IPHI INITIATIVES
Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative
The Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative funds 29 community organizations across Illinois that are expanding access to medical respite care for people experiencing homelessness.
About the Initiative
In 2019, IPHI began convening medical respite programs through the Alliance for Health Equity as an implementation strategy for community health improvement. Since 2023, IPHI has been proud to partner with the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) to lead the state-funded Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative.
Cook County Medical Respite Network
The Cook County Medical Respite Network (CCMRN) is a subset of the Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative. The regional group convenes Medical Respite providers with established programs and programs in the planning or pilot phase, hospitals, healthcare providers, Chicago and Suburban Cook County Continuums of Care, health departments, among other key partners in Chicago and across Cook County broadly.
FY 2026 IMRCBI Awardees
Arrowleaf
BEDS Plus Care
Blessing Health System
City of Champaign Township
Connections for the Homeless
Cornerstone Community Outreach
FranRu (Franciscan Outreach + Rush)
Greater Alton Community Development Corporation
Helping Hands of Springfield
Home Sweet Home Ministries
Housing Forward (prev. MacNeal)
Journeys the Road Home
Lake County Crisis Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Domestic Violence, Inc. DBA A Safe Place
Lawndale Christian Health Center
McLean County Center for Human Services
PADS Lake County
Phoenix Community Development Services
Project NOW
Regional Housing & Supportive Services, Inc./DBA Hope on 5th
Respond Now
Respite Suites
Rockford Human Services Department
SIRAC (Southern IL Resources and Advocacy Center)
Take Action Today
The Boulevard
The Inner Voice
The Night Ministry
Wholistic Alliance
Will Grundy Medical Clinic
IPHI and Medical Respite in Illinois
A safe place to heal can change everything. Medical respite care gives people experiencing homelessness a place to recover with dignity while receiving care coordination and social supports for health and housing stability.
Core Components of Medical Respite Programs
- 24-hour access to a bed
- 3 meals per day
- Transportation to medical appointments
- Access to a phone for telehealth and/or communications related to medical needs
- Safe space to store personal items
- Wellness check at least 1x every 24 hours by medical respite staff
Through the Illinois Medical Respite Capacity Building Initiative (IMRCBI), IPHI works to strengthen and expand medical respite services across Illinois through a range of coordinated activities. The sections below provide more detail on how IMRCBI supports this work, from building connections and capacity across the field to identifying gaps and opportunities, sharing resources, and strengthening awareness of medical respite.
Convening Partners for Learning and System Analysis
IPHI works with medical respite programs to hold monthly peer-to-peer learning and training, regional calls for cross-referrals and case consultation, and we partner with other agencies to convene for policy and systems implementation including with HFS for the Medicaid 1115 waiver.
Providing Support and Technical Assistance
IPHI partners with the National Institute for Medical Respite Care (NIMRC) to provide tailored technical assistance for medical respite programs in design, pilot, and expansion phases.
Identifying Statewide Gaps, Challenges, and Opportunities
In 2026, IPHI conducted a statewide gap analysis to identify challenges and opportunities to help ensure future growth aligns with community needs and strengthens the medical respite system.
Supporting Communications and Outreach
The 2026 Illinois Medical Respite Communications Toolkit provides a comprehensive suite of communications resources designed to help medical respite programs educate partners, strengthen referrals, build community collaborations, enhance sustainability, and expand awareness of medical respite across Illinois.
Medical Respite Network Guide
The Medical Respite Network Guide is a tool for referring-hospitals and health centers to identify Medical Respite programs, with links to provider websites, referral forms, and contact information. The guide also offers detailed information explaining medical respite, common referral guidelines, and the four models of Medical Respite care.
At present, the Network Guide lists operating programs in Cook County. The tool is actively expanding to include statewide Medical Respite programs and emerging programs in 2026.
Learn More or Make a Referral
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