LOCK HAVEN - The Clinton County Commissioners were met with a member of the Family Service Association involving PA 211 Northeast during their work session on Monday morning.
The speaker for the association, Paul Krzywicki, explained to the board of commissioners the importance of PA 211 and how it is a necessary resource for seamless emergency needs.
PA 211 Northeast is a free confidential service provided 24/7, 365 days of the year to residents. Case workers provide the necessary information and refer the residents to the appropriate services.
Residents will then be connected with the proper service to fit their emergency needs. Krzywicki related that the PA 211 services fall in line with any form of health and human emergencies such as emergency shelter, food banks, crisis counseling, vaccination sites, drug and alcohol counseling, etc.
He stated that the service is utilized throughout the Commonwealth and receives zero funding from the state. Instead, the service utilizes the state model for funding. They receive necessary funding from the following:
- 1/3 comes from the funding from the United Way agencies as well as regional agencies
- 1/3 from community foundations, which grants are written for
- 1/3 from government offices.
The service currently covers 17 counties in the Northeast region of Pennsylvania. Despite the coverage, Clinton County is not of the ones currently giving financial support for the services.
Krzywicki told the board about statistics from the past, current and future fiscal years for the service.
He said that in the fiscal year of 2020, 453 Northeast residents utilized the services and has since grown. As of 2021, from those who sought the services, PA 211 found that 686 residents began using the services; giving a 10% increase due to the pandemic, he said.
From the statistical growth in awareness to the alternative to 911 services, PA 211 is set to increase calls up to about 755 for the current fiscal year he added.
Krzywicki came to the commissioners as PA 211 seeks funding for the services on what he calls a "cost per contact basis."
He said that a cost per contact would mean that every time an individual contacts the service, it would cost approximately $9.02 per contact. With the services coming into Clinton County, the total cost would amount to approximately $6,800 come the next fiscal year of 2022.
"We are asking for 1/3 of the $6,800 - $2,270 - coverage, which will get us in line for what the state recommends," Krzywicki said.
Commissioner Angela Harding asked Krzywicki about the logistics of the services and clarification of its relevance.
"Rather than people in our community having to try to find the necessary resources and do all kind of searches and make all kinds of phone calls on their own... call 211 and they will be redirected to fit and match whatever emergency need that they might have?" she questioned.
He acknowledged the question and nodded, saying that it was perfectly put for what they are committing to as an alternative service.
"Perfectly said, it helps speed up the process. If you have an emergency - say you were just evicted and you need emergency shelter - just call 211 and we will connect you to the right agency or where you need to go to ... Even if you have a crisis, someone is threatening to harm themselves or someone - just call dial 211, we will stay on that phone call until a local person can connect with you," Krzywicki explained.
