Illinois DocAssist is here to support you during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continues, supporting providers caring for children and families throughout Illinois continues to be a priority to the Illinois DocAssist team. Below are resources that may be helpful for use with your patients as mental health and wellness is greatly impacted by isolation, stress and uncertainty. Our team of child and adolescent psychiatrists and licensed clinical social workers are here to help you care for your patients. Please call us for consultation at 1-866-986-2778.
Adapting Holidays to Social Distancing
Just like everything else in 2020, the holiday season will be different this year. A time that can be stressful for some families, will likely be compounded by social distancing and economic hardship. The following resources may assist families in adapting holiday celebrations and traditions during the pandemic.
PBS has ideas and resources for children and families on adapting holiday activities during the pandemic.
The Child Mind Institute offers guidance and tips for families to manage the stress associated with holidays.
Resources to Support Virtual Learning 
Learn tips on supporting and guiding youth in remote learning from Childmind.org.
The CDC provides information and checklists for educational staff and parents on managing in-person school with daily checklists for both in person attendance and virtual school programming.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidance for providers on advising and managing youth participation in sports and extracurricular activities. Healthy Children, a parent resource from the AAP, developed a checklist for parents when considering participation in sports for their children.
Chicago Public Schools has resources to assist families with devices and internet service for remote learning. Families can contact their local school for assistance. However, if the local school can not provide the needed resources families and caregivers can contact the CPS Family Hotline at 773-417-1060 or email familyservices@cps.edu.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center offers guidance on promoting social emotional skills in children, including teaching children how to handle disappointment and difficult emotions.
Clinicians with the Learning and Development Center at Child Mind Institute created Family Resources for Remote Learning. Resources are divided into age groups and assist parents in understanding the developmental stages of learning and offers appropriate readings and material for the associated age.
Wide Open School through Common Sense Media, provides educators and parents with support during school closings due to the pandemic.
Scholastic Learn at Home offers ideas and tips to provide educational experiences for children learning at home.
Children with ADHD may experience greater difficulty with e-learning and homeschooling. Learn ways to support children during the pandemic with the Child Mind Institute.
West Side United, a collaboration of agencies, organizations and institutions on the west side of Chicago, have gathered a list of online resources to support academics for youth while learning at home.
Resources for Children with Special Needs
The Illinois State Board of Education has information and resources for e-learning and updates about state guidelines for IEPs.
Stanford Medicine Safe Communities of Learning has developed an app to assist families make decisions about special needs children attending school. The app is in the beta phase and free for families to access.
The Arc of Illinois assists providers and families in advocating for services for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc has resources to assist families in gaining information and finding assistance during COVID-19.
Equip for Equality offers a special education clinic that provides free legal information and advice for parents of students with disabilities. Call 1-866-KIDS-046 for assistance.
University of Illinois at Chicago Specialized Care for Children provides a tip sheet about meeting IEP goals during e-learning.
Child Mind Institute offers guidance on modifying an IEP or 504 plan for remote learning, partnering with teachers during e-learning and how to set priorities.
For children and families experiencing service disruptions during the pandemic, Autism Speaks provides resources for both professionals and families.
Autism New Jersey provides information on regression in children and offers guidance on ways to intervene and assist children.
The website Autism Little Learners has free resources for parents and educators that include social stories related to COVID-19. Some examples include Riding the Bus Will Be Different, Wearing a Mask to School, and How to Greet Teachers and Friends During COVID-19.
Supporting Mental Health and Wellness in Children and Adolescents
The Centers for Disease Control developed a COVID-19 Parental Resources Kit by age group: Early Childhood, Childhood, Adolescence and Young Adulthood. Learn more and access the resources here.
The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress provides guidance for families when facing the hospitalization of a family member or other loved one: When Family Members are Hospitalized Due to COVID-19.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Illinois chapter is an important resource that supports children and families with mental illness across Illinois. Their website provides information on the pandemic specific issues as well as locating local resources for online and group support.https://childmind.org/article/how-to-help-your-kids-handle-disappointment/
The Child Mind Institute created a cartoon series that features two characters, Nixie and Nimbo. These short videos help children learn about fear and anxiety as well as tools to help them manage emotions.
Learning how to handle the many disappointments associated with closures and social distancing can be difficulty for children and adolescents. Learn ways to assist youth in managing disappointment during this time with The Child Mind Institute.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America provides tips for addressing anxiety related to the pandemic with children.
The Human Rights Campaign provides a tip sheet for parents in supporting the mental health needs of transgender and gender expansive youth during the pandemic.
The iChill app, developed by The Trauma Resource Institute using the trauma resiliency model, assists users in learning about the impact of stress on the mind and body. The app is free and available in English and Spanish.
National PTA offers guidance to assist parents in managing their child’s anxiety associated with COVID-19.
Parenting for Lifelong Health and the World Health Organization, with seven other agencies, has created parenting tips and activities for use during the pandemic. The resources can be downloaded and are available in several languages. The topics include providing children with one on one time, how to manage stress and addressing bad behavior.
Grief and Loss
The Dougy Center provides information and resources on handling grief in children during the pandemic.
The National Alliance for Grieving Children offers linkage to community grief support for children and adolescents throughout Illinois.
Resources to Address Food Insecurity 
As the holidays approach and the cases of COVID-19 surge across the country, families may be facing food insecurity. It is estimated that 18 million children in America face food insecurity.
Feeding America provides a database that can be searched by zip code to locate food banks.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Food Research Action Center developed a toolkit to address food insecurity in the pediatric office.
Support, Help and Crisis Assistance
Isolation, disruption of routine and social distancing increase the risk of stress, anxiety and depression in children and other family members. During this time, there is an increased risk of domestic violence, child abuse, suicidality and substance use. It is critical to assess for safety in each conversation with parents and their caregivers. Below are resources to help address different crisis situations. DocAssist consultants are also available to help providers problem solve individual patient needs and risk factors during a free consultation.
The SAMSHA Disaster Distress Hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hotline is staffed by trained counselors who provide confidential crisis counseling. Call 800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish).
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Additional resources are available on their website for the deaf or hard of hearing, youth, loss survivors, attempt survivors, LGBTQ and resources in Spanish.
1-800-273-TALK (8255) or chat on their website
For Spanish: 1-888-628-9454 For Deaf or Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889
The National Domestic Violence Helpline provides guidance on how to stay safe and access help during the COVID-19 pandemic. The confidential help line continues to be operational and can be accessed by calling 1-800-799-7233, TTY 1−800−787−3224 or text LOVEIS to 22522.
The SAMSHA Substance Abuse Helpline is available for patients and family members experiencing issues with substance abuse. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
The Trevor Project provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth under age 25. The Trevor Project has reported a significant increase in call volume since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn how the pandemic impacts the LGBTQ community, access Implications for COVID-19 for LGBTQ Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
Youth experiencing difficulties can call 866-488-7386 or text START 678678 .
Resources for Perinatal Women
The Centers for Disease Control has information available regarding COVID-19 and it’s impact on pregnancy, breastfeeding and infants.
MothertoBaby.org has information about COVID-19 in pregnancy and breastfeeding. There is also an information line available at 866-626-6847.
Cherishedmom.org is a resource that promotes awareness of perinatal mood disorders and the importance of self care. The website includes printed and video educational materials as well as support groups available.
Postpartum Support International has a free help line, provider directory and phone based support groups for women in the prenatal or postpartum period experiencing distress. They have added multiple weekly phone based support groups led by trained clinicians for pregnant women during the COVID-19 crisis.
1-800-944-4773 #1 En Espanol or #2 English
TEXT: English: 503-894-9453 / Español: 971-420-0294
Resources for Immigrants
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights created a guide to address the needs of the immigrant and refugee communities during the pandemic.
Resources for Providers
National Public Radio, WBEZ, provides information about the rise in numbers of COVID-19 in children. Listen here for more information on recommendations for children.
The CDC shares a study published from South Korea on contract tracing that found children ages 10-19 were more likely to spread the virus to household members. Learn more here.
The Illinois chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has resources for primary care providers that answer questions salient to the pandemic.
Headspace is providing free app services through 2020 for any healthcare professional with a NPI number.
Shine and Mental Health America have created a website that assists in navigating the anxiety and stress associated with the pandemic. The website has evidence based articles about the virus as well as providing guidance about accessing services and answering questions about different topics such as wellness, finances and isolation.
The Happiness Lab podcast with Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos developed episodes on the coronavirus. Some topics include isolation, handling crisis, rising to the challenge and helping the helper. Find more information on the podcast here.
The American Psychological Association has information and resources available for healthcare professionals and the public. Resource categories include stress, anxiety, grief, financial worries and more. Visit the website for more information.
The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress has developed a resource page for healthcare providers that addresses topics including supporting families of healthcare workers exposed to COVID-19, notifying families of a death, sleep for healthcare workers and how to support patients during isolation.
The American Psychiatric Association provides guidance on working remotely and maintain wellness for providers during the pandemic. Access information through Working Remotely During COVID-19: Your Mental Health & Well-Being.
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association has developed information for nurses including support, managing stress and assisting patients during the pandemic.
Resources to Assist in Talking to Children About COVID-19 and Pandemics
The National Association of School Psychologists created a guide for parents on how to help children adjust to the changes related to COVID-19.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network developed a Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope With the Coronavirus Disease 2019.
SAMSHA developed Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks that can be accessed here.
Mindheart created a short book for children under seven regarding COVID-19. The book is available in multiple languages and free to download.
The American Psychological Association has a book for children: A Kid’s Guide to Coronavirus
