Each week we will post a summary of interesting and representative 211 calls. This week, we have connections from New Brunswick and Manitoba.

New Brunswick:

Calling 211 is the right call to find the resources people need. 211 Service Navigators have the training and experience to assess callers’ situations and efficiently find them the services they urgently require.

A 211 Service Navigator took a call from a male who said that was in distress and that he needed to speak to a counsellor right away. The Service Navigator performed a risk assessment, and she determined that he was in need of immediate help, but not going to hurt himself.

She found a mental health helpline, and described the services to him. He agreed that this was the service he needed. With his permission, she gave him the phone number (in case he needed it in the future) and called the mental health helpline for him. She did not want him to have to wait on the line by himself or risk that he could not get through. She explained the situation to the staff member at the helpline who agreed to take his call. Then she directly transferred him to the mental health helpline. Before she transferred him, he said: “Thank you! It is very appreciated!”

Manitoba:

Caregivers do so much for others – they deserve help and support themselves. When caregivers reach out, 211 Service Navigators can locate the services that can assist them and their loved ones.

A woman called 211 and she was having a very difficult time. She is the primary caregiver for her mother who is in frail health and has dementia. The caller expressed her feelings of exhaustion and depression from balancing raising young children, and providing care for her aging mother. She was looking for support groups and respite care services

The Service Navigator let the caller express her feelings. He acknowledged and validated that her situation was very stressful and tiring. The caller said that she already felt somewhat better for just having the opportunity to talk with someone. He found her support groups and respite services in her community.

The Service Navigator was concerned that the caller and her mother receive the services they needed. He offered to make a follow up call and she accepted. They scheduled a follow up, so that he could make sure that the referrals were working out for both herself and her mother.

When the 211 Service Navigator called back, the caller was happy to report that she was able to connect to a caregiver support group. She was also making some arrangements for in-home support services and respite care to take some caregiving pressure off herself. She thanked the Service Navigator and said that she was glad that 211 was there.