May Member Spotlight – Mental Health Awareness Month: 211 Palm Beach the Treasure Coast

In more than 50 years of service, 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast has answered more than three million requests for help from people in our community. The local community helpline and crisis hotline helps people connect to important resources and services. Through the pandemic, the agency’s staff helped local residents find healthcare, food, and financial assistance as well as listened to their mental and emotional health concerns. Below the staff explains in more details what they do, and the difference they make in our region.

1) Explain what is 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast, and what your organization offers the community.

211 is the local community helpline and crisis hotline helping people connect to important resources and services that include food assistance, healthcare, mental health providers, services for children and families, teens, elders, veterans and first responders and their families, and more. Staff are also there to listen - if someone just needs to talk. Calls and texts to 211 are free, confidential and available 24/7- with multilingual capabilities. Chat online or search for services found at 211palmbeach.org.

2) How has COVID 19 impacted your operations?

211 quickly pivoted to a hybrid remote work situation and continued providing 24-hour crisis support. Staff helped people find important healthcare, food, financial assistance and listened to their mental and emotional health concerns.  Noting the pandemic’s impact on family caregivers, 211 implemented a Caregiver Support Program in addition to its advocacy programs for children, elders and other populations. 211 also expanded its crisis chat capacity and continued to save lives as the regional responder to the national Lifeline (988) which launched in July of 2022.

3) Explain the difference 211 has made in the community through the years. 

In its over 50 years of service, 211 has answered over 3 million requests for help from people in our community. 211 is an easy to remember number that is the starting point and central access to health and human service programs that benefit people of all ages and walks of life. 211’s highly trained and caring staff has saved countless lives. In times of crisis or for every day needs, 211 is available 24/7.

4) Being Accredited for Sound Nonprofit Management through Nonprofits First – what does being accredited mean for your organization?  

211 does more than information referrals. Staff is highly trained to assess caller’s situations to understand the most critical needs. For crisis and suicide calls - this is of great importance. Having high organizational standards and accreditations gives credence to our ability to garner the trust of not only the people we serve, but our community partners as well.

Learn more about 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast here: 211palmbeach.org