South Carolina Inclusion / Exclusion Policy

SC 2-1-1 provides a one-stop resource for finding assistance and/or volunteer opportunities in the community and assists in disaster recovery. SC 2-1-1 maintains a comprehensive database of health and human service providers. This policy was established in accordance with the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) Standards.

General Terms of Inclusion:

Entities must meet the following two provisions to be eligible for inclusion:

    • Provides a health or human service for residents of South Carolina.
    • Has a consistently available contact person, location, and telephone number; Access through voicemail is acceptable.

Health and human services are services that address human needs ranging from basic living needs (food, shelter, clothing) to life improvement or enhancement services. Health services include both physical and mental health programs. The following guidelines will be used in determining whether an agency or organization is eligible to be listed in the SC 2-1-1 resource database.

There is no fee associated with inclusion.

Agencies/Programs Eligible for Inclusion:

  • Non-profit organizations (maintain a 501 (c) 3 status) that provide, coordinate, and advocate for health and human services.
  • Federal, state, county, and municipal government offices.
  • Non-profit organizations that provide, community service opportunities.
  • Health and human service programs offered by the state, county or local governments which have offices in or serve residents of South Carolina.
  • Churches, social clubs, social or fraternal organizations and civic groups that offer a health or human service to the community at large, not just for their own members.
  • Organizations not eligible for 501 (c) 3 status but meet all state licensing requirements, may be included in the database, i.e.: hospitals, home health care agencies, community counseling agencies and individual mental health professionals who offer a sliding scale or reduced fees.
  • National organizations and out-of-state entities that offer essential services not available in SC or that are more accessible to residents of SC than the equivalent services offered by SC entities.
  • Professional Associations, especially those organizations in the social services field: Counseling/Psychiatry, Medical, Dental, and Legal.
  • Chambers of Commerce
  • Specialized information sources that maintain current and accurate information about agencies such as nursing homes, subsidized housing locations, physicians or lawyers. SC 2-1-1 will not duplicate the maintenance of this information.
  • Educational organizations within South Carolina including but not limited to, private and public schools, school districts and boards of education, and schools that serve children or youth with disabilities, special needs, and/or behavioral/emotional disorders.
  • For-profit agencies that satisfy court diversion requirements.

Agencies/Programs Included at the Discretion of the SC 2-1-1:

  • Community and self-help support groups that are free or charge a low fee.
  • For-profit agencies that accept Medicare, Medicaid or provide low-cost or free services to the community.
  • For-profit organizations or individual proprietors that provide services not adequately available from the nonprofit sector that are offered for free, or on a sliding scale basis.
  • When SC 2-1-1 formally partners with another organization, for-profit agencies or individual proprietors that are licensed by the state of South Carolina to provide services to targeted communities. The inclusion of these resources will be at the discretion of the lead organization for these targeted communities.

Agencies/Programs NOT Eligible for Inclusion:

    • Organizations that make services available only to members of a certain group or club.
    • Any organization that promotes, participates in, or delivers illegal services.
    • Commercial business establishments not described above.
    • Organizations that provide free or low-cost services when their primary purpose is to market the organization's main business.

 

  • Agencies that:
    • Misrepresent themselves.
    • Fail to respond to updating contacts.
    • Have written documented complaints.
    • Deny services based due to prejudice or discrimination.
    • Fail to be properly registered as a non-profit or for-profit business in their state of legal record.

 

This policy does not prohibit the inclusion of any program that targets services based on age, gender, health, disability or other characteristics designed to meet the special needs of targeted populations. However, the program must be open to all people in those targeted populations.

SC 2-1-1 reserves the right to refuse to include organizations in the database that have had serious substantiated complaints lodged against them with any regulatory body, other health and human service organizations, or with 2-1-1 itself.

Guidelines for Review and/or Appeals:

After an agency has submitted an application, the database administrator(s) must verify the information does not already exist within the database. Following verification, the administrator(s) must review the agency/organization in terms of the inclusion and exclusion policy. In the event that the agency/organization does not follow the inclusion terms, you must notify the applicant via phone or email. Once the agency/organization is deemed fit for inclusion, the administrator(s) must call the agency and confirm the person who’s submitted the request is part of the organization. Following completion of all these steps, the administrator(s) must mark the submission as an official update and send an email to notify the agency/organization of approval, and go to that entry to ensure adherence to the style guide.

Where special circumstances exist, which are not effectively covered by the preceding guidelines, or where there is disagreement about inclusion or exclusion, the agency or organization in question may submit a written request for review or appeal to the Director of the 2-1-1 Program by whom their inclusion request was denied. The Director will present the appeal for review at the next statewide 2-1-1 meeting. A consensus will be gathered and the Director will notify the agency appealing, in writing, within two weeks after a decision is made.

Disclaimer:

Eligibility for inclusion does not guarantee inclusion as local communities – usually the local United Way – have strong input in recommending or discouraging the inclusion or exclusion of agencies or programs. SC 2-1-1 has the right to prioritize and limit entry. SC 2-1-1 reserves the right to edit information to meet format, guideline and space requirements. Inclusion does not imply endorsement and omission does not indicate disapproval.

Last updated on 04 October 2021.