Know-Your-Rights Resources

• English
• Spanish
• French

• English: Know Your Rights When Interacting with Immigration Officers
• Spanish: Conozca Sus Derechos Si cree que es testigo de una actividad del ICE
• Family Support Network and Hotline 

• English 
• Spanish

The information below is for the farmers and ranchers who applied for and received a one-time, lump-sum payment/award from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP).  DFAP was created to address the consequences of prior discrimination by USDA in USDA farm lending. This general information will help people who receive these USDA DFAP awards understand the potential impact of such money on Medicaid coverage.

• USDA Benefits FAQ (Illinois)
• USDA DFAP and Medicaid FAQ (Illinois)
• USDA DFAP and SNAP FAQ (Illinois)

THE USDA AWARD MAY AFFECT YOUR BENEFITS ELIGIBILITY. EVERYONE’S SITUATION IS DIFFERENT.  YOU MAY CALL US FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE ON HOW THE DFAP AWARD MAY AFFECT YOUR BENEFITS.

• Illinois Healthcare Provider Quick Resource Guide
• Early Intervention and Lead Resources

• Chicago Public Schools Bullying Fact Sheet (Spanish)
• Chicago Public Schools Home and Hospital Instruction Program Fact Sheet (Spanish)
• Chicago Public Schools Masking Guidelines (Spanish)
• "Is Your Child Being Discriminated Against?" Fact Sheet (Spanish)
• "Need To Waive School Fees?" Fact Sheet

HIV-related laws

• AIDS Confidentiality Act (410 ILCS 305)
• AIDS Confidentiality and Testing Regulations (77 Ill. Adm. Code 697)
• Illinois Criminal Transmission of HIV Act (updated)
• Illinois law on access to a person’s own medical records
• Illinois Sexually Transmissible Disease Control Act (410 ILCS 325)
• Perinatal HIV Prevention Act (410 ILCS 335)

Other Resources:

• Aegis
  (AIDS Education Global Information System)
• The Body
  (online HIV/AIDS resource)
• The AIDS and Law Exchange
  (sharing knowledge on HIV/AIDS, the law and human rights)
• Centers for Disease Control
• TPAN directory services for people with HIV
• AIDS Foundation of Chicago
  (collaboration, coordination, funding and effective HIV/AIDS policy)
• Center for HIV Law and Policy
  (the National Legal Resource and Strategy Center for HIV Advocacy)
• American Civil Liberties Union AIDS Project
  (impact litigation, public education and advocacy)
• Lambda Legal

Questions? Call us at 312-427-8990.

• Finding Subsidized Housing
• Immigrant Tenant Protection Act / Ley de protección de inquilinos inmigrantes
• "Need Accommodations or Modifications in Housing?" Fact Sheet

Resources for specific legal issues

Confidentiality and testing:

• AIDS Confidentiality Act (410 ILCS 305)
• AIDS Confidentiality and Testing Regulations (77 Ill. Adm. Code 697)
• General information on privacy of health information
• Information about HIPAA and medical privacy

Debt collection:

• Consumer Law information from IllinoisLegalAid.org
• Debtor Fact Sheet (Spanish)
• Illinois Fair Patient Billing Act
• Illinois Attorney General identity theft help

Discrimination:

• Information on the Illinois Human Rights Act from IllinoisLegalAid.org
• Chart on where and how to file complaints of discrimination
• How to file a charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights
• EEOC guide on food service workers and the Americans with Disabilities Act

Employment:

• Information on the Americans with Disabilities Act from the EEOC
• EEOC guide on food service workers and the Americans with Disabilities Act
• How to file a charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights
• Information and resources about the Family and Medical Leave Act

Future planning:

• Statement of Illinois Law on Advance Directives and DNR orders
• Life Planning information including will, powers of attorney, guardianship and stand-by guardianship from Illinoislegalaid.org

Immigration:

• National Immigrant Justice Center
• USCIS Immigration Forms
• Immigrant Eligibility for Food Stamps
• Meaning of “Public Charge”
• Benefits for Illinois Immigrants

Insurance:

• Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• To file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Insurance
• Information on “Guaranteed Issue” life insurance from Insure.com

Public benefits:

• Social Security Online
• Social Security “Listing of Impairments”
• Department of Human Services assistance and office locator
  (hint:  search for a “FamilyCommunityResourceCenter”)
• IllinoisLegalAid.org:  “How to Get Food Stamps”
• Illinois AIDS Drug Assistance Program
• Social Security “Extra Help” Application

Young adults:

• Information and Support for HIV positive youth
• Illinois Regulation on Testing, Treatment, or Counseling of Minors

• A Guide to Applying for AABD Cash
• A Guide to Applying for Government Phones in Cook County
• A Guide to Using the Department on Aging Benefit Access Program
• White Paper: Expanding Exemptions from Medicaid Estate Recovery in Illinois
• Guide to Updating Address with Medicaid (Spanish)

• Disabilities Guidebook: Social Security Disability Benefits
• Working While Getting Social Security Retirement Income
• Working While Getting Social Security Disability Insurance
• Negotiating Repayment Plans with SSA
• Appealing and Disputing an Overpayment
• Requesting a Waiver for an SSA Overpayment

• "A Trauma Informed Approach to SSI and SSDI Advocacy," authored by Legal Council's Lisa Parsons and former Legal Council intern Carly Loughran.
• "Trauma-informed advocacy: Practical advice for working with vulnerable populations" (1hr25min) from the 2017 Illinois Legal Advocates Conference featuring our attorneys Lisa Parsons. Sarah Hess, and Amanda Walsh. Members of the team are available for training in best practices and integrating trauma-informed legal care into health and human service settings.