About 2-1-1 Maryland

Mission & Vision

Every hour of every day, people need essential human services. They are looking for help finding affordable housing, food, employment training, utility payment assistance, services for their children or aging parents, and many other issues.

2-1-1 Maryland is partnership of four agencies working together to provide simple access to health and human services information. 2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that connects people with important community services. Our specially trained call specialists answer calls 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

The 2-1-1 database has information on nearly 5,000 agencies and programs across the state. Each week 2-1-1 Maryland handles thousands of calls from people in need, providing referrals to services and helping people problem-solve when the services they need are not available.

Vision

Maryland will be a state where it is easy to access information on health and human services and critical incidents

Mission Statement

The mission of 2-1-1 Maryland is to be a statewide resource always available by telephone and internet to connect citizens to health and human resources at any time, a resource for government officials to make information available to Marylanders in the event of natural disasters or man-made incidents and a way for Marylanders to connect with opportunities to offer help to others.

Guiding Principles

The values and principles that will guide 2-1-1 Maryland are:

Availability and accessibility. Services will be available to callers whenever they choose to call or log on. Services will be accessible to everyone and will be available by telephone, TTY, directories, and the Internet.
Reliability, accountability and consistency. Using an information and referral standards-based approach such as provided by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, 2-1-1 Maryland will develop and implement systemwide performance measures to ensure reliable, accurate, and consistent service.
Privacy. Personal identifying information will be used only for purposes agreed to by the callers.
Self-Determination. Every caller has the right to determine what their needs are and to choose what services they want or don’t want to access. Callers will be provided with the fullest range of service options available to meet their needs in a manner that respects their personal values, delivered to them in a fair, non-judgmental, and unbiased manner.
Efficiency. We will strive for maximum efficiency on multiple levels by:
- Leveraging existing infrastructure whenever possible;
- Minimizing or eliminating duplication or unnecessary redundancies;
- Achieving a high level of integration among the system call centers;
- Referring callers to the right agency resources correctly the first time; and,
- Being willing and available to support additional information and referral service needs by public and private agencies.

Whether you are an individual looking for help for yourself, a friend or family member, or someone who works for an agency calling on behalf of someone you serve, we are here to help you find resources to help solve your problem. Call us by dialing 2-1-1 on your phone or explore the website and database.

Leadership

State Office

2-1-1 Maryland is charged by state law to establish and maintain an information and referral service network available to all Maryland residents, offering the public efficient 24/7 guidance in accessing health, crisis, and social services. It coordinates the activities of the four partner call centers, provides oversight and works to secure funding and other resources to support 2-1-1 services in Maryland. It 2-1-1 Maryland is registered as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with the IRS. Donations to 2-1-1 Maryland are tax-deductible.

Quinton Askew

President & CEO

Natalie Bowers

Operations Director

Board Members

Roger Hartley, Chair, Dean, College of Public Affairs

University of Baltimore
At the University of Baltimore, you will learn by engaging with the community and you’ll make lifelong friendships and form strong professional networks that will help support your academic and professional goals.At the College of Public Affairs we believe that public service is the highest of callings, and an opportunity to spend a fantastic career improving lives. As dean, I want to warmly welcome you to the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs.

Michael Malloy, Treasurer

Community Volunteer
Mr. Malloy is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and a Masters Degree in Administration/Business. He has been a senior executive in the private sector for consulting, engineering, and construction services. He served as the Chairman/Board member for several corporations. His expertise is environmental compliance and cleanup, energy conservation, disaster assistance, nuclear energy, military construction, and management consulting. He was a member of the Society of Military Engineers and the National Defense Industrial Association.

Lois Mikkila, Treasurer

LKM Consulting
Founder and Principal of LKM Consulting, she is the former Director of the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services – the “human service arm” of County Government. Overseeing services for children and families, older adults, people with disabilities, and consumers, she developed a broad perspective of human service needs and how they are inter-related. The Department also managed the County’s grants to human service nonprofits, was the lead agency for the Continuum of Care for homeless services and provided “backbone” support for the fourteen-partner MultiService Center, giving her a deep understanding of the systems at play in human service delivery.
Community Volunteer

Toni Gianforti

Toni is a nonprofit professional with over 35 years experience in grant writing and research, government relations, advocacy, and marketing and communications. She is also the 2018 Recipient of The Catherine Max Distinguished Service Award and was president of the Baltimore Public Relations Council from 2002-2003

Christine Bachrach, ex-officio

Pat Rosensteel, Vice Chair

Community Volunteer

John Geist, Secretary

Community Volunteer

Dr. Monique Rainford

Center Medical Director - St. Agnes
Baltimore Medical Systems

Mary Ann Floto

United Way of the National Capital Area
Prince George's County

Griffith Garwood

Retired Attorney, Federal Reserve Board
Frederick County

Thomas Laskowski

Co-Founder and CEO ByteStone AI Corp

Elizabeth Everett

Executive Director
United Way Kent County

Shamoyia Gardiner

Education Policy Director, Advocates for Children and Youth

2000

United Way of America & Alliance of Information and Referral Systems jointly petition FCC to set aside N11 number, 2-1-1, for nationwide access to information about community health and human service resources.

United Way of Central Maryland convenes statewide 2-1-1 Task Force of state and local governments, nonprofits , private organizations and State Association of United Ways to develop Maryland's 2-1-1 system.

2000 Now

Federal, state and local governments, foundations, corporations and United Ways provide grants to support planning and operation of a 2-1-1 pilot in Maryland and later development and launch of permanent system.

2003

Maryland's Public Service Commission designates the 2-1-1 Maryland Task Force as official body to coordinate and implement the 2-1-1 pilot. Four call centers are chosen via RFP process.

2004

With bipartisan support, Governor Robert Ehrlich signs HB 981 into law to "establish the three-digit number, 2-1-1, as the primary information and referral telephone number for health and human services in the state; and establish a board to oversee the pilot program and study the orderly installation, maintenance and operation of a statewide health and human services referral system in the state."

2005

2-1-1 Maryland Task Force and Health and Human Services Referral Board complete business plan for implementing statewide 2-1-1 service with support of a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene grant.

2006

2-1-1 pilot launches with support from Constellation Energy, United Ways and the four 2-1-1 call centers, bringing 2-1-1 access to all verizon landlines in Maryland with the exception of Montgomery County.

2009

$449,000 Supplemental Budget grant from Governor O'Malley supports build-out of 2-1-1. As part of the grant 2-1-1 tracks caller needs for Maryland Department of Human Resources.

100% of Maryland, including Montgomery County via most landlines, VoIP, and cellular carriers. Note: some office buildings block access to all N11 numbers except 911.

Maryland Department of Health and Human Services contracts with 2-1-1 to provide 24/7 H1N1 hotline.

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development contracts with 2-1-1 to address needs of those facing mortgage foreclosure

2010

Governor O'Malley signs into law SB527, making permanent 2-1-1 and reestablishing the Health and Human Services Referral Board to provide ongoing guidance and oversight. The law directs "If a unit of the State that provides health and human services establishes a public information telephone line or hotline, the unit shall consult with 2-1-1 Maryland about using the 2-1-1 system to provide public access to information."

Senator Barbara Mikulski secures $800,000 federal earmark to upgrade 2-1-1 technology infrastructure, support operations and create a nonprofit coordinating office to support the 2-1-1 Maryland system.

2011

All 50 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have 2-1-1 systems in operation.

2-1-1 Maryland receives 501(c)(3) non-profit status from IRS and hires full-time executive director.

Call centers install new phone systems and upgrade computer equipment improving functioning and interoperability.

Call management system selected to allow call sharing among centers & system-wide performance tracking.

Development of new web site wil be underway to help users find resources and navigate provider system.

Montgomery County officials choose not to exercise option in SB527 to develop a 2-1-1call center. County residents continue to receive 2-1-1 service through the Hyattsville and Frederick 2-1-1 call centers.