FAQs

That’s a great question! Programs are indexed by the “primary services” they offer only, and not their “secondary services.” Primary services are entry-point services or services available to anyone that meets eligibility; secondary services are services that a person receives once they become agency clients. For example, a support group might have a primary service for people recovering from substance use disorders, and a secondary service might be childcare services for individuals attending the meetings.  The support group is a primary service because it is available to anyone in the community in need of it, while the childcare services are secondary service because it is only available to those that are attending the support group. Please complete the contact us form if you are having trouble finding services for your clients.

Every 211-service directory is indexed, or categorized using the Taxonomy of Human Services, a standard categorization system used by all human service information and referral systems throughout the United States and Canada. The Taxonomy contains thousands of service terms, organized into general categories and many subcategories. It changes and grows along with the changing landscape of human services in order to remain relevant and up to date. These terms are used by staff and public users of our website (among other searchable data) to search for services within a community for individuals and families in need. They allow 211 service providers to systematically document identified needs and gaps in needs giving us the ability to run comprehensive, aggregate reports about services and needs within our communities. Agencies cannot re-name specific service terms since the terms are part of a national indexing system. However, we invite your comments and questions about how to best search our online service index or about reports and data we may be able to provide to support the work you are doing.

Nationally certified information and referral database curators enter agency, program and service information into the 211-service directory following internal style rules that have been aligned with national standards for other 211 providers across the country. For example, agency descriptions must state the agency type and provide a general description of services and programs in only 2-3 sentences. We do not use agency mission statements or evaluative adjectives such as “comprehensive,” “successful,” etc. We have many other style rules that follow standards for when we must use complete sentences in descriptions; how to write addresses, hours, and administrator titles, etc. If you have more questions, please ask by completing the contact us form below.