The change, which was part of Gov. Holcomb’s 2020 Next Level agenda and unanimously approved by the Indiana General Assembly during its 2020 session, will make it easier for Hoosiers to navigate the significant amount of state and community services available to support their overall health and well-being.
“By connecting the resources of FSSA with the versatility of Indiana 211, we can offer Hoosiers great government service,” Gov. Holcomb said. “We will connect them with what they need, when they need it with this 24 hours a day, seven days a week hotline.”
Indiana 211 is a free service that connects Hoosiers with assistance and answers from thousands of health and human service resources – quickly, easily and confidentially.
Indiana 211 and FSSA will be able to more efficiently aid Hoosiers in need by providing a one-stop shop for community and state services. When they dial 2-1-1, Hoosiers are connected to an experienced, responsive and compassionate team of community navigators who are skilled at identifying needs and providing referrals that best meet those needs.
“Along with Governor Holcomb and the Indiana General Assembly, Indiana’s United Ways and the Indiana 211 Partnership have been great partners in making this vision become a reality,” said Jennifer Sullivan, M.D., M.P.H., FSSA secretary. “It is the ultimate goal of all involved to support Hoosiers’ overall health and well-being. They need a simple front door to walk through to receive any service or program we offer without delay – and if we don’t offer it, a way to be connected to it.”
Indiana 211 and FSSA already have a history of joint success, through programs such as the partnership with OpenBeds, which was part of Gov. Holcomb’s 2018 Next Level agenda and has to date has connected over 1,400 Hoosiers with drug treatment and community services. The organizations have also partnered on operating suicide prevention and Adult Protective Services hotlines, and will be introducing new services related to helping Hoosiers recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in the near future.