The 232-HELP Resource Database is a comprehensive tool that our Information and Referral specialists use to make accurate referrals to social service resources found in our community.

An inclusion/exclusion policy objectively defines the services welcomed to be listed in the 232-HELP resource database. 232-HELP reserves the right to determine the inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Agencies to be considered for inclusion into the 232-HELP resource database include:

• Non-profits: 501(c)(3) organizations or agencies with less formal status run by mainly volunteers
• Government agencies: local, parish, state, federal or mandated partnership agencies (i.e., housing authorities)
• Faith-based organizations: human services offered by a church or non-profit funded primarily through religious sources OR if faith is the reason for providing services. Religious activities are to be excluded from the database (i.e., worship services).
• For-profits: must offer a commonly requested, low-cost service not provided by nonprofits in the area. The resource database will not be providing free marketing to businesses. Agencies that generate revenue from referrals or client data are excluded from the database.
• Educational: Agencies that provide educational services (preschools, school districts, post-secondary, etc.). For-profit education services fall under for-profit definition.

Criteria for inclusion in the database are listed below. To be included, an agency must:
1) Serve people in at least one of the parishes in our ten-parish service area:

• Acadia
• Avoyelles
• Evangeline
• Iberia
• Lafayette
• Saint Landry
• Saint Martin
• Saint Mary
• Terrebonne
• Vermillion

2) Have provisions for people with low income, no insurance, or underinsured by:

• Providing free services
• Providing sliding scale fee or income based paid services
• Accepting Medicaid and/or Medicare

Criteria for exclusion from the database are listed below. Agencies that fall into these categories may not join the resource database. Agencies that have been excluded may attempt an appeal for clarification purposes.

• Agencies that deny service based on color, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, or ancestry.
• Agencies that do not provide services to the public.
• Agencies that violate federal, state, or local laws and regulations.
• Agencies that misrepresent themselves and/or the services they provide.
• Agencies who are unresponsive to requests to update the database.

Any agency considered for inclusion that meets both major criteria is welcome to join the database. It is completely free and voluntary. To receive referrals from us if there are people in need of your services, we expect you understand that:

• 232-HELP is a neutral organization. We reserve the right to edit the information provided to remain so. Superlatives like “the premier”, “greatest”, “best”, or other similar phrases will not appear in our database.
• 232-HELP is also an inclusive organization. We strive to use people-first language (i.e., people who use drugs, people with disabilities, women fleeing domestic violence). Discriminatory, stigmatizing, and other offensive language is not welcomed in our database.

Upon being included into our database, you are agreeing to:

• Grant us permission to provide referrals to your agency
• Provide accurate contact information for us for an annual resource verification
• Alert us of any changes to service delivery (i.e., funding depleted, program has ceased operations, changes in key executive staff, etc.).