Mass 211

What Mass 211 does

Mass 211 is a free, confidential, 24/7 information and referral service serving residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Operated as a program under United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Mass 211 connects callers to health and human services resources through multiple access channels including the abbreviated 211 dialing code, phone, text, chat, and email. The organization serves as the state's designated 211 contact center and operates the largest regional 211 call center in New England, staffed by approximately 100 paid employees supplemented by trained volunteers. Core technology infrastructure includes the iCarol call-center management platform for call logging, reporting, and resource database management.

In addition to its core 211 service, Mass 211 operates Call2Talk, a mental health helpline originally established in Framingham in December 2013. In 2022, Call2Talk was designated as a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Crisis Center for the 988 mental health crisis line, integrating Mass 211 into the national suicide prevention infrastructure. This designation roughly doubled daily call volume from 200-250 calls to approximately 400 calls per day. In early 2026, Mass 211 expanded its service delivery model to include in-person support in Framingham, adding a physical channel to its remote-first service architecture.

Mass 211 operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its revenue model is based on government contracts with multiple Massachusetts state agencies — including the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Department of Early Education and Care, Department of Housing and Community Development, and Executive Office of Health and Human Services — supplemented by philanthropic contributions channeled through its United Way affiliation. The organization holds International Council of Call Lines accreditation, a credential that validates operational standards for information and referral services. Its end users are individual Massachusetts residents seeking access to social services, while its institutional customers are state government agencies that contract for service delivery.

Name

Mass 211

Legal name

Massachusetts 2-1-1 Inc.

Website

https://mass211.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mass 211 is a nonprofit, 24/7 information and referral service connecting Massachusetts residents to health and human services via 211 phone, text, chat, and email. It also operates Call2Talk, a designated 988 suicide prevention crisis center, under United Way.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services Information and Referral

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK), Crisis Management & Communications Support (Mass Notification) (BPABANAF)

Keywords

• Information and referral services
• Social services helpline
• Suicide prevention hotline
• Community resource network
• Crisis intervention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Framingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Mass 211 operates as a nonprofit program of United Way, funded through government contracts with Massachusetts state agencies (MEMA, Department of Early Education and Care, Department of Housing and Community Development, Executive Office of Health and Human Services) and philanthropic contributions
2. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations and conducts fundraising activities including events like the Call2Talk Half Marathon team participation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mass 211 provides free, confidential 24/7 information and referral services to Massachusetts residents via phone (2-1-1), text, chat, and email, connecting them to health and human services such as housing, food security, utilities, childcare, and crisis support. It also operates Call2Talk, an emotional support and suicide prevention line, and serves as the state's primary contact point for behavioral health, housing, and emergency needs.

Product overview

Mass 211 is a unified information and referral service operating as a multi-channel helpline platform for Massachusetts residents. The core Mass 211 service serves as the primary gateway, connecting callers to social services across housing, food, utilities, transportation, and other basic needs. The specialized Call2Talk program provides dedicated mental health crisis support through the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Additional programs address specific populations and needs including child care services, youth homelessness, domestic violence, and behavioral health. The organization delivers services via phone (211 and 508-532-5500), text, and online chat, with 24/7 availability and multilingual support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Call2Talk: Mental health, emotional support, and suicide prevention program operated by Mass211. Provides 24/7 confidential crisis counseling, TeleCheck services for isolated older adults, LOSSteam MetroWest (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors), community education including QPR training and Mental Health First Aid, and Move 4Ward support group for suicide loss survivors.

Products and services

• Mass 211 Information and Referral Helpline

Quantifiable outcome

• Call2Talk deescalates 90% of calls when callers are at immediate risk of self-harm
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMass 211 partners with MEMA and local offices of emergency management to provide citizens with critical information and non-emergency assistance before, during and after emergency or disaster events. The Emergency and Disaster Services Line relieves pressure on 9-1-1 and emergency response teams.
• Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for housing and shelter referral services, connecting callers with resources for financial hardship, eviction prevention, subsidized housing applications, and homeless shelter access.
• Massachusetts Department of Early Education and CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMass211 is part of the statewide network of community-based childcare resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs), supported by the Department of Early Education. Screens families for childcare subsidy eligibility and places them on the statewide centralized waitlist.
• Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Children Requiring Assistance (CRA) Line providing services for children experiencing problems at home and school, including runaway youth, truancy, and potential victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
• Crisis Text LinecoreTechnology or IntegrationCall2Talk partners with Crisis Text Line to respond to people by text message, providing additional channel for mental health crisis support beyond phone calls.
• Springwell and Advocates, Inc.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeleCheck telephone check-in service for isolated older adults living at home, serving MetroWest region through partnership with Springwell and Advocates, Inc.
• Ashland Police Department and MetroWest Regional Coalition for Suicide PreventionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOSSteam MetroWest (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) launched in June 2017 as a volunteer immediate crisis support team. Suicide loss survivors provide support to newly bereaved at scenes of suicide within the first 12/24 hours.
• National Suicide Prevention LifelinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCall2Talk is a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Crisis Center, part of the network of five nonprofit call centers in Massachusetts handling 988 mental health crisis calls.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crisis Text Line: National 24/7 text-based crisis intervention service that Call2Talk directly partners with for text response via 741741. Operates the same crisis-intervention mission across multiple U.S. states at far greater scale.
• The Trevor Project: Provides 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services via phone, text, and chat, and is a designated 988 crisis contact center. Comparable to Call2Talk in modality, funding model (government plus philanthropy), and population-served model, though specialized to LGBTQ+ youth.
• 211 LA (Los Angeles County): One of the largest county-based 211 information-and-referral services in the U.S., covering housing, food, utilities, and crisis referrals at a much larger geographic scale. The closest direct functional analog to Mass 211's core 211 service line.
• Veterans Crisis Line: U.S. government-operated 988 crisis line dedicated to veterans, service members, and their families. Comparable in mission, 24/7 multi-channel delivery, accreditation, and integration with the 988 routing backbone that Call2Talk relies on.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: Operates a 24/7 multi-channel crisis and referral hotline for survivors of domestic violence, a service line Mass 211 also lists under its Domestic Violence Help program. Comparable model, accreditation profile, and funder mix.
• Boys Town National Hotline: Long-running 24/7 national crisis, counseling, and referral hotline serving youth, families, and adults. Directly comparable to Call2Talk in operating model, hotline accreditation, and youth/family crisis scope.

Others

• United Way Worldwide: National umbrella organization of which Mass 211 is a regional program via United Way of Tri-County. Sets 211 standards, provides funding flow, and is the structural parent and ecosystem enabler for Mass 211's operating model.
• HelpSteps (Health Resources in Action): Searchable online resource directory for health and human services in Massachusetts that Mass 211 directly integrates and links to from mass211.org. Functions as a technology/adjoining-service peer in the same referral ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (SAMHSA-administered network): The federally backed nationwide 988 network of which Call2Talk is a Massachusetts crisis center. Sets standards, routes calls, and competes for federal/behavioral-health funding that Mass 211 ultimately benefits from.
• SAMHSA National Helpline: Federally funded, 24/7, confidential treatment referral and information service for substance use and mental health. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same behavioral-health referral space that Mass 211's behavioral health program occupies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MA211
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mass-211

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mass 211