Transition Resources
Strong Family Alliance’s mission is to save lives and preserve families by helping children come out and parents become informed supporters and allies.
The alliance strives to give parents and LGBTQ people accurate information, insights on this challenging transition for both parents and children, ways to keep LGBTQ children safe and healthy, and encouragement for parents to lead with love and solve problems over time. Its website includes parent guides and resources.
Suburban Access, Inc. is an independent service coordination and advocacy agency that links children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to life-enhancing services, programs, experiences and personal supports to empower them to live life without limits. Suburban Access offers a variety of programs to help people with intellectual disabilities overcome barriers and advance their independence, learning and community connections.
Suburban Access has locations in Homewood and Hillside. It serves south and west suburban Cook County. For more information, call (708) 799-9190.
SUPE: Substance Use Prevention Education
SUPE: Substance Use Prevention Education provides free resources to help individuals of all ages and backgrounds learn about the dangers of drugs and how to help those who may be affected by substance use. Educational materials are available in English and Spanish and include engaging videos targeting kids, teens, parents, teachers, employers and more.
SUPE offers up-to-date, easy-to-understand information on topics such as:
- Edibles and vaping education and prevention for kids
- Tips for talking to grandchildren about substance use
- The link between bullying and substance use
- Do’s and don’ts for teachers speaking to students about drugs
Supported Decision-Making Act in Illinois
Illinois’ Supported Decision-Making Act ensures people with disabilities can get the help they need to make decisions for their own lives. The Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission has many resources to explain the Supported Decision-Making Act. These include:
Team IMPACT is a nonprofit that matches children facing serious medical conditions and disabilities with local college sports teams to help them experience the power of sports, the support of mentors and the simple joy of being a kid. This nationwide, two-year therapeutic program:
- Serves families with children ages 5 to 16 who have conditions requiring ongoing treatment and/or extended hospital stays
- Provides trained case managers to manage matches to ensure success and address any challenges
Team IMPACT is free. Please note that participants must cover any transportation costs to/from visits with the team. Learn more on Team IMPACT’s family page.
Fill out and submit the online form to begin the enrollment process:
If you have questions, please contact Team IMPACT at (617) 801-0248 or info@teamimpact.org.
The ADA National Network Disability Law Handbook
This handbook is meant to provide basic information about disability rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as resources for finding out more.
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning aims to support and encourage adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families to plan for the future.
The Center provides reliable information and assistance to individuals with I/DD, their family members and friends, professionals who support them and other members of the community on areas such as person-centered planning, decision-making, housing options and financial planning.
The Arc’s Disability Voter Guide
The Arc has developed voting resources in plain language and Spanish, including a disability voter guide and sample questions for candidates.
The Arc’s Virtual Program Library
The Arc’s Virtual Program Library is a free hub full of on-demand activities that people with disabilities, and their families and service providers can do at home.
Topics include arts, community and life skills, health and wellness, virtual clubs, and more. Service providers can also find and share resources to facilitate or deliver live, remote programming for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
PUNS is the name for the list of the people in Illinois with developmental disabilities who want or need services but do not yet have funding. Individuals who need help from the government to pay for needed Division of Developmental Disabilities Waiver services now, or in the future, should register for PUNS.
The Arc of Illinois’ Life Span Program provides an overview of how to get on the PUNS list and how to check the approximate date when you may be selected.