Everyone in Canada will soon have access to 211, a free, confidential information navigation service that connects people to critical government and community-based, non-clinical health and social services in their community through funding from the Government of Canada.
The 211 service helps people navigate the complex network of government and community programs and services quickly and easily and promises access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 150 languages. Across Canada, the service is offered a variety of ways including phone, chat, website, and text. In all cases, 211 confidentially connects people who are seeking support to the right information and services.
As part of its COVID-19 response, the Government of Canada provided funding to United Way Centraide Canada to increase the capacity and expand access to 211 services for all Canadian residents. This will be even more valuable as we enter the second wave of the pandemic. Existing 211 services across Canada saw a dramatic increase in the number of people reaching out for help during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, calls and website visits to existing 211 services increased by 31 percent and 45 percent, respectively, in the March to August timeframe.
The 211 service has been available in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and most of Quebec. With this investment, 211 is now available in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In Quebec, services are available in the Greater Montreal area, and in the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches area, with plans to roll out online and chat service across the province in November.
