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How can I find housing, food, employment, etc. resources that are accessible for my patient?
Use: Find Help or Unite Us or Benefits Check Up
How: Type in the patients address and pick the type of resource that you are looking for. Scroll through different options to see what would work best for your patient. Services, fees, languages, and restrictions are described for each program.
Benefits Check Up is specifically for older adults and people with disabilities; Find Help and Unite Us can be used by anyone.
Use: Illinois Department of Human Services
How: Search by Illinois service: Food (including SNAP), Recovery, Mental Health, Child Care, Financial Assistance, Medical, Rehabilitation, Shelter/Housing, and Developmental Disabilities.
Are there additional resources for older adults?
How: Check patient eligibility under the “who is eligible” section of the homepage, then access services using the map tool.
Are there additional resources specific to food?
Use: Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Find Food Tool
How: Pantries provide free food from various food groups to individuals and families in need, regardless of age or income level.
Use: National Hunger Hotline: 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273), for Spanish, from Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. CT.
How: Call to be connected with emergency food providers.
Use: Meals on Wheels Chicago, for those over 60 years old or with disabilities in Chicago
How: If you are 60 or older and live in Chicago, to request meals, call 312-744-4016 and press “0” to speak with staff. If you are under 60, live in Chicago and have a disability, to request meals, call 312-744-6673.
Use: Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder
How: Search by zip code to find free meals for children over the summer (map is active only in the summer months).
Use: Lurie FAN webpage
How: Access the Food Pantry Nutrition Education Toolkit for enhanced nutrition education to help counsel patients on food resources and healthy eating. Flyers are linked in English and Spanish.
Are there transportation resources for patients unable to drive themselves to and from appointments?
Use: MCO Member Transit if the patient has Medicaid
How: Identify which Illinois Medicaid plan your patient has, use corresponding phone number or website to schedule a ride.
Use: Greater Chicago Transit or ACMedTran or BriteLift
How: Make a reservation through the websites for safe, wheelchair-friendly, non-emergency medical transportation in the Chicagoland area, with small fees.
*For other free options start with Find Help, Unite Us or Benefits Check Up as linked above
Are there transportations resources for patients with disabilities?
Use: RTA Chicago or 312-663-4357
How: Request to ride free or at a discounted rate on Chicago Transit Authority routes by calling between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. CT to request an application and schedule an in-person interview.
Use: 833-722-3827
How: For patients who qualify for ADA paratransit, call for access to reduced fare taxi trips in Chicago.
Use: 888-928-2227
How: Call to request wheelchair-accessible taxis.
Are there additional housing resources for those experiencing housing instability?
Use: Call 3-1-1
How: Call for immediate shelter needs in the Chicago area.
Use: Housing Referral Tool for Physicians
How: Use the flowchart to identify which housing resource is the best fit for you patient.
*Use the flow chart linked above first, here are additional resources to share with patients:
Use: Coordinated Entry System or call 312-361-1707
How: Anyone experiencing housing instability can complete a housing assessment. Phone line available M-F from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT.
Use: Chicago Housing Authority or call 312-913-7400
How: Use the website or phone line to help with housing needs.
Use: In-person Community Service Centers
How: Visit the below locations for help with shelter, food, and financial assistance.
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