Human Resources Center of Edgar and Clark Counties

08/02/2026

MEDICAID FRIENDS: WATCH YOUR MAILBOX THIS SUMMER 📬

Illinois Medicaid is beginning to reach out to some adults about new work and activity reporting rules that start January 1, 2027, along with renewals twice a year for some. Many people will be exempt, including many living with disabilities or serious health conditions, and no one needs to act until the state contacts them directly.

Two simple steps to take this week, from Scottland to every corner of our counties: make sure the state has your current address, phone, and email at ABE.Illinois.gov under Manage My Case, and open every letter from the State of Illinois right away.
One more thing, neighbors: Illinois will never ask you for money to renew or apply for Medicaid. If anyone does, it is a scam, and you can report it at 1-844-ILFRAUD.

If you receive services with us, bring any Medicaid letter to your therapist or caseworker. We will help you make sense of it. Learn more at hfs.illinois.gov.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

08/01/2026

THE WHOLE TOWN IS THE CLASSROOM 🌳

Some of the best days in HRC’s Community Day Services do not happen inside a building at all. Through CDS Without Walls, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities spend their days out in the community: the Marshall library, the park, the grocery store, a ball game, wherever life is happening.

Meaningful days are built on choice. Our neighbors with I/DD choose where they go and what they pursue, building real skills and real friendships in the places everyone shares.

A meaningful day, a chosen path, a community that knows your name. That is the goal. Call us to learn more about Community Day Services.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Disability Services: 217-463-3076
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

07/31/2026

READY FOR A BREAK? HERE IS HOW VOUCHER RESPITE WORKS 📋

For families in Metcalf and across 17 counties of East Central Illinois caring for a loved one with an intellectual or developmental disability, getting started with Voucher Respite is simpler than you might think.

Step one: call Cathy Smith at 217-465-1749.
Step two: a short conversation about your family and your loved one’s needs.
Step three: once approved, your family chooses the provider and schedule that fit your life, and the voucher helps cover the cost.

That is the whole path from weary to rested. The first step is one phone call, and we would love to take it with you.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Disability Services: 217-463-3076
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

07/30/2026

RECOVERY LIVES ON YOUR STREET 🏡

The neighbor who waves from the porch in Vermilion. The coworker who always shows up early. The friend who coaches little league. People in recovery are not strangers somewhere else. They are woven through every town we love, quietly rebuilding, faithfully showing up.

When we speak about addiction with grace instead of shame, we make it easier for the next person to ask for help. Recovery is real. Treatment works. People do get better, every day, right here.

If you or someone you love is walking through it, HRC’s recovery support team would be honored to walk with you.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

07/29/2026

ONE PHONE CALL PUTS YOUR LOVED ONE ON THE STATE’S RADAR 📞

Families in Redmon and across Edgar and Clark Counties: if someone you love, age 3 or older, has an intellectual or developmental disability, Illinois has a waiting list database called PUNS, and being enrolled is how the state knows your family may need services one day.

Enrollment does not guarantee services, but adults 18 and older are selected partly by how long they have been waiting. The sooner a name is on the list, the sooner the wait begins.

Enrolling is straightforward: call your Independent Service Coordination agency at 1-888-DD-PLANS. Questions first? We are glad to walk you through it.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Disability Services: 217-463-3076
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

07/28/2026

THE SCHOOL YEAR IS COMING. THE CONVERSATION CAN START NOW. 💬

Before the buses roll again in Brocton and across our two counties, here is a gentle encouragement for parents: the single strongest protection against youth substance use is not a lecture. It is a relationship.

Try this on the porch or in the truck this week: ask what they are looking forward to this year, ask what worries them, and listen longer than feels natural. Kids who know they can bring hard things home are far less likely to carry them somewhere risky.

HRC’s Prevention Education team partners with families and schools all year long.

We are glad to help you find the words.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

07/27/2026

HAVE A HEART FOR SERVICE? FAMILIES IN WESTFIELD ARE LOOKING FOR YOU 🌟

HRC’s Voucher Respite program helps families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities arrange short, trusted breaks. And every one of those breaks depends on a caring person willing to step in.

Respite providers are everyday neighbors: retired teachers, aides, college students, church friends, and kind souls who feel called to walk alongside a family. Providers are chosen by the families themselves and compensated through the voucher.

If you have patience, dependability, and a servant’s heart, this may be the most meaningful few hours of your week. Call the Main Line and ask how to become a Voucher Respite provider.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Disability Services: 217-463-3076
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

07/26/2026

SOME SEASONS ARE HEAVY. THERE IS A PLACE TO SET THE WEIGHT DOWN. 🛋️

The Living Room at the Life Center in Paris is a calm, confidential space for anyone walking through a difficult season with their mental health. No hospital lights. No waiting room. A chair, a listening ear, and trained peers who understand because they have been there.

You can call the Living Room or stop by Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. If you need someone outside those hours, our Crisis Line is answered any time, day or night.

Neighbors have asked how to help keep this space available. If you feel led to give, you can support the Living Room here: zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/keep-the-living-rooms-doors-open

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

Your gift keeps “The Living Room” doors open to adults facing mental health challenges. Here, people can drop in, feel safe, and find peer support instead of…

07/25/2026

MARTINSVILLE EMPLOYERS: YOUR NEXT GREAT HIRE MAY SURPRISE YOU 💼

Across Edgar and Clark Counties, businesses that hire people with intellectual and developmental disabilities tell us the same story: dependable attendance, genuine pride in the work, and a lift in morale for the whole team.

Inclusive hiring is not charity. It is good business with a heart for community. HRC helps employers every step of the way, from identifying the right match to workplace supports and simple accommodations that cost little and mean much.

If your shop, farm, office, or storefront has a role to fill, we would love to talk about what a partnership could look like.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Disability Services: 217-463-3076
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM)
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org

07/24/2026

YOU CANNOT POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP ☕

To every parent, grandparent, and sibling caring for a loved one with an intellectual or developmental disability in Hume and the small towns around it: your devotion does not go unnoticed. And your rest matters too.

Respite is not stepping away from love. It is what keeps love strong. HRC’s Voucher Respite program helps families of people with I/DD arrange short, trusted breaks so caregivers can rest, run errands, tend to their own health, or simply breathe.

You have carried much. Let us help you carry it well. Call 217-465-1749 and ask about Voucher Respite eligibility today.

Main Line: 217-465-4118
Disability Services: 217-463-3076
Living Room Program: 217-465-4751
📍 Visit in person: Life Center, 745 E. Court St., Paris
🕗 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Crisis Line: 217-712-9766 (call any time, day or night)
988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, day or night)

www.hrcec.org