Family and Caregiving Support Resources
Margaret Hackett Family Program
Congenital anomalies of the central nervous system (CNS) are congenital disabilities of the physical structure of the brain or spinal cord that occur during fetal intrauterine growth, such as spina bifida, hydrocephalus and other conditions. The Margaret Hackett Family Program (MHFP) at the University of Chicago provides individuals and families with help in diagnosing, understanding, caring for, and addressing the challenges of living with CNS congenital anomalies. MHFP also provides research and research grants.
The Margaret Hacker Family Program also offers:
- A monthly, virtual “Connect Group” for individuals and families affected by CNS anomalies
- In-person quarterly socials
- In-person events twice a year featuring food, giveaways, fun activities and resources
- Help with finding resources and medical care
For questions, please call (773) 795-0622 or email mhfcp@bsd.uchicago.edu.
Maryville Children’s Healthcare Center
Maryville Children’s Healthcare Center provides care to children, ages newborn to 21, with complex medical needs. Services also include caregiver training to feel confident in taking care for their child when he/she transitions homem, and both transitional and respite care.
To learn more about the Maryville Children’s Healthcare Center, please call (773) 205-3606.
Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Digital Library
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Digital Library serves the MCH community by providing a wide array of evidence-based information and resources to help strengthen and support State Title V programs, community agencies, educators, students, researchers, policymakers and families. The MCH Digital Library provides quick access to evidence-based/informed resources and programs to support states in developing, implementing, and evaluating Evidence-based Strategic Measures (ESMs) in support of their National Performance Measure (NPM) efforts.
MCH Digital Library resources include:
- Seminal and historic materials from federal, state and local programs
- Resource guides
- Professional resources
- School and family resources
- Title V toolkits
Visit MCH Digital Library’s FAQ page to learn more about how to use the website.
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.