Alaska 2-1-1: about Alaska, for Alaska.

• Author: Sergeant, Deborah Jeanne
• Position: HUMAN RESOURCES

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Early this year, human resources (HR) personnel have an additional resource to offer employees who need to find and access local community support services: Alaska 2-1-1. The free program represents a collaborative effort with United Ways throughout Alaska, including those located in Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Southeast Alaska, Tanana Valley and Valdez.

The numeric part of the program's name stands for its phone number, making it easy to remember. Dialing 2-1-1 (or the program's alternate number, 1-800-478-2221) connects callers live with a trained information and referral specialist (I&R) who has access to a database of local community supports pertinent to the caller. The program refers Alaska residents to resources available in more than 200 Alaska communities.

The I&R can further direct the individual to programs that can best meet their needs, which can range from basic needs to legal help (see box below).

Operators are available between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Outside of these hours, the Web site, www.alaska211.org also offers help. The site allows visitors to search for resources based upon location, category, and then subcategory or by an organization's name.

Alaska 2-1-1 may be used by any member of the community, not just the person needing the service. Human resources personnel can offer information about Alaska 2-1-1 to help employees find the resources they need. This helps employees avoid the possibility of embarrassment or stigma involved when they would otherwise ask supervisors or HR personnel for help with what are sometimes extremely private matters.

Implementing Alaska 2-1-1 is especially timely as one considers recent natural disasters of large impact, such as Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. In cases such as this, most people have many pertinent needs all at once.

Alaska 2-1-1 works for cell phone users; however, the system may not work when calling from a PBX telephone system without special programming. Since brands of phones vary so widely, it's impossible to list all of the ways of modifying a PBX system. Alaska 2-1-1 provides further information on how to make the program available on a PBX system.

CALL ARE CONFIDENTIAL.

"The employer can make a referral to 2-1-1 as an entrance to a system that is very complex if you're not familiar with it," said Sue Brogan, director of Alaska 2-1-1 and vice president of community engagement with United Way of Anchorage. "Alaska...