Resources

24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential telephonic support to people in distress by a trained crisis counselor. People can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. The goal of 988 telephonic response is to help someone receive support and resources over the phone. If immediate danger is present or the person needs additional support, 988 call-takers will activate mobile crisis providers in the area to respond to the person where they are located. There are crisis teams connected to 988 that respond across the city.

Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 crisis support by text message. When someone is in crisis, they can text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor who will help them move from a hot moment to cool and calm. The crisis counselors are trained volunteers who—with the support of full-time Crisis Text Line staff—use active listening, collaborative problem solving, and safety planning to help texters in their moment of crisis.

Don’t Call the Police is an online directory of local resources available as alternatives to calling the police or 911. Every resource on our page is vetted for its policies related to law enforcement involvement. If there is any likelihood of police involvement beyond what is required by law, we clearly describe these circumstances in our listings.

911: 24/7 Emergency Service line that activates police and ambulance for an immediate in-person response. The link describes when one would call 911 vs 988. Review this link for a description of medical concerns for which one should call an ambulance. If you are in Chicago, consider contacting CDPH's Crisis, Assistance, Response, and Engagement (CARE), a team available for crisis mental health calls Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 4:00pm in some Chicago communities. It is helpful to request a Crisis Intervention Trained officer when calling 911.

National resources for food insecurity include the USDA's National Hunger Hotline (1-866-3-HUNGRY), which can connect you with local resources, and national organizations like Feeding America and Meals on Wheels. Federal programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), and school meal programs also provide assistance. For immediate help, text 97779 with "food" or "meals". 

Chicago:

• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Serves as the city's food bank, providing food to individuals and families through hundreds of pantries, soup kitchens, and other community programs. Visit their website to find a location near you.

• Chicago Food Rescue: A nonprofit that uses volunteers to rescue surplus food from donors and deliver it to people in need via an app. Both donors and recipients can use the service for free.

• Pilsen Food Pantry: Distributes high-quality and culturally-appropriate foods and also offers food delivery services.

• Irving Park Community Food Pantry: Provides hunger relief services on the Northwest side of Chicago.

• Friendship Center Chicago: Offers food and other vital resources to communities on Chicago's northwest side. ***They also appear to have an awesome community resource coordinator!

• Pop-Up Programs: Some city programs, like one partnering with Shy Care and Islamic Relief USA, provide free meals from a food truck in specific neighborhoods. 

The Living Room is a place to come on a walk-in basis if someone is experiencing life stress and needs immediate support. Staff at the Living Room are available to help people through screening and assessment of crisis and concerns in a natural, comfortable setting.

• Healthcare Alternative Systems (H.A.S.) Living Room
  Phone: (773) 235-5100, Location: 5001 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago 60639

• Thresholds Living Room
  Phone: (773) 537-3607, Location: 4423 N. Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, 60640

Community Triage Centers offer an alternative place to receive support in a mental health crisis. Crisis clinicians are available to conduct assessments and provide resources. Community Triage Centers often offer 24/7 walk-in services; however, hours may vary.

• Southside Community Triage Center
  Phone: (773) 291-2500, Location: 200 East 115th St., Chicago 60628

The Welcoming Center is a mental health clinic for adults (18+) that offers counseling, case management, and psychiatric appointments. The center is staffed by a team of nurses, social workers/counselors, peer specialists, and advanced practice nurses.

• Northside Welcoming Center at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
  Phone: (773)561-5809, Location: 5215 N. California Ave., Suite F101, Chicago 60625

In addition to 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, other hotlines are available to call in crisis that are tailored to specific populations.

• BlackLine Hotline: (800)604-5841
  Provides a space for peer support, counseling, reporting of mistreatment, witnessing, and affirming the lived experiences for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) who are most impacted by systematic oppression.

• Friendship Line: (800)971-0016
  Provides emotional support and crisis intervention for adults 60+ or Disabled 18+ and Caregivers – operated by the Institute on Aging.

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800)799-7233
  Provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse. Highly trained, expert advocates offer free, 24/7/365 confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages.

• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: (833)852-6262
  Provides free, confidential, 24/7 mental health support for pregnant people, moms/people who have recently given birth, and their families before, during, and after pregnancy.

• Screening, Assessment and Support Services (SASS): (800)345-9049
  Provides intensive mental health services for children and youth (under 18) who may need hospitalization for mental health care. Services include crisis intervention, linkage, and coordination of services to other community based mental health agencies for aftercare and outpatient treatment.

• Trans Lifeline: (877)565-8860
  Provides direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community.

• Trevor Project: (866)488-7386
  Provides suicide prevention and 24/7/265 crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people.

• Veteran's Crisis Line: 988
  Connects Veterans and Service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.

• Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Helpline: 1-240-485-1001 – Offers information, resources, and support for individuals struggling with anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and related mental health conditions.

Illinois Coalition For Immigrant & Refugee Rights

The purpose of the ICIRR Family Support Network (FSN) is to connect immigrant communities throughout Illinois to a full range of support in collaboration with member organizations (Información en español). *PROVIDES FREE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS INFORMATION

If you believe you are witnessing ICE activity, please call ICIRR’s 24-Hour Family Support Hotline at 1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693) to report it.

ACLU of Illinois

The ACLU, or American Civil Liberties Union, is a nonprofit organization that defends and preserves the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and laws. It works to achieve this through litigation, legislative lobbying, and public education on a wide range of issues, including free speech, racial justice, immigrant rights, privacy, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ rights.  

National Immigrant Justice Center

NIJC legal services for Illinois and Indiana: Chicago residents are eligible for free legal services from NIJC through the City of Chicago Legal Protection Fund. Immigrants in Illinois and Indiana can obtain free or low-cost legal consultations and representation from NIJC.

Additional resources to check out include:

https://www.namichicago.org/resources

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

https://www.samhsa.gov/

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) works to improve substance abuse and mental health treatment services to those who are most in need of them.

FindHelp.org

Find free or reduced-cost resources like food, housing, financial assistance, health care, and more based on your zipcode.

Brave Space Alliance1-872-333-5199

Black-led & Trans-led org providing affirming, culturally competent, “for us, by us” resources in Chicago.

Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago

BQAC’s mission is to educate, empower, and provide resources for bisexual and queer persons through in-person and hybrid groups, events, and programming.

Chicago Public Library

This links to the resources available through the Chicago Public Library system and the Libby app. Browse the website to also find opportunities for adult learning, information and options for job seekers, skills training, and events.

Public Resources through the IL Courts

This link offers resources including but not limited to the following: Court Forms for People Without Lawyers, Access for People with Disabilities, Access for People who Use a Language Other Than English, Illinois Court Help, Employment and Job Opportunities

Five Point Holistic Health

Interdisciplinary, worker-owned clinic that offers trauma-informed and identity-affirming care. I have gone here for multiple years and I often referred clients to them. They offer massage, somatic and trauma-informed body work, acupuncture, herbal medicine, movement classes, psychotherapy, and a variety of workshops.

Little Seed Wellness

Chicago practice offering therapy, CEUs, clinical supervision, and groups. They take a wide variety of insurances.

Live Oak Counseling

They offer psychotherapy, workshops,consultation, clinical training, psychological testing, and spiritual services tended to support providers of therapy, supervisors and receivers of therapy in gaining the skills and practices needed to move towards individual and communal goals.