2 -1 -1 Texas s Role in Assisting People

2 -1 -1 Texas’s Role in Assisting People During Disasters

This is How it Began…. * * In 1997, the 75 th Legislature passed House Bill 2596 establishing the Texas Information and Referral Network as the single point of coordination for statewide health and human services information and referral in Texas. Since the initial legislation in 1997, several additional legislative actions have expanded and refined the 2 -1 -1 Texas Information & Referral Network scope of work. Senate Bill 397 (76 th Session, 1999) required agencies receiving state funding to provide resource information to 2 -1 -1. House Bill 2641 (76 th Session, 1999) required transportation information to be included in 2 -1 -1. House Resolution (77 th Session, 2001) affirmed the importance of the 2 -1 -1 Texas Information & Referral Network.

Enabling Legislation – Cont. * * * House Bill 2048 (79 th Session, 2005) was passed, instructing HHSC to expand the www. 211 texas. org site to include information about early childhood programs that are overseen by the Texas Education Agency. . * RP 57 – (Directive issued by Governor Rick Perry, 2006) relating to implementing recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on Evacuation, Transportation, and logistics. Created the system now known as the Transportation Assistance Registry (TAR). The 2 -1 -1 Texas Information & Referral Network is assigned the role of data entry for the TAR. Senate Bill 1058 – Senate Bill 1058 (80 th Session, 2007) required 2 -1 -1 to provide referrals for reintegration services to military service members and their families. House Bill 2558 (81 st Session, 2009) required home and community support health care providers to register clients and their families with the emergency Transportation Assistance Registry available by dialing 2 -1 -1. House Bill 1831 (81 st Session, 2009) requires Assistive Living Centers and Nursing Homes to register as entities and to explain to their patients and their guardians the process of registration with the Transportation Assistance Registry.

2 -1 -1’s Role in the Texas Hurricane Response Plan * 2 -1 -1 Texas Information and Referral Network (TIRN) seated at the SOC will coordinate dissemination of disaster-related public information to the 2 -1 -1 Area Information Centers in order to provide an information and assistance conduit for the public. * Provide disaster-related Information and Referral for all phases of the event. * Register callers in the State Transportation Assistance Registry. TIRN representative at the SOC will monitor activity of Transportation Assistance Registry and provide reports as scheduled or requested. * Receive and document calls and forward information and reports to appropriate State agencies or non-governmental organizations. Calls include, but are not limited to, shelters needs, medical concerns, transportation issues, lack of fuel, lack of essentials items such as food, water, and ice, the presence or lack of shelter space, spontaneous shelters and other pertinent concerns.

2 -1 -1 Roles 1) Help disaster victims and/or shelter population in understanding what recovery programs may be available to them and assist in the application process. 2) Assist in the identification and provision of appropriate services to individuals with special needs. 3) Assist individuals to register in the Transportation Assistance Registry. 4) Provide information on needs-based programs including the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program.

Dallam Sherman Hansford Ochiltree Lipscomb Hartley Moore Oldham Potter Deaf Smith Hutchinson Roberts Randall North Central Texas Fort Worth Region* Hemphill North Texas Region Panhandle Region* Parmer Castro Carson Gray Armstrong Donley Swisher Briscoe North Central Texas Dallas Region* Wheeler Collingsworth Hall Childress Texoma Region* Hardeman Bailey Cottle Hale Floyd Lubbock Crosby Dickens King Lynn Lamb Motley Wilbarger Garza Kent Stonewall Foard Wichita South Plains Region* Cochran Hockley Knox Montague Cooke Archer Grayson Lamar Fannin Bowie Delta Concho Valley Region Gaines Permian Basin Region* Martin Andrews Loving El Paso Winkler Ward Culberson Ector Crane Reeves Borden Howard Scurry Mitchell Midland Glasscock Sterling Upton Reagan Fisher Coke Taylor Tom Green Irion Eastland Callahan Coleman Brown Alamo Region* Burnet Burleson Real Uvalde Medina Guadalupe Gonzales Bexar Maverick Zavala Frio Austin Colorado La Salle Mc. Mullen 25 AIC Partners for Statewide Coverage Duval Jim Wells South Texas Region Bee Jim Hogg Nueces Kenedy Hidalgo Orange Liberty Harris Deep East Texas Region Bryan/ College Station* Hardin Chambers Jefferson Fort Bend Galveston South Central Texas Region* Gulf Coast Region* Southeast Texas Region* Brazoria Matagorda Golden Crescent Region Refugio Brooks Starr Tip of Texas Region* Tyler Calhoun Kleberg Zapata Polk Central Texas Region* Jackson Victoria San Patricio Webb Heart of Texas Region San Augustine Angelina Sabine San Jacinto Lavaca Karnes Live Oak Shelby Nacogdoches Montgomery Wharton Atascosa East Texas Region Panola De Witt Goliad Dimmit Grimes Washington Fayette Caldwell Comal Bandera Walker Bastrop Hays Kendall Wilson Middle Rio Grande Region Lee Harrison Trinity Brazos Travis Marion Madison Milam Williamson Kerr Edwards Kinney Robertson Waller Val Verde Cherokee Houston Leon Falls Kimble Terrell Brewster Rusk Limestone Bell Blanco Gregg Anderson Mc. Lennan Lampasas Llano Upshur Freestone Menard Mason Wood Van Zandt Navarro Hill Bosque Cass Camp Smith Coryell Mc. Culloch San Saba Titus Henderson Hamilton Concho Rains Ellis Erath Somervell Gillespie Presidio Johnson Hopkins Hunt Rockwall Dallas Kaufman Tarrant Mills Crockett Sutton Collin Newton Schleicher Pecos Jeff Davis Hood Comanche Runnels Denton Palo Pinto Parker Shackelford Stephens Jones Nolan Wise Jasper Rio Grande Region* Dawson Jack Haskell Young Throckmorton Morris Terry Yoakum Red River Franklin West Central Texas Region Hudspeth North East Texas Region Clay Baylor Willacy Cameron Aransas Coastal Bend Region

What the Community Expected from 2 -1 -1 * * * Good Information – Accurate and up to date A place to call for help and to give help To be able to talk to a live person who was willing to listen

Things That Work Well: * Technology – Ability to work as a single network (calls went to first available agent anywhere in the state) * Communications and Support – Direct connection to State Operation Center – Debriefing Sessions * Resource Information – Sharing information about regional resources throughout the network * Special Needs – Support from Department of State Health Services and TIRN Staff * Volunteers – Caring, dedicated and committed

Contributions * * Expanded the capacity to respond to the high volume of calls Provided critically needed management of information about availability of services Identified unmet and emerging needs, helping direct resources to high priority areas Provided critically needed telephone reassurance for callers

Planning for this Hurricane Season Special Needs Registry

Contact Information * David Jobe, LMSW, CIRS United Way of Greater Houston 713 685 -2309 djobe@unitedwayhouston. org