When you need help, call the Wyoming 211 call center

Are you at your wit’s end worrying about things like where your next meal will come from, or how you’re going to pay your rent or utilities, or other seemingly insurmountable problems? The highly trained resource specialists at the Wyoming 211 call center are here to help you find the help you need.

The call center is designed to connect those in need with information about everything from afterschool programs to crisis intervention services to mental health counseling to help paying your utility bill.

The service is free and confidential, serving the needs of Wyomingites throughout the state.

“The 211 number is actually a federally mandated number,” explained Olivia Schon, deputy director for Wyoming 211 services. “Every state has a 211 call center, but they are all funded differently. Some are funded under government budgets. Some are fully funded by United Way. Some are, like us, non-profits needing to raise their own funds.”

The program operates off cell phone towers, and the cell tower recognizes where the caller is located and forwards the call to the call center nearest to his or her location.

“Let’s say a woman is fleeing from a domestic violence situation in Utah but runs out of gas in Wyoming,” Schon said. “The service will automatically recognize she is in Wyoming, even if she’s used the service in Utah before. She will immediately be connected to the call center in Wyoming, because she is in Wyoming and the call center will refer her to resources near her current location.”

Schon said the top calls in the most recent 365 days have been for utility payment assistance, followed by calls for help with rent payments and the need for food assistance. She noted that mental health services are often intertwined with other needs.

“We encourage people to call and speak to one of our community resource specialists,” said Schon. “Oftentimes people call with an initial need, like food insecurity, but through conversation with a real person, a resource specialist finds out they have three or four major needs going on in the background. It could be things like they just had their utilities turned off, they just lost their job or their health insurance. So, you might call with an initial need like ‘I’m hungry,’ but we may be able to help with so many other things, too.”

There are multiple ways to connect with the Wyoming 211 resources. One way is to simply dial 211. Another way is to text your zip code to 898211 to initiate an interactive live chat with a resource specialist. Also, the entire data base can be searched directly at www.wyoming211.org. There is also a Wyoming 211 app available that can be downloaded to any Apple or Android device. 

Last year, the service took more than 4,100 calls and answered more than 200 two-way text exchanges. In Big Horn County, specifically, the top requests included help with housing or shelter (31.6 percent), help with utilities (31.6 percent) and help obtaining food (10.5 percent). Other calls included healthcare or COVID-19 related calls, requests for clothing or household items, help with government or legal situations and transportation assistance.

The call center partners with multiple programs, like the Aging and Disability Resource Center for Wyoming, Enroll Wyoming (for help with health insurance), Kinship Connections (for caregivers helping family members), Plans for Safe Care (for pregnancy resource care), Wyoming Women’s Foundation, Communicare CIE (information exchange and referral), Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance and Veterans Resources (a rural health access program).

Operators are not allowed to take a call until they’ve received training in crisis intervention. They are trained to recognize a severe crisis in the making and are capable of transferring calls directly to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline when necessary.

The program started in 2011 and only covered 19 counties in Wyoming. It currently includes resources in its database for every county in the state.

“We’re constantly updating our database to be sure we are the comprehensive data base for the state,” explained Schon. “We are a help line created to take the pressure off non-emergency calls coming into 911.”

The program is designed to help an individual with multiple needs in a single phone call, saving callers the indignity of having to explain their situation to several different people.

“There is nothing worse or more dehumanizing than having to tell your sob story over and over to different people to get the help you need,” said Schon.  “This program keeps people from having to go through all that. You tell your story once, and then someone else tells it for you to get the help you need. It’s a magical thing, and we’re really excited about it.”

The Wyoming 211 program is a 501C3 non-profit organization funded by grants, donations, corporate sponsorships and fundraisers. It has a paid staff of 12 resource specialists. Live support is available Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.