Resources

The following website links were carefully assembled to help people in need of services, advocacy or information. We hope they help you.

Human Services Links

Administer Justice – legal, financial and conflict resolution services for low income individuals
Association for Individual Development – day, residential and crisis intervention services for people with physical and mental disabilities or those in need of behavioral health services
Centro de Informacion – counseling, advocacy, immigration, training and youth services for low income Hispanics
Community Crisis Center – intervention, counseling, shelter and advocacy for victims of domestic ad sexual violence
Community Health Partnership of Illinois – primary health care services for Latino immigrant and seasonal farm workers
Family Counseling Services of Aurora – comprehensive counseling and intervention services for individuals and families
Hesed House – food and housing services for the poor and homeless
Kane County Health Department – medical, education and prevention services for low income residents of Kane County
Marklund – day & residential services for the severe and profoundly disabled
Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center – counseling, intervention and health services for children and families
Breaking Free – education, prevention and counseling services for substance abuse, child abuse and mental health
Mutual Ground – crisis intervention, shelter and counseling for victims of domestic and sexual violence
Open Door Clinic – testing, management, education and counseling services for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases
Prairie State Legal Services – free legal services for low income & senior citizens
Visiting Nurses Association of Fox Valley – broad range of medical and health services for people in need

Individual Rights Links

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - legal services organization dedicated to protecting individual rights
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) - federal agency investigating and adjudicating employment discrimination
Children’s Defense Fund - advocacy organization protecting the rights of children
Disability Rights Center - advocacy organization for people with disabilities
Illinois Human Rights Commission – state agency investigating and adjudicating employment discrimination
Illinois Legal Aid – senior citizen’s handbook & resource database
NAACP – advocacy organization dedicated to fighting discrimination against African Americans
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc – legal services organization dedicated to fighting discrimination based on sexual preference
National Lesbian and Gay Law Association – bar association for gay and lesbian attorneys
Rainbow Push – advocacy organization dedicated to supporting workers, women and minorities
Senior Journal – comprehensive information & resource database for senior citizens
Southern Poverty Law Center – advocacy center for victims of discrimination & hate crimes
National Urban League – advocacy organization dedicated to empowering African Americans

Medical Links

AMA Physician Finder - service to identify the current location of a doctor
Johns Hopkins Health Information - health information database for consumers
Mayo Clinic Health Information - health information database for consumers
MedWeb Portal - health information database for consumers
Medline Plus Health Information - health information database of professional literature
National Institutes of Health - federal agency dedicated to health and medical research
National Spinal Cord Injury Association – comprehensive resources for victims of spinal cord injury or disease
U.S. Food and Drug Administration - federal agency regulating food labeling and prescription drug safety
U.S. National Library of Medicine - federal government health information database

Consumer Links

Attorney General Consumer Fraud Department - state legal agency prosecuting fraud and deceptive business practices
Better Business Bureau - nonprofit organization providing information on business reliability and performance
Better Business Bureau of Chicago - nonprofit organization providing information on business reliability and performance
Center for Auto Safety - national watchdog and resource organization for automobile safety
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – official government site for Medicare and Medicaid programs, benefits, eligibility and requirements
Citizen Utility Boards - watchdog group for utility company rates and practices
Consumer Reports Magazine - reviews and evaluations of consumer products
ConsumerSafety.Org - a comprehensive resource offering safety guides for infants, families, patients and seniors, as well as publishing important health news, recalls and safety alerts
Federal Trade Commission - federal agency regulating business practices and enforcing consumer protection.
FirstGov – official site for federal government services, laws, statistics and information
Illinois Commerce Commission - state agency for complaints against utilities, intra-state movers, towing complaints
Illinois Department of Insurance - state agency for complaints against insurance companies, HMO's
Illinois Department of Professional Regulation (DPR) - state agency for complaints against physicians, nurses and engineers
Illinois Secretary of State - state agency regulating driving privileges and corporations
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – official government site for NHTSA requirements, research and statistics
National Transportation Safety Board – official government site for NTSB information, procedures and resources
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – official government site for OSHA standards, requirements and enforcement
Office of Banks and Real Estate – state agency for complaints against banks, mortgage brokers, and real estate agents.
Public Citizen – a national consumer organization providing information, research and advocacy on auto safety, medical care and energy programs along with litigation services and political lobbying in support of consumer and individual rights
Social Security Online – official government site for social security disability (DDS) and supplemental security income (SSI)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission - federal agency for complaints regarding product safety
U.S. Public Interest Research Group - a national consumer research and advocacy organization

Senior Citizen Links

Administration on Aging - list of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities.
Adult Day Care – National recourse for adult day care centers locations, hours of operation and the various care services provided.
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) – nonprofit organization that helps people age 50 and over have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole, ways that help people 50 and over improve their lives.
Assisted Living Facilities - information on over 36,200 state-licensed assisted living facilities and an explanation of the rules and regulations of each state.
Home Health Care Agencies - Directory of over 11,000 Medicare-certified home health agencies and 18,500 other home care companies in the United States. Also provides extensive home health care information such as licensing requirements and state contacts.
Medicare – The official US Government Site for Medicare. Online resource for learning Medicare benefits, hospital coverage, medical insurance, prescription drug costs and access to online forms.
Skilled Nursing Facilities – Provides a nationwide directory of nursing homes, including detailed Medicare quality ratings, inspection information and filed complaints.
Social Security Retirement – Online resource for learning about retirement benefits and access to online forms.

Legal Links

Center for Justice & Democracy – nonprofit advocacy organization supporting individual rights against corporate and government power
Code of Federal Regulations – official source for all federal government regulations
Cornell University Law School - electronic legal research
Emory University Law School – electronic legal research
Martindale-Hubble Legal Directory – provides biographical information on attorneys and law firms
University of Texas Law School – electronic legal research
Washburn University Law School – electronic legal research
Illinois Expungement Lawyers