Champaign Resources
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Information and Resources
Mental health is an important part of overall health for children as well as adults. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) provides a list of behavioral signs and symptoms to watch for in children and adolescents. This NIH site also includes information on:
- Addressing and finding treatment
- Health hotlines
- Mental health research news
- Educational information
Love is Respect – Teen Dating and Healthy Relationships for Young Adults
Love is Respect, a project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, offers information, support and advocacy to young people between the ages of 13 and 26 who have questions or concerns about their romantic relationships. Free, confidential services are available anytime via:
- Live chat
- Call (866) 331-9474 or TTY (800) 787-3224
- Text ‘LOVEIS’ to 22522
Services for the deaf and hard of hearing are also available:
- Videophone (855) 812-1001
- Instant messenger at DeafHotline
- Email nationdeafhotline@adwas.org
Love is Respect also provides a Parent Discussion Guide on Youth Healthy Relationships.
Medicaid Coverage for COVID-19 Home Test Kits
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) will allow Medicaid-participating pharmacies to prescribe and bill for COVID-19 home test kits.
This coverage went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and applies to Medicaid fee-for-service and HealthChoice Illinois managed care plans.
CDC’s Developmental Milestones for Children
From birth to age 5, your child should reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act and move.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides developmental milestones checklists to help track your child’s development and act early if you have a concern.
The CDC also has a free Milestone Tracker App with photos and videos that illustrate each developmental milestone. You can use the app to track your child’s development and find out what to do if you have concerns.
Tip Sheets for Self-Advocacy Groups
The Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC) provides ten tip sheets written by self-advocates to help people understand self-advocacy and provide self-advocacy groups tips to keep things running smoothly.
The topics for the self-advocacy groups tip sheets include:
- What is self-advocacy?
- Ways of working on issues
- Good leaders and officers
- How do you find an advisor?
Each tip sheet is one-page. Each tip sheet is available in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.
Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC)
The Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC) provides a wide variety of information, videos, fellowship opportunities and events to support and strengthen self-advocacy.
SARTAC resources for individuals and self-advocacy groups include:
- Help for navigating social, economic and personal issues
- Self-advocacy Zoom meetings
- Tip sheets for self-advocacy groups
- A history of self-advocacy
Hands & Voices Guides and Resources for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Plus
Hands & Voices provides a variety of resources specific to children who are deaf/hard of hearing plus – the combination of being deaf or hard of hearing and having additional medical complexities or other needs.
Information includes the “Connecting Families of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Plus (DHH Plus) with Resources and Support” guide, an Educational Plan Checklist for D/HH-Plus Students and presentations, articles and other guides for families of children who are D/HH plus.
Emergency Preparedness For Children With Special Needs
Seattle Children’s Center for Children with Special Needs’ emergency preparedness information helps you prepare for an emergency or disaster with your child’s special health care needs or disability in mind.
Information is provided in an easy-to-follow format.
Disaster Safety for People with Disabilities
The American Red Cross provides information and inclusive tools for creating an emergency plan tailored to your family’s specific needs regarding mobility, hearing, learning or seeing disabilities.
The step-by-step tools are designed to help individuals be informed, prepare for and respond to disasters or other urgent situations.
My Heart Visit is a program from Mended Hearts that allows heart patients and their families to connect with trained volunteers who are patients themselves, a parent of a child with a heart condition or a caregiver of a loved one with heart disease.
You can connect with someone by phone, text, email or video. It includes the Heartline Hotline at (844) 432-7887 (1-844-HEART87).