Resource Directory /

Chicago Home Care Resources

  • Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) – City of Chicago

    The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) provides education and training, benefits counseling, information and referral, direct services and more to help foster accessibility, full participation and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

    MOPD services and programs include:

  • Signed by Stories

    Signed By Stories aims to raise mental health awareness, advocacy, education and support for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, late-deafened and deaf-disabled through storytelling.

    Signed By Stories is working to create a community where deaf and hard-of-hearing people can:

    • Join together and share their mental health stories
    • Receive validation for their experiences
    • Learn how to better support their own and the larger community’s mental health needs
    • Have a platform where both deaf and hearing people have the knowledge, tools and feel empowered to take action to improve the current state of mental health care for deaf people
  • Synapse House

    Synapse House provides services to adults with an acquired brain injury, such as an accident, stroke, gunshot wound or overdose, and traditional developmental disability services may not be appropriate. Located in Downers Grove, Synapse House programs and services include:

    • The Clubhouse/employment programs
    • KNZ NeuroFitness Gym
    • Community integration  therapeutic activities
    • Community support services
    • Family support
  • Community Alternatives Unlimited

    Community Alternatives Unlimited (CAU) provides a wide range of services for people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as programs to help economically challenged families with health and wellness during pregnancy and birth.

    CAU provides residents of the city of Chicago (north side), several northern suburbs and Lake County with services and programs that include:

    • Interview for Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS)
    • Pre-Admission Screening (PAS) and determinations for eligibility for services
    • Individual services and supports
    • Connecting new mothers to appropriate medical care, eligible public benefits, support services and community resources
    • Information and referral regarding prenatal care, checkups and immunizations, breastfeeding, infant development, family planning and parenting
  • STRIVE for Independence

    STRIVE for Independence offers driver evaluations and training for all ages, disabilities and medical conditions for the Chicagoland area. STRIVE for Independence serves clients with a wide variety of driver rehabilitation needs. Their team of specialists includes occupational therapists,  certified driver rehabilitation specialists and state of Illinois certified driving instructors (CDI) for adults and teenagers.

    Visit the STRIVE for Independence website for more details.

  • GiGi’s Playhouse: Down Syndrome Achievement Centers

    GiGi’s Playhouse: Down Syndrome Achievement Centers provide free, nationwide on-site and virtual educational, therapeutic-based and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community. Programs are available for individuals of all ages focusing on speech and language, social skills, cooking and fitness.

    GiGi’s Playhouse Illinois locations include:

    • Chicago
    • Deerfield
    • Fox Valley
    • Hoffman Estates
    • McHenry County
    • Quad Cities
    • Rockford
    • Tinley Park
  • GiGi’s Virtual Playhouse

    GiGi’s Virtual Playhouse offers opportunities to build relationships and community connections and access free programming and resources tailored for individuals with Down syndrome. The playhouse serves individuals with Down syndrome of all ages, expecting moms and dads, caregivers, siblings, parents, grandparents, doctors, educators, volunteers and more.

    GiGi’s Virtual Playhouse provides a variety of programs focused on therapeutic needs, educational needs, career development and global acceptance. You can log in to the virtual playhouse to access on-demand programs for all ages, resources for supporting a loved one with Down syndrome and communities of other parents, self-advocates and volunteers.

  • Luella’s Lodge

    Luella’s Lodge provides resources, retreats, support groups and non-traditional holistic therapies for families grieving the death of a child.

    The non-profit includes a secluded log cabin on 10 acres in Oakwood, Ill., offering a private lake, hiking and biking trails, and other amenities to help families connect with one another through grief and healing.