DEAF, Inc. is a deaf-centric, community-based nonprofit organization located in St. Louis, Mo. It promotes inclusion and communication access for people of all ages who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind and hearing. Resources, programs and services include American Sign Language (ASL) classes, ASL storytelling, interpreting services, community events, deaf visual arts, deaf teen club and more.

Need help or have questions? Contact DEAF, Inc. at (314) 714-6400 or fill out the Contact Us online form on the website.

The Decibels Foundation supports children with hearing loss from birth through the time that they enter a mainstream educational environment and beyond. Using a family-centered approach to hearing loss programs, the Decibels Foundation  helps the children by first helping their parents learn how to raise a child with a hearing loss, then helping school systems understand what it takes to educate a child with hearing loss.

The Decibels Foundation’s Resources page offers key information on:

• Associations and programs
• Articles and books
• Simulated demonstrations of listening with hearing loss and devices
• Cochlear implant resources
• Education and accessibility
• Speech and language support
• Social and emotional support
• Apps and more

For questions, contact the Decibels Foundation at (978) 637-2622 or info@decibelsfoundation.org.

Erie House is a social services nonprofit organization that aims to provide the most comprehensive support immigrant and low-income families in Chicago need to thrive. Its services include:

• Legal service: Its in-house team of attorneys and legal representatives helps clients navigate the U.S. citizenship and immigration system, keeping families together, and allowing them to achieve a greater sense of security.
• Mental health: Clinical therapists provide free, individual, social-emotional and behavioral counseling services to support children, teens, adults and families when they need it most. 
• Children and youth: Erie House works with young people from infancy through high school graduation to equip them with tools and resources to build a bright future, including educational programs and activities, mentoring and family support. 
• Adult education and training: Through foundational academic and professional programs like ESL (English as a Second Language), civics education, workforce development and more, Erie House aims to provide the tools adults need for long-term success. 
•  Community wellness and support services: Erie House offers workshops, support groups and counseling, all through a trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive lens. 

Visit the Erie House website for a list of its locations throughout Chicago and the contact form.

The Illinois Migrant Council (IMC) is a community-based non-profit organization with the primary mission of promoting employment, education, health, housing, crisis intervention and other opportunities for migrant/seasonal farm workers, immigrants, refugees/asylum seekers and their families and other low-income rural communities in Illinois.

The council’s services include:

• Health education and family services for the whole family
• Referrals for English as a Second Language (ESL) and GED (General Educational Development), scholarships, basic skills and computer literacy classes at local community centers, churches, non-profit organizations and community colleges that IMC offers
• Referrals to Illinois agencies providing rental assistance services and housing foreclosure prevention counseling

For more information, email info@illinoismigrant.org or call (815) 995-0300.

The “Navigating Social Media: A Teen Wellness Toolkit” from The American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health offers a collection of teen-friendly resources to support mental health and healthier social media use. This toolkit aims to equip teens with the knowledge and skills to talk about and make decisions about social media and youth mental health.

The “Navigating Social Media: A Teen Wellness Toolkit” provides teen perspectives and real experiences. It includes:

• Presentations
• Tip sheets
• A ready-to-use slide deck
• Resources and activities to help teens navigate social media

Life can be stressful. The American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health has developed “The Calm Toolbox: Healthy Ways to Cope With Stress” to help.  It offers activities to help calm your nervous system by slowing your breathing and heart rate, providing a positive distraction or providing a physical outlet for releasing energy.

You can access “The Calm Toolbox: Healthy Ways to Cope With Stress” online.

A PDF version of The Calm Toolkit is also available to download.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at a high risk of co-occurring mental health conditions, but this serious issue is often overlooked and misunderstood. The Arc of Illinois provides this “Suicide Prevention and People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: What You Need to Know” fact sheet about signs to look for and ways you can help.

People with IDD may not know how to verbally express what they are feeling or may not use spoken language to communicate. Their behaviors may communicate their feelings more than spoken words. Suicidal thoughts can progress and increase over time. It’s important to notice the signs early on so you can intervene quickly.

Hippocrates Medical Clinic is a free, non-profit medical clinic for uninsured and underinsured individuals in Kankakee County. Volunteers provide clinic services in a family-friendly atmosphere.

Hippocrates Medical Clinic is located at 606 E. Court Street in Kankakee, Ill.  You can make appointments on Monday through Thursday by calling (815) 216-3446. Office hours are subject to change.

A.B.L.E. (Artists Breaking Limits and Expectations) in Chicago is a non-profit organization offering accessible performing arts programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities ages 15 and up, with a focus on adults 22 and older who are the most underserved. It strives to be a model for meaningful, accessible and inclusive theatre in Chicago and beyond. A.B.L.E. programs equip participants with transferable skills and spotlight disability to shift societal preconceptions and build more inclusive, empathetic communities.

A.B.L.E. welcomes participants who identify as having an intellectual or developmental disability. A.B.L.E. Ensembles offer opportunities to:

• Explore a range of performance styles
• Build strengths and pursue interests
• Create one-of-a-kind showcases and performances

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices are welcome and encouraged, as is sign language. Participants don’t need to read a script or memorize a monologue.

Visit A.B.L.E.’s website to see the Actor FAQs and to learn more about A.B.L.E. Ensemble options, costs, financial assistance and other details. For more information, call (773) 234-4427.

Living Independence for Everyone (LIFE) Center for Independent Living (LIFE CIL) operates a wide variety of programs to support, mentor and advocate for disability rights and independent living for residents in DeWitt, Ford, Livingston and McLean counties.

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are nonprofit, nonresidential organizations that provide advocacy, peer support, information and referral, independent living skills training and transition services. Illinois has 22 CILs across the state. At least 51% of board and staff members at each CIL must be individuals with disabilities who are strong mentors and advocates for disability rights and independent living.

LIFE CIL has two locations:

• 2201 Eastland Drive, Suite 1, Bloomington, IL 61704
  Phone: (309) 663-5433 or (888) 543-3245
• 216 N. Main St., Pontiac, IL 61764
  Phone: (815) 844-1132