WA 211 Announces Selection of Statewide Call Center

The WA 211 Board of Directors announced today that Crisis Connections will become the statewide call center for 211 services as of October 1, 2025.

SEATTLE , WA, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The WA 211 Board of Directors announced today that Crisis Connections, which has operated the King County 211 service since 2006, will become the statewide call center for 211 services as of October 1, 2025. With this strategic realignment of its business model from a regional network to a consolidated, statewide system, WA 211 expects to:

• support Washington communities more inclusively and effectively by creating a more accessible, seamless, and consistent client experience with quality referrals and reduced wait times
• strengthen and expand its role in the 911-988-211 emergency response and disaster management system
• improve operational efficiency, and
• increase and diversify revenue sources to support the high demand for 211 services across the state.

Like many other essential services for Washington’s most under-resourced communities, WA 211 experienced a significant reduction in funding – sixty-six percent – from the Washington State Legislature for the 25-27 biennium. On the national level, current political shifts, elimination or severe reduction in funding for social and health services, and economic uncertainties exacerbate the urgency for change. Washington communities need 211 now more than ever.

Deb Miller, Board Chair, commented: “We are excited to move forward with Crisis Connections as the statewide call center. For nearly 20 years they have been a critical part of the regional network. They lead with heart, creativity, and innovation. We firmly believe this partnership opportunity will help WA 211 improve how it does business, expand community outreach, continue to provide accessible and inclusive access to support services, and safeguard the well-being of countless Washingtonians.”

Michelle McDaniel, CEO of Crisis Connections said: “We are honored to have been selected to serve community members across Washington state in connecting to critical resources. Crisis Connections shares the vision with WA 211 to improve access to skilled and consistent support for everyone. We are excited to partner with WA 211, local and state government, and human services providers in every county to make this vision a reality.”

Between July 1, 2025, and September 30, 2025, regional call centers will continue to deliver 211 services as usual and help transition to the business model redesign. These regional call centers are People for People (Greater Columbia 211), United Way of Pierce County (South Sound 211), Volunteers of America Western WA (North Sound 211), Frontier Behavioral Health (Eastern Washington 211) and 211info (Southwest 211). Frontier Behavioral Health will subcontract with Crisis Connections to operate WA 211’s Eastern Washington physical call center location. The goal is to operate a hybrid call center, with remote Information and Referral Specialists throughout the state.

“We are deeply grateful to the dedication and commitment of the regional call centers over the years to launch and grow 211 services in Washington State,” Deb Miller said, “As we look forward to change, we also look forward to continuing partnerships with them in new ways. The challenges we face, along with many other human services partners, are too great for any one organization to tackle alone.

“As we move forward—especially in the context of being a statewide entry point for critical social service delivery and support—we’re committed to honoring local priorities while aligning with a statewide vision. We believe that by focusing on what each of us does best and partnering intentionally, we can strengthen the safety net and build public trust through transparency, shared impact, and collective action.”

The WA 211 administrative offices will centralize business operations, telephony and IT, marketing and business development, data curation and management. WA 211 will continue to update and maintain the State’s most comprehensive database of nearly 30,000 current health, community and human resources, collecting, analyzing and sharing real time data to state agencies and community on the services available, the demand for those services, and the barriers to access and service gaps.

About WA 211: Established in 2003 by RCW 43.211, WA 211 is the statewide hotline for basic needs emergencies. In 2024 WA 211 approximately 60 Community Resource Specialists handled 306,717 contacts (phone chat, text and email) and made over 700,000 referrals. More than 258,800 people self-referred to community services through WA 211’s online resource directory. WA 211 also maintains the state’s only comprehensive database of current health, community and human resources, with nearly 30,000 services.

WA 211 is part an integral part of Washington State’s 211-911-988 emergency response and disaster management system ecosystem, serving as a pivotal point of contact for first responders and communities to disaster related resources during major accidents, pandemics, natural disasters and human-caused catastrophes. During the pandemic, WA 211 launched the COVID hotline, handling as many as 10,000 calls daily and handled 560,380 calls annually.

For more information about this strategic realignment, contact: Amanda Madorno, Interim Executive Director, amadorno@wa211.org.

Please also see Executive Summary: Strategic Redesign of Business Model.

Amanda Madorno
WA 211
amadorno@wa211.org

Three Ways To Connect

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.