 initiative are ambitious: to ensure that one-third of Canadians in at least five provinces have access to 211 by 2008, and to extend 211 to all Canadians by 2011. In 2005, Ontario's service expanded to include Niagara Region and South Georgian Bay (Simcoe County). Regional Information Centres in Niagara and Simcoe are networked with the existing 211 Toronto center and comprise the first components of Ontario's integrated province-wide 211 system. In early 2006, Quebec City will commence service, becoming the world's first 211 centre operating primarily in French. By the end of 2006, Canada's first province-wide 211 service is expected to be up and running in Nova Scotia. Results are now in from a major cost-benefit analysis undertaken by Deloitte. The study found the benefits of a Canada-wide 211 system would outweigh costs by more than two to one. The study confirms the strength of the 211 business case, and the inherent value of the service.

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