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

Manitoba:

A caller contacted 211 for help. She had been involved in a domestic violence situation and her spouse was arrested. The caller wanted to have the charges dropped. According to the caller, it was the first incident of violence. She had been struggling financially and emotionally since her spouse’s arrest. The caller reported that she had already been to a food bank for assistance as well.

The Service Navigator let the caller talk about her feelings, and validated the difficulty of what she was going through. By gently probing, the Service Navigator discovered that the client had already been in contact in Victim Services and counselling services. The Service Navigator suggested also reaching out to warm lines, but the caller declined these referrals.

As the caller and the Service Navigator discussed the situation and various options, the caller wanted to know more about her legal rights before looking into other programs. The Service Navigator gave her a referral to Legal Aid, which could let her know her legal options including child support options to ease her financial situation. The client took down this information and the Service Navigator encouraged her to call 211 again anytime if she wanted to explore other types of referrals.