General Resources
DSCC’s Illinois Medicaid Redetermination Information for DSCC Families
Redetermination is a yearly review of your eligibility for Medicaid. The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) created this tip sheet for our participants to explain the redetermination process, your responsibilities and how DSCC can help you through the process.
Illinois Medicaid Redetermination Information for DSCC Families in English
Illinois Medicaid Redetermination Information for DSCC Families in Spanish
El Mercadito (Nourishing Hope)
El Mercadito is a partnership between La Casa Norte and Nourishing Hope. This partnership provides Chicago residents fresh food, benefits assistance, job search training, mental health counseling, and access to housing information and referral services. Assistance is available in multiple languages.
Nourishing Hope also offers a free, monthly Online Market service where individuals can:
- Place a grocery order using any computer or smartphone
- Order frozen meats, canned goods, cereal, milk, eggs, and fresh produce each month
- Pick up from the warehouse, The Hub or Sheridan Market
- Skip waiting in line
- Continue access to the physical pantry/market
El Valor is a non-profit, community-based organization serving children, people with disabilities and their families in the Chicagoland area. El Valor offers education programs focusing on early education, inclusion, employment and self-sufficiency for individuals of all ages with different abilities.
It also provides families a variety of enrichment opportunities including certification classes, first aid, parenting seminars and family support groups. Services are available in English and Spanish.
Election Engagement Hub for Individuals with Disabilities
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has an Election Engagement Hub that provides information and tools for disabled voters to engage as meaningfully as possible in their state, local and federal elections.
You can find state-by-state voting guides, plain language definitions of voting words and more.
AAPD also has the REV UP Voting Campaign, which aims to build the power of the disability vote through a national network of coalitions and organizations.
Emergency and Transitional Housing Program
The Emergency and Transitional Housing Program in Illinois gives immediate and comprehensive shelter services to people who are homeless and people at risk of becoming homeless. Services are provided at shelters run by nonprofit organizations and local governments. for more information, see the Emergency and Transitional Housing Provider List.
Emergency Preparedness Planning for Families and People with Disabilities
Ready.gov provides emergency preparedness tools and information to help families before, during and after disasters. This site includes:
- Step-by-step checklists, tips and individual considerations important to planning for people with disabilities and their families
- Ready Kids age-appropriate materials for helping children and teens be prepared rather than scared
Resources are also available in American Sign Language (ASL) and other languages including Spanish, simplified and traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
Emergency Preparedness Tips for Those with Access and Functional Needs
A guidebook from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency that provides preparedness tips for people with visual, cognitive or mobility impairments; people who are deaf or hard of hearing; those who utilize service animals or life support systems; and senior citizens.
Entry Point for Suburban Cook County
Entry Point’s purpose is to ensure all people experiencing homelessness or who are at-risk of homelessness have fair and equal access to housing in suburban Cook County.
Individuals and families experiencing homelessness or who are at-risk of homelessness can access Entry Point throughout the region. Trained Entry Point staff at access locations work with households to understand their strengths and needs using a standardized assessment. Entry Point uses HUD homeless assistance eligibility guidelines and uniform prioritization policies to refer people to the right programs based on their preferences and levels of need.
Entry Point also helps suburban Cook County make the best matches between homeless assistance resources and the people who need them most.
Envision Illinois Domestic Violence Resources for People with Disabilities
Envision Illinois is a statewide collaborative project addressing domestic violence against people with disabilities and Deaf people. Envision Illinois provides various resources designed for all people, families, agencies and organizations working to ensure that survivors with disabilities have equal access to healing, safety and justice.
Envision Illinois’ website resources include:
- Case studies and scenarios
- Fact sheets and social story-type graphics
- A Mandatory Reporting Toolkit
- Sample forms and templates
- Self-advocacy resources
EP!C (Empowering People. Inspiring Capabilities.)
Empowering people. Inspiring capabilities. ( EP!C ) serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. EP!C helps individuals with disabilities at all levels achieve their goals and live their lives to the fullest by providing a range of programs and services including:
- Educational services
- Community living services
- Employment services
- Harvest horticulture program
- EP!Casso art program
EP!C provides services to individuals in central and some southern Illinois communities.