In a letter dated January 21, 2021, the Illinois Department of Human Services published a letter for all providers who work with consumers in the Illinois Home Services Program. This letter indicates that all personal assistants (providers) are eligible for Covid-19 Vaccinations and that the State of Illinois would provide support to individuals who are having trouble securing a vaccination appointment. In the letter, the State writes:
“Front-line health care workers and long-term care residents are the first groups prioritized for the vaccine.
IDHS and SEIU worked together to ensure that in Illinois, Individual Providers who work for
Customers in the Home Services Program are considered front-line health care workers who are
eligible now to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. We strongly urge you to get vaccinated as soon as
you are able to do so.”
Please contact Progress Center if you have questions about this communication from the State of Illinois. Contact Progress Center at garnold@progresscil.org
This page includes information about Covid-19 from the Cook County Department of Public Health and other resources. Information about testing and vaccines is included. Late in 2020, the Cook County Department of Public Health formed a partnership with community-based organizations across Cook County, including Progress Center. Through the partnership, community-based organizations will share information about Covid-19 with constituents. Organizations will build new networks in order to share the information more broadly.
Updates (May 2021)
KN95 Masks: Progress Center has large supplies of KN95 Masks. These supplies are available to community organizations in Suburban Cook County and the surrounding areas. Masks are available at no cost. Organizations and groups in need of masks will be asked to pick up the supplies at the Progress Center office in Forest Park, Illinois. To place an order and schedule a pick-up, contact Kira Meskin at Progress Center, kmeskin@progresscil.org
Key Covid-19 contact information from the Cook County Department of Public Health
In Home Vaccination
The Cook County Department of Public Health is now scheduling appointments for in-home vaccines. This service is available to seniors and people with disabilities who are unable to travel to a vaccination site. To schedule an appointment, call the number 833-308-1988 (hours are Hotline hours are M-F 7am-10pm and Sat 8am-10pm) or visit this link: http://bit.ly/homevaccine
Mask Up! Messaging from the Cook County Department of Public Health:
Image that reads “Wear It, Don’t Spread It” with the hashtags #maskup and #onecookcounty
“Anyone can get COVID-19 – even you. Generally speaking, however, young healthy people in their 20s with strong immune systems tend to fare quite well. The problem is, you can be infected, not know it and spread it to others in your family or community who are at much greater risk of complications, including death. There are some very simple, yet effective things each of us can do to make a big difference in the fight against COVID-19. One of them is wearing a mask.”
It’s a two way street. Masks Protect You and Me. When We All Wear Masks, We Take Care of Each Other
Cook County Department of Public Health Covid-19 Hotline
“We’re here to help M-F, 9AM-4PM. Contact us with your questions or concerns about #COVID19. Call the *NEW* @CookCoHealth hotline: (708) 633-2599 (updated number January 19, 2021) or email CCDPH.COVID19@cookcountyhhs.org.
County Department of Public Health COVID-19 Testing Information COVID-19 Testing: https://cookcountypublichealth.org/covid-19-testing/ This page includes information about the type of Covid-19 Testing, recommendations on who should be tested, testing sites, and upcoming testing events.
Text ALERTCOOK (one-word) to 888-777 for text alerts about Covid 19
CCDPH Covid-19 Data
This page “includes confirmed and probable cases under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Department of Public Health (excludes Chicago, Evanston, Oak Park, Skokie, and Stickney Township).” For the Data Link, click here.
The Covid-19 Vaccine-CCDPH Vaccination Appointment Hotline — A new vaccination appointment hotline has been created for residents who lack Internet access, are not comfortable with technology or prefer to call. That number is 1-833-308-1988 and will be open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.Here is information from the Cook County Department of Public Health about the Covid-19 Vaccine: Click this link to visit the Cook County Department of Public Health Vaccine Page Visit this link to register for the Vaccine. Vaccine Registration.
The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) is using the information collected from this survey to gather information from organizations with individuals in Phase 1a who would like updates regarding when their staff can receive COVID-19 vaccine, as well as assess who is able to assist in the overall vaccination effort in suburban Cook County. Phase 1a is defined by the CDC as is defined by the CDC as “all paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.”
Covid-19 Information from other sources
Vaccine Appointment Call Center The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today (March 12) launched the Vaccine Appointment Call Center to assist people who do not have access to or who have difficulty navigating online services in making appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As Illinois begins to receive significantly more vaccine from the federal government and appointments become more widely available, this call center will be critical in bridging the digital divide and ensuring the vaccine reaches all communities. Vaccine Appointment Call Center open 7 days a week at 833-621-1284
Cook County Vaccination Locations
These locations opened up for vaccinations on January 19, 2021. From Illinois e-news release:
All four locations will begin vaccinations today, Tuesday, January 19 and will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will be available for health care workers who are part of Phase 1A before opening to those eligible for Phase 1B on January 25. For more information on vaccinations in Cook County please visit https://cookcountypublichealth.org/
Cook County Health’s North Riverside Health Center
1800 S. Harlem Ave.
North Riverside, IL 60546
Cook County Health’s Robbins Health Center
13450 S. Kedzie Ave.
Robbins, IL 60472
Cook County Health’s Morton East Adolescent Health Center
COVID-19 Vaccination Toolkits – This webpage contains toolkits for audience-specific toolkits for healthcare teams and community administrators, including community-based organizations. The toolkits contain introduction letters, frequently asked questions, slide decks, fact sheets, and more. These tools can be adapted to your organization’s scope of work and audience.
COVID-19 Toolkit for Older Adults & People at Higher Risk– This webpage contains COVID-19 vaccine and disease guidance and tools to help older adults and people at higher risk and those who serve or care for them. This toolkit contains FAQs, checklists, factsheets, posters, social media, PSAs, and more.
COVID-19 Vaccine– Recently updated COVID-19 vaccine landing page for consumers and clinicians with materials available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.
Link to Vaccination Plan from the Department of Public Health From the introduction to the document: “This is a draft document designed to assist Local Health Departments in planning for vaccine distribution. Information contained in this document is based on limited and preliminary guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) & Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and will be continuously updated as that guidance evolves. All information in this document is subject to change.”
Emergency Back Up Provider Program: Progress Center is now operating an Emergency Back-Up Provider program. Through this program, people in the Illinois Home Services Program can secure a back-up provider if their regular personal assistant is unable to work for a reason related to Covid-19.
Progress Center has established a dedicated phone line for this program. This line will be staffed seven days a week. If an issue comes up on a Saturday or Sunday and you need to request an emergency back-up provider, call this line and leave a message on the voicemail. Someone will return your call on the weekend. These are the numbers to call:
1-833-491-1418 (Toll Free)
1-708-209-1500 ext 39
If you have questions about the program, please email ajohnson@progresscil.org
Emergency Back Up Provider Program: Progress Center is now operating an Emergency Back Up Provider program. In the early stages of the pandemic, Progress Center had a program that could place an emergency provider with someone in the Home Services program in emergency need of a personal assistant. The program specifically was to support people with disabilities whose personal assistant tested positive for Covid-19 or who for one reason or another could not work for reasons related to the pandemic. The program expired in August, but has now is reinstated at Progress Center. If you or someone you know is in need of an emergency provider, please contact Progress Center at 708-209-1500.
Personal Protective Equipment: Progress Center has on-hand a supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). If you or a service provider with whom you work is in need of PPE, please contact Progress Center to request a package.
The Housing Authority of Cook County is opening its Housing Choice Voucher wait list on Monday, October 19, 2020. The housing authority will begin to accept wait list applications at 8:30 in the morning on October 19. The housing authority will accept applications for the waiting list until Monday, November 2 at 4:30 p.m. This allows people two weeks to apply.
This is the first time in many years that the Housing Authority of Cook County will open the voucher waiting list. Most likely, there will be high demand. The housing authority will place applications for 10,000 households on the waiting list. A computer-generated lottery system will determine the order of applicants on the wait list. If more than 10,000 applications are submitted, a second computer-generated lottery system will determine which applications will be placed on the list. Progress Center is not familiar with the lottery system. Our recommendation is for people to fill out and submit the application as soon as you can within the two-week window starting on October 19.
Here is more information about the housing choice voucher lottery. This information was produced and shared by Age Options.
The Housing Choice Voucher program provides rental assistance to low income families so they can afford to live in the suburbs of Cook County. Here are some of the details:
Program is open from 10/19/20 at 8:30am until 11/2/20 at 4:30pm
Income limit for a one-person household is $31,850 and $36,400 for a two person household
Applications for 10,000 households will be placed on the waiting list
A computer-generated lottery system will determine the order of applicants on the wait list
If more than 10,000 completed applications are submitted, a computer-generated lottery system will determine which of the 10,000 applications will be placed on the waiting list
Thank you to Age Options for this helpful information.
The Housing Authority of Cook County is offering accommodation assistance and assistance with completing the application. To contact the Housing Authority, call 312-517-2388 or email HCVWaitlist2020@thehacc.org
If you have questions for Progress Center, please contact Progress Center at 708-209-1500 or garnold@progresscil.org
Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period begins on October 15 and ends on December 7. During the Annual Enrollment Period, Medicare Beneficiaries may: switch Medicare Plans, join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, switch from one prescription drug plan to another prescription drug plan, drop Medicare Prescription Drug coverage. Progress Center has four health benefits counselors on staff. This includes one counselor who is working with members of the Deaf and hard of hearing community.
If you have questions about your Medicare plans, or want to explore your options, contact the Progress Center office to set up an appointment. Most Progress Center staff are working remotely at this time. Most likely, if you contact the office to set up an appointment, you will need to leave a message, either over voicemail or with the receptionist who is staffing the office in Forest Park. After you leave a message, someone will follow up with you soon. Please keep in mind, Progress Center staff are not meeting with people in person. The appointment to explore benefits option will be a remote appointment.
Progress Center for Independent Living invites you to an online Legislative Training.
The eight-week training meets once a week on Tuesdays (2 p.m.) and begins on October 6.
The training will give participants the opportunity to:
Learn how to make a difference in the Legislative process.
Learn how to share your opinions and make your vote count.
Get first-hand knowledge of government policies straight from your local and state officials.
Photo of staff from Progress Center and staff from Access Living in Springfield in May of 2018
The free, eight-week Legislative Training covers many topics, including:
Self-advocacy.
The legislative process.
How a bill becomes a law.
Different methods of communicating with your legislators.
This online training is free and open to anyone who is interested in advocacy on disability issues and who will commit to attend all sessions.
The training starts on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 2 p.m. Sessions will run for 90 minutes. The trainings are each Tuesday for eight weeks.The trainings will be offered online, through Zoom. For more information, to register, and to request accommodations, contact lbiondi@progresscil.org
Age Options logo, includes the two words “Age Options,” with a blue line and an orange line under the e in age, and the O and the P in Options.
The information below was compiled by Age Options and shared with partners within the Age Options network. The information below includes updates to benefits programs and services, and other resources that apply to seniors and people with disabilities in the context of Covid-19.
Thank you so much to Age Options for putting together this information.
DHS
DHS has established Urgent Call Center Teams at the Family Community Resource Centers (FCRCs) to assist with emergency cases. Go to “Family Community Resource Center Urgent Call Teams” at https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=123570 to locate emergency numbers for the FCRC teams
Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has granted an additional extension to allow SNAP households to claim “good cause” for not providing a social security number through August 31. 2020. Good cause can also be given to TANF, AABD and cash when the Social Security Office in their area is closed or is providing limited services. For the policy memo, go to “Good Cause Given for Failure to Verify Social Security Number Extended through August 2020”: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=125803
DHS has temporarily closed the four suburban Cook County Family Community Resource Centers (FCRCs). They include the South Suburban, West Suburban, North Suburban and Northern Offices. To check on whether the office is open in the future, go to the Office Locator at: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?module=12
SNAP
Emergency SNAP allotments have been extended for August 2020. Benefits will become available beginning 8/21/20 through 8/31/20. A notice will not be sent to households informing them of the additional benefits. Go to “Emergency SNAP Allotments” for more information: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=125935
An interview is not required for expedited and non-expedited SNAP households whose identity is verified and all mandatory verifications needed to establish eligibility are provided through August 31, 2020. Go to “Extension of the SNAP Interview Adjustment for Applications Filed in July 2020 and August 2020 for more information: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=125691
SNAP households whose certification period expires at the end of July or end of August due to not returning a REDE application, will have their case reinstated with a six month extension. For more information, go to “SNAP Certification Periods Ending in July 2020 and August 2020 will be Extended”: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=12473
The Bureau of Hearings may use alternative means to conduct hearings, such as telephone or video conference when possible to meet the standard required timeframes. They can extend the fair hearings process up to 120 days from the receipt of the request for fair hearings that were already in process or for which requests are received from March 1, 2020 through August 31, 2020. Go to “Flexibility on Time-frames for Fair Hearings for SNAP Due to COVID-19 Extended through August 2020” for more information https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=125988
The SNAP Employment and Training Program became voluntary last August. All individuals receiving SNAP may volunteer to participate in the program except those receiving TANF cash. For more information, go to “Voluntary SNAP Employment & Training Program” at https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=88001
Benefits Access Application
If you have a consumer who paid full price for a license plate sticker and is part of the Benefits Access Program, go to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Online Refund Request at https://www.ilsos.gov/bap/ and enter the Benefits Access Program Control Number and Illinois License Plate Number to see if he is eligible for a refund
Illinois Secretary of State’s Office announced that the expiration date for valid driver’s licenses held by Illinois drivers who are 75 years of age or older has been extended for a period of one year past the license’s current 2020 expiration date. This means that drivers age 75 and older do not have to visit a facility to renew their driver’s license until shortly before their birthday in 2021. Go to “Jessie White Announces One-Year Extension of Driver’s License Expiration Dates for Seniors Age 75 and Older” for more information: https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/news/2020/august/200825d1.pdf
It’s a good thing they extended the deadline because there are quite a few driver’s facilities that are temporarily closed due to having a staff member diagnosed with COVID-19. They include the following:
The office which was located in the Village of Orland Park building is closed. The Secretary of State will be opening an office in the Orland Township building in the future. For more information, go to: https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/news/2020/june/200626d1.pdf for more information.
IHDA’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program
The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has extended the deadline for Illinois renters to apply for aid by one week to 12:00 p.m. on August 28, due to those impacted by the recent storms. The Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program provides $5,000 to eligible tenants who have seen their household income decline as a result of the COVID-19. For additional help, applicants may visit era.ihda.org or contact IHDA’s call center at 312-883-2720, or toll-free at 888-252-1119. For those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired, please contact Navicore Solutions for free assistance at: (877) 274-4309 (TTY).
Support for people who are experiencing social isolation
The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) received funding through the CARES Act from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living to provide services to older adults and persons with disabilities who are socially isolated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Illinois Care Connections will provide technology devices such as iPads or Tablets to participants to help facilitate social connections with family and friends on a first come first serve basis.
Participants receiving services through IDoA, IDHS-DD and IDHS-DRS providers and programs are eligible if they have been socially isolated as a result of the Coronavirus and are experiencing loneliness and a lack of connectedness. Please contact Progress Center for more information.
