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Delaware 211 joins Unite Delaware Platform to expand resources for Delawareans

Delaware Public Media

Delaware 211 has joined with the Unite Delaware Platform to expand resources to meet social care needs in the First State.

ChristianaCare sponsored the launch of Unite Delaware - a social needs on-line referral platform in 2019, as a way to connect health and social care providers in a collaborative ecosystem.

Since the launch, an estimated 500 Delawareans have been connected to critical social services for needs such as food and housing.

Meantime, Delaware 211 has been a staple across the entire State for years—connecting people who have social needs with a wide range of providers.

Erin Booker is the vice president of Behavioral Health and Social Care Integration at ChristianaCare.

She says the two are now coming together to boost resources, “So now we’re able to identify if people have social needs and then send a referral for those needs through the Unite Delaware Platform. And we can track it all the way through, so we can really see that the community member gets their needs met; that it’s just not “hey you called this phone number and they can help you,” but it’s we’ve sent this referral, we see that it has been accepted and now we see that you have received that food for instance.”

Booker says that more than 160 community-based organizations are now registered on the Unite Delaware Platform.

 

She says any and all community organizations that want to be on the Unite Delaware Platform can do so - at no cost. 

Booker adds those organizations already include food pantries, clothing banks, emergency housing support, rental coverage support and financial education - just to name a few.

She notes there’s been a significant increase in calls from Delawareans who are still struggling amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Booker says before this collaboration Unite Delaware has helped hundreds of Delawareans, while Delaware 211 has served thousands; the top two needs relate to food and housing.

 
 

 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.