Family and Caregiving Support Resources
Medical Grants Through United Healthcare Children’s Foundation
United Healthcare Children’s Foundation’s (UHCCF) mission is to help fill the gap between what medical services/items/equipment a child needs and what their commercial health benefit plan will pay for.
UHCCF grants provide financial help/assistance for families with children that have medical needs not covered or not fully covered by their commercial health insurance plan.
To be eligible for grants, children must be 16 years of age or younger at the time of application and have a Social Security number. Eligible families must also meet UHCCF’s economic guidelines.
Families could receive up to $5,000 annually and $10,000 a lifetime per child for eligible medical services, treatment therapies, items and equipment.
For questions, visit the Contact UHCCF website page, email uhccfcustomerservice@uhc.com, or call 1 (855) 698-4223.
Menard County Housing Authority – Housing Choice Voucher Program and Other Programs
The Menard County Housing Authority (MCHA) provides the Housing Choice Voucher Program, Project-Based Vouchers, Tenant Protection Vouchers, and Emergency Housing Vouchers in Alexander, Bond, Christian, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Douglas, Effingham, Fayette, Jackson, Jasper, Livingston, McDonough, Macoupin, Massac, Menard, Monroe, Moultrie, Perry, Pulaski, Randolph, Scott, Stephenson and Wabash counties.
The website also includes resources for Menard County residents for help with food, utilities, employment, education, and other programs and services.
For more information and to apply, visit www.menardcha.org. You can also call (217) 632-7723.
The Mended Hearts program is a national peer-support program for patients with cardiovascular disease, their caregivers, and their families. Mended Hearts provides support and education, raises awareness of the issues faced by those living with heart disease, and advocates to improve quality of life across the lifespan.
It includes Mended Little Hearts, which provides support to families of children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) or other heart conditions, and Young Mended Hearts, which supports young adults ages 18 to 55 who have heart disease, including CHDs.
For questions or to request support, please call (888) 432-7899 or email info@mendedhearts.org.
Mended Little Hearts and St. Jude Medical partnered to create this digital resource guide for parents and caregivers of children with congenital heart disease or defects (CHD).
Medical professionals and parents worked together on this guide to provide accurate and honest information that addresses the tough feelings, questions and concerns parents and caregivers may have.
Go to The Mended Hearts, Inc. HeartGuides page and scroll down to see the Mended Little HeartGuide in English and Spanish.
Mental Health America of Illinois
Mental Health America of Illinois is a statewide organization that works to promote mental health, prevent mental disease and improve the care and treatment of those suffering from mental and emotional disorders. For more information go to www.mhai.org/.
Mental Health America’s Caregiving Resource Center
Mental Health America’s Caregiving Resource Center offers a comprehensive collection of caregiver mental health resources to help you protect your well-being, manage stress and navigate the challenges of caregiving.
It includes information on coping with caregiving stress, crisis planning, mental health resources for parents and caregiving resources on treatment and recovery.
Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Training Modules
The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) National Training Center has developed free, easy-to-read online learning modules for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their family members and their supporters to learn more about mental health. They also have modules designed for mental health professionals and clinicians.
These training modules are available at www.mhddcenter.org/learn-now.
The training topics include anxiety, bipolar disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, preparing for a mental health assessment, supported decision-making and what to expect in a mental health therapy session.
Mental Health for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Navigate Life Texas, a project to inform and empower parents of children with disabilities or special healthcare needs, has a Mental Health for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities page. This page provides ideas on how to talk to your healthcare provider and the people working with your child if you think your child might be having mental health symptoms.
Mental Health Resources for Kids, Teens and Young Adults
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has resources geared toward kids, teens and young adults. NAMI also provides a coloring and activity book and step-by-step guidance to help parents explore and talk to children about emotional topics or mental health challenges.Mercy Housing is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing. Mercy Housing offers affordable rental properties in the Chicago area to low- and moderate-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. Its programs include:
- Supportive housing for the formerly unhoused
- Transitional housing
- Permanent rental
- Affordable homeownership
Each Mercy Housing community has its own leasing office and its own application process. Use the search tool to find a list of communities and search by city. If you have general questions about low-income assistance, please contact the corporate office at (866) 338-0557.