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United Way officials outline Lake County 2-1-1 services and local usage in Vernon Hills
Summary
United Way of Lake County presented on the 2-1-1 helpline Jan. 21, saying Vernon Hills made 340 contacts last fiscal year and 598 needs were addressed; speakers described services, navigator training, language access and referral rates.
United Way of Lake County representatives briefed the Vernon Hills Board on the 2-1-1 resource helpline during the Jan. 21 Committee of the Whole meeting, outlining how callers are connected to social, health and housing services across the county.
Laura Josephson Burnett, introduced as a longtime Vernon Hills resident and 2-1-1 advisory-board member, said 2-1-1 has been operating about five years countywide and that Vernon Hills ranked seventh to eighth among villages for 2-1-1 contacts in recent reporting quarters. "We have a lot of residents here in Vernon Hills who are seeking out help," she said.
Yajaira Balderas, community engagement coordinator for Lake County 2-1-1, described the service and its access points: dialing 2-1-1, texting a ZIP code to 898211, or searching 211lakecounty.org. She said the system is free, confidential, available 24/7 and staffed by trauma‑informed navigators who aim to address multiple needs in a single contact. "One of the great things about 2-1-1 is the data collection piece," Balderas said, which helps identify service gaps.
Balderas provided local statistics: 340 contacts from Vernon Hills in the last fiscal year, 598 needs addressed, and 543 referrals made. Top needs included housing and shelter, mental health and addiction, legal aid, healthcare, utilities, employment and food. She said 71% of referrals resulted in access to services; roughly 24% could not be addressed because the necessary services do not exist locally.
Trustees asked about website links (the village confirmed 2-1-1 links are on the village homepage and community section), follow-up capacity (Balderas said staff follow up in some cases but limited bandwidth prevents tracking all callers), navigator training (she said navigators are trained and "gold‑certified" and are trauma‑informed), and teen outreach (Balderas said 18–24 callers represent a smaller but present share and text access helps reach younger users). The village manager and staff said printed materials and first‑responder cards are available for distribution.
No board action was required; the presentation is informational and staff said they will post materials and links on the village website.
