Resource Directory /

Chicago Resources

  • CaringInfo

    CaringInfo, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home, provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers to make decisions about serious illness and end-of-life care and services.

    The site provides guides and resources about topics including advance directives, palliative care, caregiving and hospice care.

  • Communication Wallet Card

    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. Applicant’s 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.

  • Parent Institute Lectures for Families of Children With Hearing Loss

    The Institute for Parents of Preschool Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is a one-week 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.

  • “Consider the Alternatives: Decision-Making Options for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities”

    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.

  • National Resource Center on Supported Decision-Making

    The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making is dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to make choices. Supported decision-making is a way people with disabilities can make their own decisions and stay in charge of their lives while receiving any help they need to do so.
    The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making can help you find information on supported decision-making, connect you with people and organizations that may be able to help you, and answer your questions.

  • Illinois Legal Aid Online

    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.

  • Healthy Chicago Resource Directory

    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.