The Taxonomy of Health and Human Services

Ever wonder how Info Line's 2-1-1 service organizes and manages information about more than 5,000 local social services? We use the AIRS/2-1-1 LA County Taxonomy of Health and Human Services!

A taxonomy is thorough classification system that distinguishes concepts, names those concepts, and puts those concepts into a hierarchical order.

Examples of taxonomies include:

• The Linnaean taxonomy for living organisms (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) 
• The Dewey Decimal System for libraries

In a human service context, a taxonomy is a classification system that allows you to index and access community resources based on the services they provide and the target populations they serve. It provides a structure for the information and it tells people what is in your information system and how to find it.

Some of the benefits of the taxonomy include:

- Comprehensive in scope

- Logical

- Uses terminology which is accepted in the human service field

- Allows data to be shared and compiled

- Flexible to permit change and growth

- Developed specifically for for a computerized environment

- It is required for national accreditation as a 211 service provider!

You can learn more about the 2-1-1 Taxonomy here: http://211taxonomy.org/