Illinois Family Corner

The Arc of Illinois Family to Family Health Information and Education Center serves families and friends of children and youth up to age 21 who have special health care needs, disabilities and chronic illnesses.

We have received funding for 4 years from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) for this project, which commenced on May 1, 2006.

We will be providing a toll-free multi-lingual hotline for families, offering training opportunities for families and parent leaders around the state on health and health care for children and youth with special needs, and sharing information.

We are your statewide health information resource for families of children and youth with special needs

Funded by the U.S. Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Maternal and Child Health and The Arc of Illinois

The Family to Family Health Information and Education Center is here to answer your questions about health and health care!

These are some of the questions that we answer every day:

1. How can I get health insurance for my child with special needs?
2. How can my child’s health needs be taken care of during the school day?
3. Who can help me find medical care for my child?
4. How can my family get help in paying medical bills?
5. How can I help my teenager with special needs get ready for the future?

A collaborative project with Family Voices of Illinois, we are part of a national network speaking on behalf of children and youth with special health care needs (www.familyvoices.org)

We offer:

• Information and referral services
• Health-related training opportunities for families, youth and professionals
• Specialized training for parent leaders and organizations
• Linkages to local, regional, statewide and national partners

Contact us today!
We are here to help you.

Faye Manaster, M.Ed., Project Director
The Arc of Illinois Family to Family Health Information and Education Center
18207-A Dixie Highway
Homewood, IL 60430
Voice: 866/931-1110/ 708-560-6703
Illinois Relay: Dial 711
Fax: 708-206-1171
Email: familytofamily@thearcofil.org | www.thearcofil.org

Family Brochure: Every Child Deserves a Medical Home
DSCC has developed a brochure to help families of children with special health care needs better understand how they can work with their primary health care provider to establish a medical home. The family brochure can be obtained from the DSCC web site in PDF format - you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the brochure. The Reader is available free from the Adobe web site.

What Families Need to Know About a Medical Home
Read an article written by Dr. Charles Onufer, the director of the University of Illinois Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC). Dr. Onufer writes in a clear, concise manner what a medical home will mean for families of children with special health care needs. The article, What Families Need to Know about a Medical Home, is available from the DSCC website in PDF format - you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print. The Reader is available free from the Adobe web site.

Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Contact and Program Information

Transition Information and Resources: internet.dscc.uic.edu/dsccroot/parents/transition.asp
Information and materials to help guide you and your child as you experience life's transitions.

Family Training and Information Centers
The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers: www.taalliance.org/index.htm
The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers is an innovative project that supports a unified technical assistance system for the purpose of developing, assisting and coordinating Parent Training and Information Projects and Community Parent Resource Centers under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Family Matters Parent Training & Information Center: www.fmptic.org/
The Family Matters PTIC can assist you to learn about early intervention services for children from birth to three years of age, can inform you about special education services for school aged children, can help with transition issues for students who will be leaving the educational system and are preparing for the world of work or adult services, and can provide information about resources, best practices, specific disabilities, parent to parent connections, and training opportunities and conferences.

The Family Resource Center on Disabilities (FRCD): www.frcd.org/
Provides information, training, and support services through the Family Support Project, Youth Advocacy Project, Parent-To-Parent Training Project and though free seminars on the special education rights of children with disabilities.

Family Support America: www.familysupportamerica.org/content/home.htm
Provides materials and assistance, advocacy to change systems, and education and information to train parent leaders in communities and states nationwide.

IL Programs and Services
Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities: www.state.il.us/agency/icdd/
The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICDD) believes in and supports the independence, productivity, integration and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities of all ages.

Illinois Department of Human Services Office Locator: www.dhs.state.il.us/OfficeLocator/
DHS is the main entry point to early childhood services and to independent service coordination services. To find the nearest Child and Family Connections (EI system) office or case management office (Developmental Disabilities) go to the above web site and select your county and the office you are looking for.

You can also contact the DHS Help line at 800-843-6154 or 800-447-6404 TTY.

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Greater Chicago: www.ucp.org/main.cfm/71
UCP's mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, through a commitment to the principles of independence, inclusion and self-determination.

UCP of Illinois: www.ucpillinois.com/
UCPI is a public information and policy development entity with eight affiliate member chapters across Illinois that provide information, referral, and direct services to children and adults with disabilities.

Advocacy and Support Organizations
Family Voices: www.familyvoices.org/st/IL.htm
Partnering with professionals and families to advocate for health care services that are family-centered, community-based, comprehensive, coordinated and culturally competent.

Illinois Life Span: www.illinoislifespan.org/
Statewide information and advocacy coordination system for people with developmental disabilities

This site includes The Arc of Illinois Family Manual for Transition. The purpose of this manual is to assist families of young adults with developmental disabilities with the transition from the school system and services for children to the world of work and adult services. The Family Manual is divided into three sections:
1. Special Education and Transition Planning
2. The World of Adult Services/Supports
3. Services and Supports, Options and Trends

Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCI):: www.incil.org/
A statewide organization made up of 24 Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Illinois. CILs provide assistance for disabled persons in their transition to independent living. Information and referral CILs respond to inquiries on a variety of issues from people with disabilities, family members and professionals, as well as the general public. Comprehensive information is available regarding services available in the community to help disabled persons live independently, such as accessible housing, transportation, employment opportunities, personal assistants, interpreters for people who are hearing impaired, readers for people who are visually impaired and more.

• Location of CILs in Illinois

NAMI of Illinois (National Voice on Mental Illness): illinois.nami.org/
Education, advocacy and support for persons with brain disorders (mental illnesses) and their families.

Note: The information provided on the state pages was submitted by the state medical home teams.As this is not an exhaustive list, please let us know if you have additions for your state resource page. You can contact us at: medical home@aap.org.

Last Updated August 14, 2006