Children's Mental Health Awareness Week (May 7-13) is an important time of year to bring awareness to a vital issue. Mental health is essential to the healthy development of children. Legal Council Children & Families team has unfortunately noticed that some schools will deny support to students with mental health disabilities. These disabilities are often overlooked because they are "invisible", & diverse learners who struggle with symptoms may not receive the additional supports they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Legal advocacy groups — Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Legal Action Chicago, and Legal Council for Health Justice — support budget appropriations to ensure that victims of public benefit skimming theft are reimbursed and made whole again. A one-time $5 million appropriation to assist low-income individuals that were victims of electronic theft (otherwise referred to as “skimming”) from their Illinois LINK cards holding SNAP (formerly food stamps) and cash assistance for low-income recipients of Aid to the Aged Blind or Disabled Program (AABD).

Imagine waiting for months, or even years, to learn whether you will ever have enough money for food and shelter. Many people with disabilities and older adults face this harsh reality as they try to navigate the disability process. With long wait times at disability determination offices across the United States, thousands of people are left in limbo, struggling to make ends meet and access the care they need. The impact of these wait times goes far beyond just delayed benefits -  it affects people's health, housing, and overall quality of life.

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On March 30, 2023, Judge  O’Connor issued a critical ruling in Braidwood Management v. Becerra by striking down part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s policy requiring private health insurers to fully cover preventive care services at no cost to patients. The implications of this ruling are far-reaching as the preventive services provision of the ACA required that private health insurance cover a range of different treatments. 

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This year, more than 2,500 clients and their families will receive life-changing and life-saving care from Legal Council. Get to know some of our clients by reading their stories.