Growing Community Connections through Indiana 211
Description: Indiana is developing Indiana Community Connect, a coordinated care network designed to help people in rural communities access essential resources more easily. The initiative brings together healthcare providers, community organizations, and Indiana 211 to connect individuals with services such as food assistance, housing support, and behavioral health programs. This work strengthens coordination and follow up in areas where local services are limited, with the goal of improving stability and well-being for rural residents.
What is Indiana 211?
Indiana 211 is a division of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and serves as the statewide access point for health and human service information. It helps people find local support for basic needs including food, housing, utilities, transportation, childcare, mental health resources and other community programs. The service is free, confidential and available to all Indiana residents.
People can connect with Indiana 211 in three ways:
- Call 2-1-1 or 866-211-9966 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Text a ZIP Code to 898-211 (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
- Search online at in211.org (available 24/7/365)
Indiana 211 provides live assistance, maintains the state’s most complete resource database, helps people navigate basic needs and crises, works with organizations to improve access, and identifies gaps in services across communities including rural areas.
Activity
Track the progress and opportunities for Initiative 2.
| Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Establish EMR and non-EMR integration solutions | In Progress | |
| Conduct provider network engagement and assessment to inform integration solutions and community resources | In Progress |
- Completed Activities
Name Description Status Establish contractual agreements with necessary systems integration and community resource partners Completed
FAQs
Ongoing Work to Support Rural Communities
Current development efforts focus on tools and features that make it easier for rural providers and residents to find help and understand what resources are available.
- Enhancing the Indiana 211 guided search tool to support a “shopping-cart” style experience where resource selections can be linked to a client record without requiring a user account. This will make it easier to connect records across calls, texts, emails and other interactions within the Indiana Community Connect system.
- Developing reporting and analytics that highlight needs and trends across providers and counties. These tools help rural leaders and service organizations understand where gaps exist and support planning in areas with limited resources.
- Using AI tools to identify possible gaps in services and recommend new or updated resources. These recommendations alert Indiana 211 curators, who review and approve listings based on established standards. This process is especially valuable in rural counties where new services can be harder to spot and maintain.
- Creating an iFrame version of the Indiana 211 search tool that can be added to electronic medical record systems. This gives rural clinics and hospitals an easier way to look up community resources within the systems they already use.
- Implementing automated follow up responses for referrals to help rural community organizations manage communication more efficiently, especially where staff capacity is limited.
- Working with healthcare providers across rural regions to implement either the resource directory or full referral features in their electronic systems, allowing each organization to choose the approach that best fits its workflows and technology.
Strengthening Rural Connections Through Indiana 211
By expanding use of Indiana 211’s statewide infrastructure, Initiative 2 gives rural communities access to a more connected referral system. Providers will be able to send referrals, see whether needs were met, and better coordinate support for people who may have limited local options.
Pathways for Connecting Rural Providers and Residents
The initiative includes several pathways for rural residents and their providers to access community resources:
- Resource search for providers who do not have electronic medical record integration. This helps small clinics quickly look up support options.
- Public search for individuals who want to look up resources themselves. This is important in areas where residents must often rely on regional programs.
- Embedded Indiana 211 search inside electronic medical record systems, which supports rural hospitals and health centers.
- Integration of the statewide resource directory for partners who may not be ready for full referral capabilities.
- Comprehensive referral and follow up integration that allows rural providers to see whether individuals received the support they were connected to.
How Indiana 211 Supports Crisis Services
Indiana 211 and 988 serve different but complementary roles. Through integration efforts, 988 contact centers can use Indiana 211’s guided resource search to connect people with supportive services. This initiative expands opportunities for providers to identify needs and link individuals to community resources at the right time.
Benefits for Rural Residents
Residents will have better access to food assistance, housing resources, and other essential services. Providers in small or remote communities will have improved tools to connect people with help and to understand whether their needs were met.
Support for Health and Well-Being
By addressing basic needs and connecting people to appropriate community services, this initiative contributes to fewer avoidable visits and strengthens overall care coordination. Improving stability can help reduce barriers to accessing healthcare and other supports.
Participation
Participation in referrals and information sharing is voluntary and follows privacy requirements. Rural providers can also use the resource search without sharing personal information, which allows them to support residents even when technology or staffing is limited.
Relationship with Existing Programs
This initiative does not replace current provider, nonprofit or community services. Instead, it enhances coordination and improves visibility into available resources across the state.
Types of Participating Organizations
Organizations may include nonprofits, faith-based groups, local governments and other community providers that offer services meeting community needs. Indiana 211 reviews resource guidelines regularly to ensure the database reflects evolving local needs.
When Rural Resources Are Limited
When resources are limited in rural communities, Indiana 211 researches additional options to help identify possible support. Many rural areas have fewer service providers, longer travel distances, and limited program availability, which can make it difficult for residents to find what they need. Indiana 211 uses curation staff and AI tools to help identify potential resources that match local needs. These suggestions alert Indiana 211’s resource curators, who then review and approve listings according to established standards. This process helps maintain an accurate and reliable database and strengthens support for communities where services are scarce.
Support for Rural Communities
Rural areas often face unique challenges, including fewer service providers and transportation barriers. By strengthening connections through Indiana 211, this initiative helps ensure rural residents can identify available resources and access support regardless of their location.