Board prepares to renew 211 call center contract

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - The Board of Supervisors is slated tomorrow to renew an agreement for 211 call center service throughout Riverside County, connecting callers with government agencies and nonprofits that can provide crisis intervention and referrals to assist with other needs.

The proposed contract with Riverside-based Inland Southern California 211+ will be reviewed as part of the board's policy agenda Tuesday, the supervisors' first day back in session after a three-week summer hiatus.

The contract, if approved, would take effect immediately and expire on June 30, 2027, at a cost of $255,594. However, the proposed agreement calls for annual renewals of the 211 service until the end of June 2031 -- provided there are no conflicts between the parties. The aggregate cost over that five- year period would be $1.27 million.

211 service has been available countywide for over a decade, though the board approved the county's first contract with Inland Southern California 211+ in early 2022, following termination of a compact with a previous provider.

``These services are a component of the Department of Behavioral Health's system of care aimed at improving the health and safety of consumers, and the community,'' according to an Executive Office statement posted to the board's agenda.

Call center specialists are available around-the-clock and are trained to refer callers to government offices and nonprofits best able to assist them with obtaining Medi-Cal benefits, veterans aid, food stamps, disability care and free or low-cost transportation.

Specialists are also trained in crisis intervention, much the same as suicide hotline operators, and can additionally field child, dependent adult and senior abuse complaints.

Under the agreement, all calls must be logged, noting callers' zip codes, needs and whether they received referrals.

The Department of Behavioral Health did not seek competitive bids to determine whether other providers might be able to render similar services in the county at less expense. Officials said the Department of Purchasing & Fleet Services reviewed the matter and found that the single-source option was best.