Resource Directory /

Medical/Health and Wellness Resources

  • Feeding Tube Information from Lurie Children’s Hospital

    Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provides this video on “The Basics of Caring for a Child With Feeding Tubes.”  Lurie also provides the parent guide, “Supporting Nutrition: Understanding Tube Feeding.” The reference guide includes personal stories and information on:

    • Administering feedings through the feeding tube
    • Changing the dressings and cleaning around the tube
    • Problems that may occur with the gastrostomy tube or the insertion site

    Lurie’s website also offers tube-feeding resources for children and adults with cystic fibrosis and an overview of the types of feeding tubes for children.

    Please note this information is not a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician. There may be individual circumstances in your child’s healthcare that cause a variation in treatment.

  • Fifth Street Renaissance

    Together, Fifth Street Renaissance/Springfield AIDS Resource Association (SARA Center) in Springfield assists individuals and families in difficult situations in reclaiming their self-sufficiency and well-being. It provides resources, transitional housing, opportunities to develop job skills and education, and help in securing employment. The organization also helps individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS find affordable housing, medical assistance and counseling.

    Fifth Street Renaissance/SARA Center also works to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDs through education, awareness and prevention.

  • Find a Doctor

    The American Medical Association (AMA)’s Find a Doctor allows people to search a database of practicing physicians across the United States. Users can enter a physician’s name (first, last, or both) and city/state name or ZIP code to find general information about individual physicians in 650 metropolitan regions across all fifty states.

    Over 500,000 physicians, AMA members and non-members alike, from both allopathic (M.D.) and osteopathic (D.O.) degree tracks are represented in the Find a Doctor platform.

  • Find a Pediatrician Tool

    The HealthyChildren.org website provides a tool to search for an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) member pediatrician, pediatric sub-specialist or pediatric surgical specialist. Click on the “Find a Pediatrician or Pediatric Specialist Tool” to start looking.

  • Find Help Southern Illinois

    Find Help Southern Illinois connects people to area programs and services, including:

    • Food and basic needs, such as food pantries, baby supplies, clothing and home goods
    • Housing and shelter options
    • Healthcare services, including medical, dental and vision care and transportation to health care
    • Addition and recovery support
    • Mental well-being services
    • Financial assistance for child care, transportation, medical supplies and more
    • Use the search filter to find the help you need in your community—sort by “closest” to receive the local information first
    • Education and employment programs
    • Legal assistance

    The resource hub is an initiative of Southern Illinois Healthcare, Healthy Southern Illinois Delta Network and the Southern Illinois Coalition for Children and Families. The hub also receives support from the McKinney Vento Program for the Homeless Region V, Carbondale Elementary School District 95, Herrin Community Unit School District 4 Family Outreach Program, and the Carbondale Community Cabinet for Children and Youth with funding provided by Birth to Five Illinois.

  • Find Treatment for Mental and Substance Use Disorders

    FindTreatment.gov is a confidential and anonymous resource for people seeking treatment options anywhere in the United States. Information about paying for treatment and understanding addiction and mental health is also available. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) oversees the site.

    FindTreatment.org also offers:

    • The National Helpline at (800) 662-4357
    • State substance use and mental health agency links and phone numbers
    • Video tutorials for using the site
    • Information about the Disaster Distress Helpline for counseling related to disasters
    • Other treatment resources

  • First Hand Foundation

    First Hand Foundation‘s pediatric medical grants provide vital financial assistance to uninsured or underinsured children up to 18 years old. The grants aim to help children receive timely, life-changing treatment that improves their health and quality of life. Families can apply for grants to cover critical medical expenses such as surgeries, prescriptions, medical equipment and travel costs. Each child is eligible for one grant every 12 months.

    Learn more about applying for a grant, covered expenses and eligibility on First Hand Foundation’s website.

    Applications can be submitted anytime. Grants are reviewed monthly.

  • FIRST.IL Mental Health Program

    FIRST.IL is a program of the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health. It is a specialized treatment approach that helps individuals who are between the ages of 14 to 40 and who have had a treated or untreated psychotic illness for no more than 18 months.

    The program aims to reduce the symptoms of psychotic illnesses, improve individual and family functioning, promote recovery, reduce the chance of relapse and more.

    Eligible diagnoses are schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder or other specified/unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder with psychotic features, major depressive disorder with psychotic features and PTSD with dissociative symptoms.

    Individuals can call the FIRST.IL agency in their service area for an assessment. If the agency determines that FIRST.IL treatment is appropriate, they will expedite an appointment with their team psychiatrist.

  • flok for Individuals with an Inherited Metabolic Disorder

    Formerly known as PKU News, flok provides resources, support and an app for individuals with an inherited metabolic disorder and the people and clinicians who care for them. These conditions include Classical Homocystinuria (HCU), Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD), Phenylketonuria (PKU), Tyrosinemia and more.

    The flok website includes:

    • Opportunities to connect and share in person and virtually
    • Annual flok Family Camps
    • Food science information guided by a staff dietitian and collaborations with partner organizations and Genetic Metabolic Dietitians International
    • The flok app for individuals managing an inherited disorder of protein metabolism

  • Flu: A Guide for Parents of Children or Adolescents with Chronic Health Conditions

    Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old, and children and adolescents with chronic health conditions are at greater risk for serious flu complications. HealthyChildren.org provides information on how to determine your chid’s risk and what steps to take to protect your family.