Molly Black never intended to make a career out of working on a 211 team.
But 24 years into her career, thousands of people are thankful she did.
Molly, a Community Navigation Trainer and Coach with United Way of Greater Cleveland’s 211 team, originally planned to enter the field of gerontology with the ultimate goal of eventually being the director at a senior center. But a tip from a college professor about an internship at United Way of Summit & Medina changed her career trajectory.
That internship turned into a full-time job in Summit County before she moved on to Cleveland, where for the past 19 years Molly has done everything from answering calls to the 211 line, managing special projects, and working on the accreditation process.
Being able to work with new members of the 211 team to share her experience as well as learn from them is the best part of her job.
“My favorite part of what I am doing is getting to be the first person to spend significant time with each new 211 team member, making them feel welcome and showing them the ropes,” Molly said. “Our team has a diverse background of working with different agencies, so I’m not only training the new people, but I’m learning from them and continually building my knowledge base.”
Lifelong learning has been a hallmark of Molly’s career, which was on display when she recently became the first person in the United States and Canada to complete the full suite of certifications from Inform USA, the governing body for standards, program accreditation, and certifications for 211 team members.
“The fact that she was the first trainer to get the Inform USA certification is no surprise as Molly is always looking for ways to improve her skills and make our team better as well.”
“Molly is a great leader and brings valuable experience to our 211 team. To have her work with our new team members to pass along as much of her knowledge in the first month of their employment is comforting,” said Franco Formichelli, Director of United Way of Greater Cleveland’s 211. “The fact that she was the first trainer to get the Inform USA certification is no surprise as Molly is always looking for ways to improve her skills and make our team better as well.”
Molly was a member of the first cohort to receive the Coaching Micro-Certification from the organization, adding to a resume that includes being a Certified Resource Specialist, a Certified Resource Specialist with a Specialization in Aging and Disabilities, and a Certified Resource Specialist with a Specialization in Data Curation.
Having team members who are certified benefits United Way in several ways, according to Molly.
“It helps us to have certified team members when we apply for grants or seek contracts with our community partners,” she said. “It also helps with public perception as all 211s have struggled with the belief that anyone can answer a 211 line. These certifications provide practitioners in the field with the type of professional credential that legitimizes the work and recognizes that they are a top-notch professional in their field.”
For more information on our 211 services, please visit our website. If you or someone you know needs assistance, call 211 to speak with a trained specialist who can assist in accessing local resources.
