Family Service Agency to Eliminate Help Hotline

Ongoing budget concerns have forced the Family Service Agency to eliminate — on March 31 — its 2-1-1 health service information and referral hotline, director Scott Whiteley said this week. The Helpline program — which receives no state or federal funding — fielded around 15,000 calls and 45,000 online inquiries last year. Whiteley said the Family Service Agency has been forced to re-prioritize and will focus on supporting its other main programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Senior Services, Child and Family Counseling, and Youth and Family Services.