Medical Home Information for Physicians
Medical Home Information for Families
Creating a Medical Home
Parent Partnership
Practice Assessment
Consumer Awareness
Practice Improvements
Acute Illness Management
Preventive Care Management
Chronic Condition Management
Diagnosis Modules
Transition Information
Community Resources
Medical Home Reimbursement
Quality Improvement
Community Resources:
Helping families find needed services
When you are seeing patients and want to give them references to local community, perhaps state, or even national resources, you want that information at your fingertips. Maintaining up to date listings of resources is very difficult and time consuming.
The Arc of Illinois web site offers the Illinois Life Span Statewide Information Resource & Referral directory with an expansive database of resource information. In collaboration with DSCC, the Illinois Life Span Project is expanding to include many more resources throughout the state for children with special health care needs. This database will soon be populated with the resources known to DSCC’s care coordinators from all 13 regional offices. In addition, several other organizations are planning to share their resource information with the Illinois Life Span Project. Please explore the Illinois Life Span web site now so that in the future, as it becomes more populated, you will be knowledgeable about this resource.
Learning more about the resources located within the communities your practice serves can also help you to remain informed about valuable services and resources available for families. One way to elevate your practice involvement within the communities you serve is to develop working relationships with established community based organizations like the local health departments, Child & Family Connections (CFCs) for Early Intervention, social service agencies and other health promotion organizations. This may sound daunting and unrealistic, but it can be something your practice undertakes over a realistic length of time. It won't happen overnite, but it can happen gradually and within the capabilities and limitations of your practice.
Or, you may know of a community association that you could join whose membership is comprised of many health and social service organizations. Such associations can help your practice to become knowledgeable and involved in issues affecting those you serve in your communities.
Another source of information about community services and organizations is the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) through its 13 regional offices in the state. DSCC is the Title V Program for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) in Illinois and is administered through the University of Illinois at Chicago. Over one million families have been served by DSCC since its inception in 1937. Each year over 20,000 families are served through a network of 13 Regional Offices with a care coordination staff having backgrounds in nursing, social work, speech pathology or audiology.
The Division's staff are knowledgeable about the community resources and organizations that assist and serve children with special health care needs, including educational, therapeutic and social service providers. You can use the DSCC web site, Find an Office web page , or you can call 1-800-322-3722 to locate the office serving your area.
DSCC provides care coordination for all medically eligible children and financial assistance for medical services to those families with an annual income under 285% of the Federal Poverty Level. Eligible conditions must be chronic, amenable to treatment, require long-term specialty care and fall within one of the following categories:
- Cardiovascular Impairments
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Craniofacial Anomalies
- Eye Impairments
- Genetic & Metabolic Conditions Leading to Disability
- Hearing Impairments
- Hemophilia & Disorders of Coagulation
- Nervous System Impairments
- Organic Speech Impairments
- Orthopedic Impairments
- Urinary System Impairments
DSCC’s mission focuses on public service, education and research as a basis to provide, promote and coordinate family-centered, community-based, culturally competent care for eligible children with special health care needs in Illinois. The programs and services provided by DSCC are described below.
The Core Program offers care coordination and cost-supported diagnosis and treatment for children with chronic health impairments determined eligible for program support. DSCC supports non-investigational treatment recommended by physician specialists, such as therapy, medications, specialized equipment, and supplies. Application forms are available on the Core Program page of our website.
The Home Care Program offers care coordination and support for in-home nursing care of technology-dependent children who would otherwise have to remain in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) operates this waiver program on behalf of the Illinois Department of Public Aid (IDPA). Application forms and more information are available on the Home Care Program page of our website.
The Children's Habilitation Clinic, formerly known as the Center for Handicapped Children, is located on the west campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago, within the Children and Adolescent Section of the Out-Patient Center. This location allows collaboration with other specialists and primary care providers. The Clinic provides comprehensive diagnostic services to children with complex disabling conditions and provides ongoing rehabilitation and developmental management to those children to age 21. There are approximately 1600 patient visits completed annually.
The Supplemental Security Income - Disabled Children's Program has been administered by DSCC since 1978 to provide rehabilitative services to children less than 16 years of age who are eligible for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. DSCC provides information about and referral to community resources, including referrals to Early Intervention or preschool programs when appropriate, and DSCC Core services as described above.
The SSI program is a Federal assistance program administered by the Social
Security Administration (SSA) that guarantees a minimum level of income
for aged, blind, or disabled individuals. For more information about the
SSI program for children with disabilities, visit the federal government's
Social Security Administration web site on SSI
Benefits for Children with Disabilities.
