2-1-1 Maryland at United Way of Central Maryland

Formerly First Call for Help™

Policy on Resource Database Inclusion and Exclusion*

2-1-1 Maryland serves the entire State of Maryland and seeks to include health and human service programs and organizations providing services to Maryland residents, regardless of the physical location of the service provider.

Policy on Inclusiveness

It is the intention of 2-1-1 MD at UWCM to make the 2-1-1 Maryland database address on a timely basis the changing needs of all groups in its service area. In general, the following will be included:

·     Nonprofit and critical for-profit organizations and governmental agencies and officials providing health, social service, educational, library, employment, legal, recreational and other human services.

·     Nonprofit organizations, such as religious groups, social clubs and community associations, that offer services to the community at large, not just to their own members.

·     Nonprofit self-help support groups (a “self-help group” is a voluntary gathering of people who share a similar problem, condition or history).

·     Nonprofit and critical for-profit, multi-state or national organizations not located in Maryland that provide health and human services to Maryland residents.

·     Nonprofit organizations that advocate for human service programs and policies that support a healthful environment. 

Service Areas Not Fully Represented in Database

The Child Care Resource Center system (managed by the Maryland Committee for Children) and the Senior Information and Assistance program (operated by the Maryland Department of Aging and County offices on aging) are statewide information and referral programs focused, respectively, on child day care and services for the elderly. Because each of these programs has a highly specialized database relating to its specialized field of service, 2-1-1 Maryland does not attempt to replicate them in its database. However, these specialized programs themselves are included in the 2-1-1 Maryland database and referrals are made to them. In the instance of organizations that include child care and/or services for the elderly as well as human services for other persons, the organization will be included in the 2-1-1 Maryland database.

Types of Organizations not Usually Included

Although 2-1-1 Maryland at UWCM desires to make the database inclusive, certain types of organizations are not ordinarily included:

·     Nonprofit or for-profit organizations that provide health and human services but explicitly deny service on the basis of color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, or nationality or require membership fees that serve primarily to discourage certain groups of persons from seeking their services.

·     Nonprofit and for-profit organizations and governmental agencies that offer services that are unlawful under Maryland or local statute, ordinance, regulation or order.

·     Nonprofit and for-profit organizations and governmental agencies that have been publicly charged with or convicted of actions not in the best interests of those persons they serve.

·     Private practices of medicine, social work, nursing, counseling, psychiatry, psychology, physical or occupational therapy, etc. However, callers are directed to other organizations whose role is to make referrals to private practitioners.

·     Any organization that repeatedly fails to respond to 2-1-1 MD requests for current program information or misrepresents, by omission or commission, pertinent information about their services or any other pertinent matter.

Legal Effect of this Policy

This policy does not constitute an agreement on the part of 2-1-1 MD at UWCM to include or consider the inclusion of any particular organization or program in the 2-1-1 MD database, and 2-1-1 MD at UWCM shall have no liability whatsoever for its decisions or actions with respect to the inclusion or failure to include any organization or program in the 2-1-1 MD database.

Publication of this Policy

This policy is distributed to 2-1-1 MD staff and included as part of staff training. In addition, it is included on the UWCM web site.

Adoption and Updating this Policy

This policy statement was originally prepared in June 2000, reviewed and modified in May 2001, substantially modified in July 2003, and revised in May 2009.

*Approved by Board of Directors, September 25, 2003

Revised 5/22/09