Presence.Victim Advocacy in Chicago
Support understanding victim-assistance processes, compensation applications, court-related needs, and communication with appropriate agencies. Assistance is not a guarantee of eligibility, payment, or a legal result.
A clearer path through the paperwork Crime Victim Compensation: Step by Step Official instructions · Preparing · Applying · Following up
Solutions and Resources (SnR) can help you find a starting point. Use this checklist alongside the official Illinois instructions, or call 872.702.1313 to discuss navigation support. SnR does not decide eligibility or award compensation.
State application help is separate from SnR. Relay: 711. Official websites and PDFs open in a new tab. This guide does not submit an application.
If the application does not open, use the AG program page for current application options ↗ or call the State assistance line.
Your records do not belong in a website form here. This guide collects no names, addresses, documents or claim details. Follow the State’s submission instructions. Before sharing records with an advocate, agree on the appropriate private channel.
Start with the official instructionsKnow which questions to ask before completing the form.
Read the instructions at the front of the State application. Ask the AG which applicant and signature instructions fit your situation, what timing requirements apply, and which documents to prepare. This checklist does not determine those answers for you.
Ask: “Whose information belongs on this application? Who should complete and sign it? What should I do first?”
Organize the information you haveKeep a private checklist—not a new online intake.
- Available incident information and a police report number, if known.
- Relevant bills, receipts and notes about expenses paid or still outstanding.
- Copies of notices or documents already sent, and any claim reference provided.
- A short list of missing information and questions for the AG.
Need a copy of the police report?
Under Illinois law, 725 ILCS 120/4(b-5) ↗, a crime victim may request a free copy of the police report for their incident from the law-enforcement agency that has jurisdiction. The law requires it as soon as practicable, no later than five business days after the request.
You do not need to wait for your copy before starting the compensation application. The AG’s instructions (PDF, page 1) ↗ say its office will request the report for its investigation. Include the report number if known; otherwise provide as much incident information as you can. Other program requirements still apply.
Requesting for someone else? Ask the agency what authority or documentation it needs. This note does not promise an unredacted investigative file.
Solutions and Resources (SnR) can help identify the appropriate agency and organize questions. This website does not request reports automatically or collect your records.
Police-report note checked .
Check the application instructions for what to include. Ask how to handle missing information and how to send additional records. Do not guess at an answer or send private documents through this webpage.
Work through the State formRead the instructions, contact choices and authorizations.
Use the official instructions alongside each section. Review your contact information, the questions about losses, and the certification and releases. Ask the AG or a qualified legal adviser about wording you do not understand before signing.
Want an advocate involved? Section 1, Part C of the posted application contains advocate-contact fields and a separate consent question. Read those fields on the official form. No consent is collected or preselected here.
Call SnR to discuss navigation support and confirm a contact before listing the organization. Keep the applicant’s choices central.
Use an official submission routeThe State application is separate from SnR’s website.
The AG’s program page provides the online application link and downloadable application options. Check its current submission instructions before sending sensitive information. Keep your own copy, the submission date and method, and any confirmation provided.
Language or access support: use the State’s language materials and ask its assistance line about translation, interpretation or another way to apply. These are State resources, not a claim that SnR provides services in every language.
Official application options, language materials and process videos ↗
Keep track of follow-upRead each request and keep your contact information current.
Tell the AG when your contact details change. For each request, write down the documents requested, the deadline on the notice, and where to respond. Ask the assigned office promptly when something is unclear or a document is difficult to obtain.
Ask: “Was my application received? What is my claim reference? What is still needed? When is it due, and who should I contact?”
Keep a private log of calls, letters and documents sent. This webpage does not track your claim, check its status or extend a deadline.
Bring payment questions to the programAn application is not a payment promise.
Use the AG’s guide and the contact on your notice for payment questions. SnR’s website cannot promise an award, amount, recipient or payment date.
Ask: “What has been decided? Is any paperwork outstanding? Who would receive an approved payment? What is the next step?”
If a need cannot wait, explain that when contacting the program or SnR. Do not assume immediate funds are available.
Get help understanding a noticeKeep the notice and check the current official instructions.
Read a closure, determination or other notice promptly and keep a copy. Use its official contact information to ask what it requires. For appeals, consult the Court of Claims’ current instructions and seek qualified legal assistance when interpretation is needed.
Ask: “What does this notice mean for my next step? Where and when must I respond?”
This guide does not select an appeal route, interpret a deadline or file anything for you.
Contact SnR to discuss navigation support, or the AG directly for application and claim questions.
Official sources, dates and scope
Original navigation sources checked . The police-report note and its statutory/application sources were checked . The posted application is marked revised December 2024; the posted program guide is marked revised November 2024. Check the current State materials and your actual notices.
This is an SnR navigation checklist, not an official State publication, legal advice, eligibility decision or complete statement of program rules. It does not restate benefit amounts, fixed filing periods, exceptions, payment rules or appeal procedures.
From the scene forward
There is no single timetable or required sequence for recovery. Explore the relevant parts of SnR’s care pathway.
05JusticeAgency through unfamiliar systems
Information. A voice. Someone beside you.
Investigations, court dates, notifications, and assistance applications can unfold long after the incident. People may want information, accompaniment, help identifying the correct office, or simply a clearer explanation of a process. The case’s progress and a person’s healing are not the same thing.
What support can look like
- Discuss court-related accompaniment and help identify appropriate victim-service or agency contacts.
- Help people organize questions and navigate available assistance or compensation information.
- Support communication while respecting confidentiality, the person’s wishes, and the limits of an advocate’s role.
How this connects to healing
Advocacy aims to keep people from feeling lost between institutions. It supports participation and informed choices where possible; it cannot guarantee an arrest, a decision, financial eligibility, or a legal result. Healing does not have to wait for a case to end.
Beyond the immediate household
Witnesses, affected employees, and neighbors may have their own questions or fears. They should be directed to appropriate official contacts and support, not asked to post case details, identify someone online, or conduct a community investigation.
A next step
Use official case contacts for legal or investigative questions. SnR can discuss navigation and accompaniment; this site is not legal advice.
Discuss your next step
Contact SnR to discuss individual needs, possible support and appropriate referrals. Availability and eligibility vary. A website visit does not dispatch a responder or reserve an appointment.
For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911. Clinical treatment, legal representation, direct financial assistance and particular outcomes are not guaranteed.
Illinois Crime Victim Compensation — official program information ↗
Check current requirements and application instructions with the Illinois Attorney General. Eligibility and payment are not guaranteed.
Solutions and Resources (SnR) can help people locate official Illinois information when firearm access is part of a serious safety concern. The Illinois State Police FAQs explain Firearms Restraining Orders and filing rules. SnR does not decide who can file, whether an order fits a particular situation or provide legal representation. For immediate danger, call 911.
Official Illinois information: see Firearms Restraining Order ↗ · Source checked: