Rep. Lewis Secures $1 Million for Mass211 in House ARPA bill

November 8, 2021 (Framingham) - Representative Jack Patrick Lewis and his colleagues passed a significant funding bill allocating American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to critical areas affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Among essential funding in education, mental health services, and other state and local programs, Representative Lewis successfully filed and advocated for significant funding for the Mass211 crisis hotline.

“Having the opportunity to receive much-needed funding for our Mass211/Call2Talk statewide information platform would greatly enhance our caller’s experience by reducing wait times and improving information gathering," noted Paul Mina, President and CEO of Mass211 and the United Way of Tri-County. “We thank Representative Lewis for sponsoring the amendment and the dozens of his colleagues who are cosponsors.”

The $1,000,000 for the program included in the House ARPA funding will help connect residents of the Commonwealth with vital mental health services and substance use supports.

“I am happy to be able to include Mass211’s funding in the House ARPA bill,” added Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis. “With the pandemic still taking its toll on our communities, the support and information this program provides are essential to a healthy Commonwealth.”

In addition to mental health and substance use support, Mass211 partners with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and local emergency management offices to provide residents with critical information and non-emergency assistance before, during, and after statewide or local emergencies. The program also supports mass transportation services during severe weather events by acting as a backup contact center to existing mass transit public information services.

This funding proposal now goes to the Massachusetts Senate.

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