Montana 211
Resource Database Inclusion/Exclusion Policy
Information & Referral/211
The mission of Montana 211 is to provide Montana residents with a single, easy-to-use system to obtain information on health and human services, volunteer opportunities and giving.
Montana 211 is currently comprised of the four Regional Call Centers in Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell, and Missoula. Each Call Center maintains a Resource Database, which includes a comprehensive listing of non-profit and government agencies, and related organizations. United Way of Yellowstone County (UWYC) partners with Montana 211 by maintaining a Resource Database for Southeastern Montana.
Inclusion in the Resource Database of any the Regional Call Centers and UWYC’s database is a privilege and not a right. The Montana Call Centers reserves the right to include or exclude any agency or organization.
Inclusion in the Resource Database shall not be deemed an endorsement of an agency or organization by the Montana Call Centers and shall not be presented to the public as such by either the Montana Call Centers or the agency or organization.
To be included, an agency or organization must establish:
1. Evidence of an established service site.
2. Demonstrated provision of service through feedback from public agency representatives and regulatory agencies.
3. Evidence of community involvement in or oversight of program (e.g. Board of Directors, advisory committee, etc.)

Inclusion Criteria:
1. Non-profit organizations that provide, coordinate and advocate for health and human services in the state of Montana.
2. Health and human service programs offered by state, county or municipal governments that have offices in or serve residents of Montana.
3. For-profit organizations may be included if they provide critical or necessary service not offered by a non-profit or government service in our coverage area. These include but are not limited to mental health care private practitioners who offer support groups that are open to non-clients and are affordable or sliding fee scale, etc.).
4. Organizations, clubs and civic groups offering a service to the community at large, not restricting services to their own members, that serve Montanans.
5. Public resources and services such as libraries, free or low-cost support groups, etc.
6. Professional organizations that provide a public service.
7. Community groups.
8. Specialized information and referral services.
9. Faith-based organizations offering aid to anyone, not just members of the congregation.

Not eligible to be included:
1. Agencies, organizations or businesses not meeting one of the above criteria.
2. Agencies or organizations not providing any information or services for Montanans.
3. Agencies whose services are illegal.
4. Agencies that misrepresent themselves.
Updated May 2021

Exclusion Appeal:
If an agency or organization feels it has been unfairly excluded from any Resource Database, it may appeal the decision to that Call Center by sending a letter of appeal, stating the reasons it believes the exclusion to be unfair, to that Call Center’s Board of Directors within 60 days of the exclusion. The decision of the Board is final.
The inclusion and scope of records in individual 211 databases should also be guided by:

• The specific needs of the community and scope of locally available services or entities. A large university with a large student population might make inclusion of numerous records for university-based programs and organizations desirable, whereas a local college in another community might appropriately be confined to one or two resource records.
• The access/intake process and organization of programs within an included agency. Participation in a particular program offered by a mental health center, for example, might be offered only after intake by the agency. In this case, it would be confusing and inappropriate to provide a referral to that specific program rather than the main agency that might provide the service if appropriate.
• The limited or ‘one-time’ nature of a service or event offered by an agency or program which would not warrant temporary inclusion in the resource database.