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Council hears 211 San Diego briefing; directs staff to explore partnership for disaster response and social‑service referrals
Summary
211 San Diego outlined its 24/7 referral, benefit navigation and disaster information services and said it handled roughly 6,400 unique Escondido clients and ~18,000 calls in a recent year; council expressed interest in exploring a formal agreement to improve local emergency communications and closed‑loop referrals.
Paul Redfern, Infoline/211 San Diego’s chief financial officer, described 211’s services to the council and staff: a 24‑hour referral line, an online searchable resource database, closed‑loop referrals through a community information exchange shared by large nonprofit partners, disaster response support to triage non‑emergency calls and targeted navigation services for vulnerable clients.
Redfern told the council that for the year ended June 30, 2025, 211 recorded about 6,400 unique clients from Escondido and roughly 18,000 total calls from callers reporting needs that ranged from housing and utilities to food and benefits navigation. He said 211 can provide data feed options and closed‑referral capabilities to partner agencies and urged the city to consider a formal agreement so 211 can better coordinate during emergencies and provide outcome data on referrals.
Council members welcomed the presentation and asked follow‑up questions about what additional services a city contract would provide beyond countywide availability, outcome measurement, how local providers sign up for the resource database, and whether mental‑health resources are included (Redfern confirmed they are). The council directed staff to continue conversations with 211 to scope possible collaborations, especially for disaster response communications and referral outcomes.
