To be able to care for the people you love, you must first take care of yourself. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides tips, tools and resources to help caregivers take care of themselves.

The Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission maintains a directory of sign language interpreters. You can search the directory by an interpreter’s name or by region/county.

The Secretary of State’s Office offers an Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Communication Wallet Card to help notify law enforcement that a person may have difficulty communicating. Applicants may request the wallet card at any Illinois Secretary of State Driver’s License Facility.

The wallet card is available to notify law enforcement in advance that a person may require alternative methods of communication in order to respond to and communicate with an officer.

For more details, contact the Secretary of State’s Office at (800) 252-8980.

The Institute for Parents of Preschool Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is a program for parents of young children who have a significant hearing loss. It takes place on the campus of the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville each June.

Participating parents attend daily lectures by experts in the field to learn about raising a child with hearing loss. Lecture topics include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), advocacy, communication options, language, assistive listening devices, literacy and amplification.

UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC), a supporter of the Institute, has made these presentations available online so they can benefit more families of children with hearing loss. Visit the 2019 Parent Infant Institute Video Recordings page on the Illinois Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program website.

As youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are making plans to attend college, it is more important than ever that families become fully informed about guardianship as well as less-limiting alternatives. This brief, written by Think College partners at PACER Center, defines some of the options and possible ramifications. It also suggests ways to promote self-determination no matter which option is chosen.

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) provides plain-language, 24/7 tools in three languages so families can understand and assert their legal rights. ILAO helps people who are unable to find or afford attorneys open opportunities for justice. Its resources can help with crises such as eviction, debt, food insecurity, domestic abuse, deportation and divorce.

The ILAO also provides resources to help with guardianship, education, health and benefits and more.

This transition tip sheet from the Division of Specialized Care for Children can help you explore guardianship or another form of support to protect adults who cannot make decisions on their own. It includes information about guardianship, alternatives to guardianship, estate planning (wills and special needs trusts) and more.

DSCC’s Guardianship and Alternatives Tip Sheet in English

DSCC’s Guardianship and Alternatives Tip Sheet in Spanish

The Chicago Department of Health provides this information so individuals can find health care and social services for women, infants, children and families in Chicago.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) provides information and resources for youth in care and their foster families to promote independence and self-sufficiency. The website includes information on the youth hotline, “Getting There” Tipsheets, a free, comprehensive service resource database for youth and families in Illinois and the Supporting Emancipated Youth Services Program.