HelpLink uses a taxonomy of human services developed to provide standardized terminology and definitions in the field of human services. We use the taxonomy to catalogue services in our database and to describe the needs of callers.

The taxonomy contains more than 4,000 preferred human service terms that are organized into 10 major service categories. These basic service categories are arranged from the most fun-damental types of services required by individuals (Basic Needs) through the most general services provided for the community at-large (Organizational/ Community Services.) These two categories account for nearly 80% of all the needs expressed by HelpLink callers during 1998.

The Basic Needs category includes "programs that furnish survival level resources including food, housing, material goods, transportation and temporary financial assistance&"* HelpLink has 2,617 more requests for Basic Needs in 1998 than in 1997. This is a much smaller in-crease than was seen in the previous year.

The Organizational/Community Services category includes "programs that provide any of a broad spectrum of services for the community as a whole&"* * Comprehensive Information and Referral is part of this category and is used by HelpLink staff whenever calls require extensive problem-solving. The category also includes specialized information and referral services, as noted on the chart.

• Generic I&R minutes of service - 201,783

• After-hours Answering Service - 25,137 calls; 68,532 minutes of service

• 1998 Calls by County
  
  
  
  Greene County Data
  Montgomery County Data
  Preble County Data
  

*A Taxonomy of Human Services: A conceptual Framework with Standardized Terminology and Definitions for the field, fourth edition, Information and Referral Federation of Los Angeles County, Inc., El Monte, California, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1994.