211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast has received $90,000 in funding which has been utilized to purchase a new state-of-the-art call management system. The purchase was made possible due to generous grants received from Palm Healthcare Foundation in the amount of $30,000, $10,000 from the Forrest C. Lattner Family Foundation and finally, $50,000 from a third private foundation.

Having received over 140,000 calls in 2006, 211 services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for access to information and referral, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and community education. This new call management system will support 211's current call center that includes 23 telephone lines as well as allow for the potential to expand future operations up to 100 stations.

In addition to overall improved technological capabilities, this new telephone system will allow individual calls to be prioritized based upon need. This is extremely significant as it will mean that individuals contemplating suicide can be directed to the next available specialist rather than, as a limitation of previous technology, waiting in a queue behind callers who may only be seeking information on community resources.

"Receiving these grants to purchase this new telephone system has allowed our call center to be much more responsive to those individuals in our community who may be in greatest need of crisis counseling and immediate linkage to community resources..." says 211 Executive Director, Susan Buza.

With access to more than 4,200 programs, 211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast provides information and referrals to health and human programs, crisis counseling, suicide intervention, and community education services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Individuals of all ages can simply call 2-1-1 to speak to a highly trained specialist. For more information on the vast array of programs and services that are available to assist individuals in the community or how you can help, call 2-1-1 or check out their website at: www.211treasurecoast.org.

Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc.was chartered in 2001 as an independent community healthcare foundation.Believing that "Together We Can Do More," the foundation's mission is to transform healthcare challenges by bringing together the talents and resources of the community to create innovative solutions that deliver high-impact results. The Foundation'sfunding priorities-access to healthcare, healthcare quality and safety, healthcare technology, healthcare policy and healthcare workforce-are designed to empower non-profit healthcare organizations and healthcare professionals to create programs and services that improve the quality of life for Palm Beach County's underserved citizens. Since 2001, the Foundation has distributed more than $14 million to over 70 non-profit organizations in Palm Beach County operating over 130 programs that met its funding goals. To learn more about Palm Healthcare Foundation, please visit www.palmhealthcare.org.