Medical/Health and Wellness Resources
Chive Charities is a non-profit providing grants to support underserved veterans, military families, first responders and people with rare medical diagnoses. Chive Charities shares grant recipients’ stories to educate, advocate and inspire others to help provide a weekly grant to individuals with life-altering or life-threatening needs.
Chive Charities grant items must either improve quality of life or be medically-related and not fully covered by insurance. Past grants have included:
- Therapy equipment, such as adaptive tricycles and robotic walkers
- Service dogs
- Wheelchair-accessible vans
- Mobility items
City of Chicago Emergency Assistance Registry for People with Disabilities or Special Needs
The City of Chicago has created a voluntary registry for individuals who may need assistance in the event of an emergency.
Individuals with disabilities or special needs or their caregivers can sign up at www.cityofchicago.org/voluntaryregistry/ or contact the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) at (312) 744-7050 for additional information.
Claire’s Place Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis Support
Claire’s Place Foundation is a non-profit organization providing support to children and families affected by cystic fibrosis (CF).
Its programs are focused on creating a better quality of life for people and their caregivers as well as emergency funding assistance during long hospital stays. Its programs include an Extended Hospital Stay Grant Program and the Support Families and Resources Program.
Cleft and Craniofacial Condition Resources
Children with a cleft lip, cleft palate or craniofacial disorder often have complex needs and may undergo a variety of procedures and therapies. Often, these children need multiple pediatric specialists and surgeons to provide comprehensive care
HealthyChildren.org, the parenting website of the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides cleft and craniofacial resources and articles for parents and caregivers to help answer their questions.
ClinicalTrials.gov on the National Library of Medicine website is a resource for learning about clinical studies from around the world. Please note that the U.S. government does not review or approve the safety and science of all studies found on the website.
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
For questions, visit Contact CAU or call (773) 867-4000.
Community and Residential Services Authority (CRSA)
The Community and Residential Services Authority (CRSA) is an interagency group that identifies and addresses barriers facing parents, families, professionals and providers trying to get needed services and programs for individuals with a behavior disorder or a severe emotional disturbance. CRSA’s free and confidential services include:
- Helping agencies, schools and parents form working partnerships using a team approach
- Addressing/resolving multiple agency disagreements about residential placement or funding of placement and services
- Assisting local communities in developing and strengthening collaborative interagency networking on request
You can also call CRSA to connect with a program coordinator who will listen and help you develop a plan of care at (877) 541-2772 or (217) 782-2438.
Community Online Resource Directory for East Central Illinois
The Community Online Resource Directory allows you to search for agencies and programs by county, category, agency or by keywords for the following counties: Coles, Clark, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Jasper, Moultrie and Shelby.
The search includes food assistance programs, medical services, disability services, mental health programs, housing organizations, employment services and more.
The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is a self-help bereavement organization, providing support to bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, and close family members who are going through the natural grieving process following the death of a child of any age (from pre-birth to adult) from any cause.
TCF resources include:
- Grief materials and information for the newly bereaved
- A meeting locator tool to help you find a chapter near you
- An online support community and live chats
- A downloadable, online magazine
- A comprehensive list of similar nonprofit organizations
Complex Care at Home for Children
The Complex Care at Home for Children website aims to provide an educational resource for parents and caregivers of children with medical complexity. The site offers information and tools to help facilitate daily care, ensuring a safe environment for the child and family. Topics include:
- Tracheostomy and other types of respiratory care
- Peritoneal dialysis
- Enterostomy care
- Enteral nutrition
- Parenteral nutrition
- Intravenous antibiotic therapy
- Intermittent bladder catheterization