Posts by Dani Hunter
LETTER: Housing Authority of Cook County Voucher Program
As Housing Choice Voucher participants, their advocates, and others committed to fair and equitable access to affordable housing, we urge the Housing Authority of Cook County to include a referral to legal aid on its notice to terminate participants from the Voucher program.
Read MorePolicy Update: Protecting Special Education for Illinois Children
UPDATE 4/12/2019: Both of Legal Council’s special education bills passed the House unanimously on April 11, 2019. Thank you to sponsors Rep. Crespo, Rep. Carroll, Rep. Davis, and Rep. Martwick for their continued leadership and advocacy on behalf of Illinois students with special needs. Stay tuned for more updates as the bill continues to the…
Read MoreSTATEMENT: Advocates Appeal to Illinois Supreme Court on Rights of Nursing Home Residents
March 15, 2019 STATEMENT: Advocates Appeal to Illinois Supreme Court on Rights of Nursing Home Residents On Wednesday, March 13, a coalition of organizations submitted an amicus brief to the Illinois Supreme Court urging the reversal of a 2018 appellate court decision that undermines the process designed to protect the rights of nursing home residents…
Read MoreWhat You Can Do To Help Medicaid in Illinois
In response to constant barriers, Protect Our Care Illinois (a statewide coalition of which Legal Council is a leading agency) is promoting a new piece of legislation to reform and improve the Medicaid eligibility and renewal process. The bill, SB2021 or the Medicaid Eligibility Determination and Renewal Reform Act, takes the best practices from other states who do not experience these problems and puts forward a comprehensive approach to reform.
Read MoreChicago Public Schools Limiting Services for Students with Special Needs
Amy Zimmerman, Director of Children and Families Partnerships at Legal Council, was featured in a story by WBEZ that exposes problems with Chicago Public Schools’ (CPS) newest policy change affecting children with significant special needs. For the first time, CPS is offering the parents of children who attend “cluster” programs, sometimes called “self-contained classrooms,” the…
Read MoreSTATEMENT: Federal Court Order Protects Home Nursing Care for Thousands of Illinois Children
Legal Council is pleased to share that we have settled the MA v. Bellock class action lawsuit with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) in favor of more than 1,200 medically complex children who need in-home nursing. The settlement ensures that these children will be assessed fairly and given appropriate notice about…
Read MoreStaff Spotlight: Ari Rothman
Staff Spotlight is a blog series featuring a member of Legal Council’s expert and ever-growing team. Today’s Spotlight features Ari Rothman, an Avodah Fellow and Homeless Advocacy Specialist who joined Legal Council last fall. What brought you to Legal Council? This year I am participating in a year-long service program called Avodah, and through Avodah…
Read MoreNew Year, New Rules: Leading the Lead Fight
This past Tuesday, a state panel approved groundbreaking policies in the fight to protect children and prevent childhood lead poisoning.
Read MoreNew Program Gives Justice-Involved Persons Living with Serious Mental Illness Free Legal Support
Justice-involved individuals living with serious mental illness now have access to civil legal assistance, thanks to a new partnership between Legal Council for Health Justice and Thresholds. Under the partnership, individuals with serious mental illness who are served by Thresholds’ Justice Program now have access to free, trauma-informed benefits advocacy. Individuals with serious mental illness…
Read MoreLegal Council partner Dr. Hamp receives high honor
Longtime Legal Council advocate and friend Dr. Nicole Hamp recently was awarded the Anne E. Dyson Child Advocacy Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Nicole Hamp, Ann Hilton Fisher Advocate Award honoree, and Larry Yellen, Gala host, at Legal Council’s 30th Anniversary Gala, Oct. 13, 2018. Hamp received this exceptional honor for her work…
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