October-December 2022, KIC conducted Key Informant Interviews via Zoom with 11 center directors and 9 supervisors from all 13 CTCP-funded 211 call centers. Each interview was about 45 minutes. The goal was to assess project successes and challenges in maintaining referrals and to gather recommendations for optimization. 211 opinions on key factors affecting project performance were collected and are summarized below.
- All 211s (13/13) gave positive feedback on project communication and implementation. All reported KIC was the only tobacco contract currently implemented within their centers and would want to continue collaboration after the five-year contract.
- 211s (11/13) expressed difficulties improving screening counts and meeting project objectives of 5% total referral rate.
- All 211s (13/13) felt the level of funding provided was appropriate for start-up. However, many 211s (7/13) expressed uncertainty about future funding being adequate. To maintain decent screening rates, 211’s must continually reinforce and reorient agents to screen clients for tobacco. The current funding, especially if the anticipated referral count was not reached by the center, might not be adequate to maintain staff training. Small- to medium- sized 211s (4/13) said incentivizing agents would help but they don’t have the funding to do so. Smaller 211s (2/13) used interns to post social media and found it very difficult to sustain efforts.
- Challenges 211s experienced include keeping agents engaged and screening about tobacco (10/13), unable to keep the numbers during changes such as crisis response, continued Covid effort, staff turnaround, or system upgrade (8/13), not sure how to handle repeated callers (3/13), and not enough callers are smokers but report using other products, such as cannabis (3/13).
- 211s (5/13) felt that the biggest challenge and success was engaging their agents in asking the screening questions. To overcome challenges, agents would share best practice and learn from each other.
- All 211s (13/13) showed effort screening every non-crisis caller. Tobacco Screening questions were usually included in between or after demographic questions. There are general call flows but many 211s (8/13) stated their agents are non-scripted having the freedom to take on an organic conversation to provide help.
- All 211s (13/13) utilized and posted promotional materials on their social media pages. Over half 211s (7/13) were unsure how effective the social media materials were to the public. A few 211s (3/13) said social materials helped to educate their agents.