Community Resources
211 is the top recommended resource used by community members and professionals to navigate essential resources. Call, text or visit the 211/Lifeline website at any time for free and confidential assistance connecting with:
- Vital services within the community
- Experienced telecounselors
- Locating basic resources (food, clothing, shelter, etc)
- Crisis stabilization
211/Lifeline is the Local 211 of 211nys.org (national referral system) and a mission program of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes. It is accredited through the Alliance of Information & Referral Systems, American Association of Suicidology, and CONTACT USA for Online Emotional Support. It is multilingual, and has over 6,000 listings of community, social, and government services in the Community Resources Database.
Contact Information
- TEXT 898-211
- Dial 2-1-1 or (585) 275-5151 (open 8 a.m. -8 p.m., 7 days a week)
- Visit 211nys.org and enter the applicable zip code (click on a topic of interest to find a list of applicable resources, description of services, and contact information)
Community Partners
- What is health insurance?: This quick video covers the “need-to-know” facts for individuals getting insured for the first time or looking for a new plan.
- How to pick a plan: This video gives a quick overview of things to consider when picking a health plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
- Go to the NY State of Health web page to learn more about different plans and get help finding the right insurance plan for you.
- How to pick a plan if you are above the cutoff for medicaid: If you are above the cutoff for medicaid, you may still qualify for Tax Credits on the Health Insurance Marketplace; these can be used to make your plan more affordable by lowering monthly premiums or providing a year-end refund.
Help Choosing and Finding a Plan (Free Health Insurance Counseling)
- 211 for Monroe & Livingston County: Follow the contact information found here for help finding the right plan and getting coverage in the Rochester area.
- Fidelis (representative is also present at St. Luke’s clinic on Wednesday nights)
- MVP is one of the largest local insurance companies. They have a "MVP plan finder" to help you find the right NY state plan for you. MVP also has special and extended enrollment periods for uninsured individuals in New York, and MVP Health Plan Managed Care Medicaid and Child Health Plus fo rindividuals in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario & other NY county residents.
- Excellus is one of the largest local insurance companies. They also have a "Find a Plan" tool on their webpage.
- Planned Parenthood: Learn more on Planned Parenthood’s website about sexually transmitted infections, birth control, emergency contraception and abortion. You can also find a Planned Parenthood clinic near you.
- LARC: Find information about long acting reversible contraception such as intrauterine devices and contraceptive implants.
- Stay True To You: A local website for information on birth control and access to local, free, and confidential family planning services in Rochester/Monroe County.
- STIs: University of Rochester Medical Centers’ website provides information on sexual health and STD’s.
- Menopause: This website is a blog that includes short discussions about menopause and its management.
- Self Exams: Learn more about testicular cancer risks and how to complete a testicular self-exam.
- Breast Exams: Learn more about breast cancer risks and how to complete a breast self-exam.
- Monroe County Department of Health’s STD Clinic: This clinic is focused on providing education and preventive measures against STIs and HIV. Confidentiality is protected by public health laws and all services are free. Minors (under 18 years of age) do not need their parent’s consent to be seen and no appointment is needed.
- Address: Bullshead Plaza 855 West Main St. Rochester, NY 14611
- Phone: (585) 753-5481
Trans-Health
The University of Rochester Medical Center maintains an excellent set of local and national resources regarding Transgender health for both patients and families.
- Center for Community Health and Prevention
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: This website provides information on diabetes, weight management, diet and nutrition and many other health topics.
- USDA Choose My Plate: This website provides dietary guidelines and includes information on creating healthy eating habits.
- Physical Activity Guidelines: This website provides guidelines on physical activity for people of all ages. Learn about the importance of physical activity and incorporate physical activity into your day.
For individuals coping with a mental health crisis who do not need to go to the Psychiatric Emergency Department, consider calling the UR Medicine Crisis Call Line at (585) 275-8686. For further local and national resources on mental health, check out UR Medicine Mental Health & Wellness.
- RehabSpot can connect you to addiction treatment specialists for inpatient or outpatient drug and alcohol use.
- Alcohol Help has 24/7 help via confidential and free phone calls, while also providing information on a variety of alcohol-related information.
GoodRx is a free to use online tool that tracks prescription drug prices in the United States to compare different pharmacies and provides free drug coupons for discounts on medications.
A common issue when researching medical questions online is whether to trust the sources you find. MedlinePlus is a reliable source of medical knowledge presented in easy to understand language. It is a service run by the United States National Library of Medicine.
- Substance and Addiction Intervention Services for the Deaf: This program is operated by Rochester Institute of Technology and provides education, prevention, intervention and referral services to the deaf and hard of hearing community in the Greater Rochester area.
- National Deaf Health Research Center: The National Center for Deaf Health Research promotes health and disease prevention among the deaf sign language using population and people with hearing loss through community-based research. Some of their research projects include a healthy lifestyle intervention and a deaf health survey.
- Deaf^2 Informational Videos: These videos are made by the University of Rochester Medical Center and provide information about STIs, HIV, and safe sex practices in American Sign Language.
- Facebook pages:
- Deaf in Scrubs provides accessible general medical information in American Sign Language.
- Partners in Deaf Health, Inc., is for a local organization that provides medical information for the deaf community. This organization helps to promote the health needs of culturally Deaf people.
- Health Signs Center provides public health information for the Deaf community.