Washington 211 celebrates one year of operating the State Traumatic Brain Injury information and referral and navigation service
November 1, 2023
WA211 celebrates 1-year, 18,779 people connected to 65,796 resources assuring traumatic brain
injury support is just a phone call away.
In just one year, Washington 211 has helped 18,779 people with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) connect to 65,796 referrals to 5254 community-based resources statewide. These resources include but are no limited to housing and shelter, food and nutrition, health and social services, utilities, and other basic needs support. This project partnership has shown the potential for DSHS to close gaps and expand access through partnership with Washington 211.
Taking calls since 2006, Washington 211 has a long history of helping people connect with the resources they need. In November 2022, they expanded services to become the new statewide information and referral (I&R) service for traumatic brain injuries. Since then, an average of 1565 people with TBI have connected each month.
TBI can be complex, so proper assessment for needs is key. Someone calling 211 with a need for housing or food assistance may discover the TBI they experienced years ago could be a contributing factor. Identifying this connection and referring the person to local community resources for assistance can be life changing. Current data shows the greatest needs are housing and shelter, followed by other basic needs in health and social services.
Kate Urwin, Washington 211 Quality Assurance and Training Manager
“When you call 211, we want to hear your story, understand your needs, and connect you to community resources that will help you navigate life after a traumatic brain injury.”
Washington 211 is proud to be accredited by Inform USA, meeting the highest national and state standards for information and referral services. Prioritizing person-centered care to provide personalized referrals while maintaining a database of more than 30,000 resources statewide to capture detailed real-time data makes Washington 211 one of the strongest I&R services in the country.
Amber Medina, member of the Traumatic Brain Injury Strategic Partnership Advisory Council of Washington state
“We are so proud of the work Washington 211 has done for the TBI community in the last year. Thanks to their detailed data collection 211 Counts Washington we have a year’s worth of trends to identify real-time gaps and barriers in services statewide. We plan to use this data to better serve people experiencing traumatic brain injuries and all citizens of the state.”
Traumatic brain injuries are one of the leading causes of death and disability in our country – with more than 64,000 TBI-related deaths in 2020, that’s about 176 deaths every day (source: CDC).
Need assistance? Call 211 and get connected to a highly trained Community Resource Specialist.