Resource Directory /

Chicago Resources

  • 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:

    Love is Respect also provides a Parent Discussion Guide on Youth Healthy Relationships.

  • Between Friends-Domestic Violence Prevention

    Between Friends is dedicated to preventing domestic violence and ending the cycle of abuse by equipping our communities with the tools necessary for everyone to feel safe and equal in their relationships. Between Friends provides a 24-hour helpline at (800) 603-4357 and a safe, supportive environment where individuals and families in crisis can access programs including:

    • Relationship education to prevent teen dating violence
    • Counseling to empower clients to make their own decisions and choices
    • Legal assistance
    • Education and training
    • Resources for navigating conversations about an abusive relationship
    • Help for adult, teen and child survivors of domestic violence

    Programs are provided in multiple languages.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

    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).