Press release from the United Way of Allen County:
2-1-1 Employees Earn Certification
(February 25, 2010) Sara Darling and Linda Frutos recently passed the Alliance of Information & Referral Systems certification exam, making them Certified Information & Referral Specialists (CIRS). Maria Lewis recently passed the Certified Resource Specialist (CRS) exam, which is focused on database management and classification systems for Information & Referral centers. Lewis, Darling and Frutos are all employed by United Way’s Northeast Indiana 2-1-1 Call Center.
Certification is a measurement of documented ability in the field of Information & Referral and reflects specific competencies and related performance criteria, which describe the knowledge, skills, attitudes and work-related behaviors needed by I&R practitioners to successfully execute their duties.
2-1-1 is a national dialing code for free access to health and human service information and referral. By dialing the three simple numbers of 2-1-1, most northeast Indiana residents can get free, confidential, and 24-hour information about as many at 2,000 local social services, such as housing, shelter, food, legal aid, clothing, counseling, utility assistance, health care, transportation and more. Information & Referral Specialists are trained to help callers identify their needs and determine what agency or program will best meet their needs.
United Way of Allen County operates the Northeast Indiana 2-1-1 Call Center, which provides service to the following ten Indiana counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley. Financial support comes from various funding sources, but primarily from United Way or United Fund organizations.
Sara Darling, Linda Frutos and Maria Lewis. Courtesy photos.