Service Learning: My Internship at Patrick Stuchlik

MISSION VIA LINK provides information, referrals, training and crisis intervention to people, organizations and communities so they can help themselves and others.

VISION VIA LINK is the essential source and a leading advocate for community- based help at all times.

Our Greater New Orleans (GNO) maintains a Community Resource Directory with over 3,000 local social service agencies and programs counselors can refer callers to food pantries utility assistance community clinics job training centers elder care disability assistance Mental health services and much more...

Minute by Minute, 24/ Information:  Evacuation areas and Parish updates  Emergency shelter locations and capacity  Important Phone Numbers  Ice/water/food distribution site information  Local Disaster Relief Center locations LA During a Disaster

CALL CENTER: 24 hrs. a day, 7 days a week Dial 2-1-1, , or TALK COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY Online at Published in hard copy and specialized format HMIS (Homeless Management Information System)

VIA LINK CALL CENTER hours of crisis training for all staff and volunteer phone counselors Staffing includes counselors with Bachelors and Masters degrees and interns and students from area universities Call center is staffed and supervised 24 hours a day

Trained call center counselors provide: Information & Referral Crisis Intervention Suicide Prevention Follow-up and Advocacy VIA LINK CALL CENTER

2-1-1 is abbreviated dialing for easy access Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Free and confidential Available in 152 languages through Language Line

VIA LINK Call Center Services Answers Crisis Intervention/Suicide Prevention, Information & Referrals calls for 10 Parishes of Southeast Louisiana to 2-1-1, Answers calls to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline numbers TALK and SUICIDE for area codes 337, 504, and 985. Answers UNITY for the Homeless Hotline (2-1-1, , or ) Answers specialty lines related to fee contracts

2-1-1 partners with area United Ways VIA LINK is a regional partner of the Louisiana System VIA LINK is certified by the American Association of Suicidology VIA LINK is nationally accredited by the Alliance of Information & Referral Systems (AIRS) and a member of the Louisiana Association of Information & Referral Systems (LA AIRS) VIA LINK has the Louisiana Public Service Commission dialing code assignment for its service area is operational in all Parishes in the State of Louisiana VIA LINK Call Center Facts

Community Resource Database Contains over 3,000 open agency and program listings with descriptions of services, fees, hours, eligibility, locations, and maps (among other fields). All of which are continuously updated and validated. Searchable by taxonomy, keyword, demographics, areas served, etc. Frequent resource database updates follow national standards. Directory in print form published periodically & online (for free) at Used by agency professionals and the general public.

My Role at Via Link © Chicago Tribune

What Via Link Needs  Disconnect  Call Center aggregates 1000’s of calls with lots of information  Difficult to glean information from calls  Time is Precious  Report generation took too much time

My Internship

Why You Practical work experience Excel experience Rewarding