Save LA 211

Thank you for your support.

We are incredibly grateful to have supporters like you who continue to stand with us throughout this journey of saving 211 LA. Your letters of support, phone calls, and community organizing made a tremendous difference.

The County Board of Supervisors voted 2-2 with 1 abstention not to approve the Deloitte contract. The Item needed a majority vote to pass. Therefore, the contract was not awarded. 

Situation Background: 211 LA asked for your support to object to this proposed decision, which reduces the 2-1-1 scope of work to basic information and referral, prioritizes automated 2-1-1 services via chatbots, and eliminates critical support services 211 LA currently provides to 2-1-1 callers, including elder abuse reporting, hate act reporting, crisis housing for homeless families, Safe Surrender Baby information, and more.  This is the wrong direction for the 1/2 million people a year who rely on 211 LA not only for information and referrals but also for caring, listening, and guiding them through crises of all types.

Updates

In Response to Outcry from Local Social Service Providers, Labor, and Community, Board of Supervisors Votes to Deny Information and Referral Contract to For-Profit Company With No Qualifying Experience

LOS ANGELES—The County Board of Supervisors deadlocked on a vote to award the contract for 2-1-1 information and referral services to Deloitte Consulting, which would have removed the current nonprofit service provider, 211 LA. With two supervisors voting against the contract, two in favor, and the fifth supervisor abstaining, the contract failed to get the three votes necessary for approval. Information and referral services are provided to residents calling 2-1-1, where trained operators
assess each caller and connect them to the social services they need, helping to alleviate poverty and avoid homelessness.

211 LA, a not-for-profit agency based in San Gabriel, California, has held the contract since 1981. While it is not entirely clear what next steps the County will take in the process, 211 LA will continue to provide these services. “211 LA is grateful for today’s vote and stands ready to work with County officials, the Board of Supervisors, and all other stakeholders to design a 2-1-1 system that works for everyone,” said Maribel Marin, executive director of 211 LA. “While we continue to believe that 211 LA is the best solution for 2-1-1 services, we heard loud and clear that there is a need for further improvement, and we want to work together to build a better system.”

The proposed award to Deloitte was controversial from the beginning. The company has never operated a 2-1-1 service center anywhere, and its other simpler call centers have been marred by failure, unanswered calls, and expensive change orders. 211 LA has a long track record of satisfied callers, and audits have shown that it uses its resources efficiently. In recent weeks the Board of Supervisors heard from thousands of constituents supporting 211 LA and opposing the award to Deloitte. The Los Angeles Times as well editorialized against the contract award.

New Background and Resource Documents Added: Please see the latest document updates below or scroll down for additional information resources.

211 LA Response to Issues Raised Regarding the 2-1-1 Contract - October 19, 2022

211 LA Letter to Board of Supervisors - July 30, 2022

Deloitte Record in the News: October 31, 2022

States Spent Millions On Deloitte’s ‘Anti-Fraud’ Covid Unemployment Systems. They Suffered Billions In Fraud. - Forbes.com

What You Can Do

In 2020-21 the services 211 LA provided for LA residents was measurable and profound:

• Over 20,000 veterans and former service members assisted with basic needs and service connections
• 83,271 Elder Abuse Reports taken through the Elder Abuse Hotline and through abuse identified through assessment on the 2-1-1 Hotline.
• 339,940 housing insecure or unhoused individuals and families assisted with connections to housing supports
• Over 6,000 individuals assisted with Intimate Partner Violence crisis, housing, & prevention services
• 1,219 Hate Reports filed and victims or witnesses offered follow-up support and care coordination
• Over 100,000 COVID-19 vaccinations scheduled for individuals and families lacking internet access or with language or technology barriers
• Over 11,000 seniors enrolled in meal delivery programs
• Over 13,000 meals delivered through a partnership between 211 LA, DoorDash, and United Way Worldwide
• Over 640,000 individuals assisted with COVID-19 information, assistance, and programs
• Over 97,000 COVID rent relief applications processed across three different programs (all launched in 2-4 weeks). For the 2020 LA County Rent Relief Program (separate from/before the State program), over 88,000 applications reviewed and eligibility notifications made within 2 months, supported program lead LACDA in providing rent relief to over 14,000 households.

You can help. 

The bottom line is that we don’t know what 2-1-1 services will look like without a locally staffed and experienced nonprofit organization running it. We do know that successfully assisting people in crisis is a delicate and complex interaction requiring trust, compassion, and skill, and that successfully navigating the gargantuan, ever-changing maze that is the service environment in Los Angeles County takes deep knowledge, relationships, and dedication to community needs.  211 LA has proven its ability to do all that and more. Would a for-profit company make that investment?

We also know that this decision is not yet final. It is at the sole discretion of the Board of Supervisors to award the information and referral contract. We have been honored to support all of the people of Los Angeles County who have reached out to us for trusted assistance over the past 40 years, and it deeply saddens us to think we would no longer serve in this role. Above all, we hope that the valuable work that has been decades of building this community infrastructure is not lost. It could happen quietly and quickly, and have reverberations for years to come. Once the damage to the current service is done, it would not be able to be undone. And 211 LA would not be able to provide the current level of safety net support without the County funding and ability to use the 2-1-1 dialing code. We are asking for your support to help save LA's 2-1-1 service.

If you are interested in staying up-to-date about 211 LA’s situation and programs and learning more about how you can help #SaveLA211 please sign up for communications from our Public Affairs team here.

We appreciate any and all support you can give - every voice counts! If you have additional questions, please reach out to our leadership team via email SaveLA211@211la.org.

BACKGROUND - 211 LA is Critical to the LA Social Safety Net

Since 1981, the locally-run and highly experienced independent nonprofit 211 LA has worked tirelessly to connect people in Los Angeles County to the services they need to survive and thrive. Each year, approximately 500,000 Los Angeles residents contact us through our 24-hour, 7 days a week 2-1-1 helpline. These individuals are predominantly low-income women of color with school-aged children who are seeking services ranging from housing assistance to mental health services. The call center is staffed locally -- our offices are in San Gabriel -- by locals who are trained to compassionately support people in need and to identify hidden crises. We handle urgent needs like food insecurity and housing, and disaster response including COVID. We recognize abuse and we have built a database of more than 50,000 services to connect people with the help they need. We collaborate actively in expanding and strengthening the social safety net with other community based organizations like homeless services, aging and disability, veterans and food security efforts.

Local Knowledge and Local Jobs Are at Risk

IN 2021, the County of Los Angeles put out for competitive bid their Information and Referral services contract with the effect of leaving out much of the comprehensive services currently included, such as Elder Abuse reporting and Hate reporting, and fundamentally changing the way the 2-1-1 service would function in LA County.  The result of their bid selection process is that 211 LA will be replaced by a for profit corporation, Deloitte, inevitably causing a disruption of services, and tearing at the fabric of LA County’s social service safety net. The new contract does not require local employment like the existing contract does, therefore putting at risk local, around 40 local, living wage, union jobs and losing the deep local knowledge and lived experience our staff possess that enables them to understand people's situations and compassionately connect them to the support they need.  

What's at stake? 

211 LA is more than just a referral hotline for county services, and 2-1-1 is not a county service - it does so much more than what the County funds, much of which will be lost if the contract moves forward as drafted. What is the 2-1-1 service meant to be? The 2-1-1 service is, and 211 LA provides, a comprehensive service integrated to safety net programs and linking people to community based and other agency services. 211 LA's services are relied on by community-based and countywide initiatives serving vulnerable and at risk populations, including:

Safely Surrender Baby Hotline: 211 LA operates California's Safely Surrendered Baby Hotline which provides resources 24/7 to individuals across the State, providing guidance for the lawful and safe surrender of newborn babies as an alternative to prevent infant deaths resulting from abandonment.

Aging Adults & Persons with Disabilities: 211 LA is a key partner of a state-funded no-wrong-door local collaboration for supporting independent living for older adults and persons living with a disability. 211 LA also provides crisis support for the assessment and reporting Elder Abuse, for supporting, and for supporting access to food. Last year over 40,000 seniors and people with disabilities were supported by our services.

Public Safety Power Shutoffs; Access and Functional Needs Household Supports:  211 LA is increasing the resilience of households with Access and Functional Needs before, during and after Public Safety and Power Shutoff events by helping clients develop personalized plans and connect with local resources to ensure they are safe during future shutoff events. This is a statewide program designed to support medically vulnerable populations when power is shutoff due to wind events or wildfire risks.

Reentry Population: 211 LA serves as a bridge connecting formerly incarcerated individuals and their families to a countywide network of local community-based service providers offering service navigation, medical care, employment services, and more. Last year, over 5,000 individuals were served by this program. 211 LA provides technical support, capacity building and coordination support for the network through a state funded initiative that leverages 2-1-1 infrastructure to expand the capacity of the reentry network. 

Anti-Hate Reporting Campaign/LA vs. Hate: 211 LA serves as a hotline for victims or witnesses to incidents motivated by hate or discrimination, including acts of harassment or bullying. We are part of a growing network of community-based organizations offering follow up and supportive services for individuals and communities impacted by hate, and 211 LA is the entry point and connector for the network. To date, we've taken over 1200 hate incident reports and offered support connecting with services to the victims of hate.  

Homeless Individuals and Families: 211 LA is the first stop for many unhoused and housing insecure people living in Los Angeles County. Specifically, 211 LA requests outreach services and provides transportation for homeless individuals and families, and provides crisis housing for homeless families plus a direct connection to the Coordinated Entry System for Families Solutions Centers. 2-1-1 is also the de facto homeless needs and information hotline. Last year, over 62,000 homeless individuals contacted 211 LA, and we also handled around 340,000 calls related to housing insecurity. 

Social Connections Partnership; A Community Information Exchange Supporting Social Determinants of Health: 211LA, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, are providing Information & Referral and Care Coordination to address Social Determinants of Health by focusing on client needs related to housing and shelter, food security, economic stability, employment, mental health, and other needs. These efforts are driven by a Community Information Exchange approach which includes cross-sector network partnerships, network capacity building, a shared technology platform, and resource database and bi-directional referrals.

Why Comprehensive, Integrated 2-1-1 Service Matters

The original intent of the 2-1-1 service was to be a single, easy to remember source of comprehensive Information and referral, integrated to community services. The reason that 211 LA is included as a key partner in the collaborations referenced above is because many times, the people who could be helped by these initiatives are already reaching out to 2-1-1 for help, and through our assessment we identify and connect them directly with other supports. Calls about food can become crisis calls, or elder abuse calls. Housing calls can uncover domestic violence situations, and crisis calls can become emergencies from people afraid to call law enforcement. Calls about senior housing can become caregiver support opportunities, and calls about joblessness can identify reentry situations that need extra support. 2-1-1 is the umbrella using skilled advisors to assess and connect to so many different programs. Without this umbrella the opportunities to help people when they need it are lost - and that is what is at risk if the 2-1-1 service in LA County is fractured.

In the News

More Information 

Press-Releases:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 07/27/2022: Newly Released Independent Report Reveals 211 LA’s Strong Performance
Appraisal Recommending Further Investment in County Service Provider

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 07/11/2022: 211 LA Thanks Board of Supervisors for Delaying Action on Award of 2-1-1 Services to Unqualified Corporation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 06/22/22: At County Hearing, Community Leaders, Social Service Providers Speak Out Against Deloitte Takeover of 2-1-1 Hotline.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 06/19/2022: 211 LA Statement on LA County’s ‘Disastrous’ Selection of Deloitte to Operate 2-1-1 Services

Background and Resource Documents:

211 LA Response to Issues Raised Regarding the 2-1-1 Contract - October 19, 2022

211 LA Letter to Board of Supervisors - July 30, 2022

 KH Summary Report  - 211 LA summarized review of the "Independent Evaluation of Countywide Information & Referral (I&R) Services" by KH Consulting Group 

"Independent Evaluation of Countywide Information & Referral (I&R) Services" by KH Consulting Group" - This document is made available for 211 LA by a Los Angeles County Public Records requested dated June 17, 2022.

Key Points: The Impact of Corporatizing 2-1-1 Community Services in LA County.

Compare current 211 services to what will be offered by Deloitte in 2023.

211 LA in the News:

A Call for Help From LA’s Lifeline– Deal Would Take Humans Out of Human Services - Ethnic Media Services

Don’t leave 211 callers hanging - Los Angeles Times

See Who the New 211 Provider Could Be - Deloitte Record in the News:

States Spent Millions On Deloitte’s ‘Anti-Fraud’ Covid Unemployment Systems. They Suffered Billions In Fraud. - Forbes.com

Army Dumping Contractor Behind Troubled Tuition Assistance Platform - Military.com

As many as 300,000 jobless affected by state software snags. - LA Times

High-Risk Update—California Department of Technology - An independent audit on Deloitte.

California Lawmakers Blast Unemployment Agency Over Payment Delays - Court House News

Cost Of Deloitte’s EDD Phone Center Balloons to $55M, As Millions Of Calls Go Unanswered - CapRadio

Gov. Says Florida's Unemployment System Was Designed To Create 'Pointless Roadblocks' - NPR

More evidence that Florida’s unemployment system was designed to fail | Editorial - Tampa Bay News

Investigation into Florida’s unemployment system underway - News Channel 8 Tamba Bay 

What went wrong with America’s $44 million vaccine data system? - MIT Technology Review

Rhode Island Is Still Holding a Grudge Against Deloitte - Going Concern

Flawed contract for jobless claim system cost state millions - Boston Globe 

Key Takeaways from Deloitte Global Contact Center Study - InfoCision

Deloitte to pay $149.5m over Taylor, Bean & Whitaker audit failure - AccountancyAge

Deloitte Sued Over Pandemic Unemployment Website Data Breaches - Bloomberg Law

Community Strong - Thank you to our Supporters:

Alliance of Information & Referrals Systems (AIRS) • City of Los Angeles - Deputy Mayor Jeanne Holmes • City of Los Angeles - Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department •  AARP California • Emergency Network of Los Angeles (ENLA) •  LA Regional Food Bank • CHIRLA •  Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC) • El Nido Family Centers •  Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services •  211 California ( CA 211 Providers Network) •  David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA •  San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center, Inc. •  211 San Diego •  211 Ventura •  211 Inland SoCal/Inland SoCal United Way • 211 Orange County •  211 Sacramento •  211 Alameda/Eden I&R •  211 Contra Costa/Contra Costa Crisis Center •  211 San Joaquin/Family Resource & Referral Center • 2-1-1 Humboldt Information and Resource Center • 211 New York State/United Way of New York State •  HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties • United Way | Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt & Del Norte Counties •  Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission •  WIN Los Angeles • The Help Group • Westside Food Bank • Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District • Inglewood Unified School District • P.S. I Love You Foundation • Heroes of Life • Walk with Sally •  Maternal Mental Health NOW • The Painted Brain • Urban Harvester • Streets are For Everyone • Latina Public Service Academy • CALIF - ADRC •  Inclusive Action for the City •  • LARRP (LA Regional Reentry Partnership)