DHS Office Locator Help

  1. Overview
  2. Step 1 Select Office Type:
  3. Step 2 Select County:
  4. Step 3 Find Offices:
  5. Search Results:
  6. Office Type Descriptions:
  7. Map Controls:
  8. Get Directions:
  9. Support:
  10. Frequently Asked Questions

Return to Office Locator Map

Overview

DHS Office Locator Map is a web-based application that assists in locating Department of Human Services resource offices and service providers. The application may be accessed 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

To operate DHS Office Locator Map, select the county (or county and office type) you desire and click the "Find Offices" button. The "Search Results" area will display the name and address of the DHS resource office(s) or service provider(s) that serve the specified county/area. In addition, there is a button to a Google map showing the office location.

While searching for resource offices and service providers, please note that many offices serve areas outside the county in which they reside.

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Step 1 Select Office Type:

Using the drop down box, select an office type. You do not have to select an office type. If you do not select an office type, all DHS resource offices and service providers in the selected county will be returned in the "Search Results" area.

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Step 2 Select County:

Using the drop down box, select a county. If you select Cook, you may optionally enter a Cook county zip code.

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Step 3 Find Offices:

Click the 'Find Offices' button. If the county and office type you selected has results matching your request, they will show in the "Search Results" area just below the button. See the Search Results section of this document for help.

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Search Results:

After clicking the "Find Offices" button, the search results will become visible at the bottom of the page. The results will contain the full name, full address, telephone number(s) and a button to view a map of the area in which the office is located. At the bottom of the search results list, a map will appear with the offices located on it.

To view a map of a specific office location, click the "Show Map" button directly below the office name and contact information of the office you would like to view. A map contains markers or pinpoints of the exact location of the office. Clicking on a marker or pinpoint will cause the map to zoom into the that area or make that map area larger, allowing a more detailed view of the office location. You may double click any area on the map and the map will zoom to that area.

If your search results in too many offices, try narrowing your search. To do this, select a specific county and/or office type combination. The more narrow your search the more specific your results.

Please note while searching for resource offices and service providers, many offices serve areas outside the county in which they reside.

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Office Type Descriptions:

Office type descriptions are located at the bottom of the application page. You may scroll to the bottom of the page to view descriptions of each office type.

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Map Controls:

The map control used in GeoSoruce is the Google Maps, large pan/zoom control. It appears in the top left corner of the map.

Google's Large Pan/Zoom Control

  • Up Arrow - used to scroll up.
  • Down Arrow - used to scroll down.
  • Left Arrow - used to scroll left.
  • Right Arrow - used to scroll right.
  • ' + ' Symbol is to zoom in.
  • ' - ' Symbol is to zoom out.

To pan the map area, you may click and drag the map or use the Google tool in the upper-left hand corner of the map. Alternatively, map panning may be done by clicking on the map and dragging it into the area you would like to see or using the tab key on your keyboard to select the map, then using your keyboard arrow keys, you may scroll the map in the direction of the arrow key.

Map type definitions:

  • Map: view shows map, streets, street names and landmarks.
  • Satellite: shows satellite and aerial images of your locations.
  • Hybrid: View superimposes map data - Including streets, street names, and landmarks-over satellite images.

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Get Directions:

To find a route to this office, click on the "To this Office" link. This link will take you to the Google Maps website where you may enter your starting address.

To find a route from this office, click on the "From this Office" link. This link will take you to the Google Maps website where you may enter your destination address.

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Support:

Note: This application uses Google Maps.


For further technical assistance or comments, email DHS.Webmaster@illinois.gov.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. I am having problems understanding how to use the Office Locator application.
  2. When I search for an office in a particular county or zip, why do I get results from other counties and/or zip codes?
  3. I have found the office I need. How do I get directions to get there?
  4. I found the office but some of the information is incorrect.  What should I do?
  5. Why will the program not allow me to enter a zip code?
  6. Do I have to enter a zip code to search for an office?
  7. What if I can not find an office in my area?
  8. The type of office I need is not listed in the Office Type field. What should I do?
  9. The map shows multiple offices. How do I know which marker is the office I am looking for?
  10. The map isn't detailed enough to see the streets in the area around the office marker. What should I do?
  11. Who do I contact to see if I qualify for services?
  12. What should I do if I do not know the county for which I am seeking services?

  1. I am having problems understanding how to use the Office Locator application.

    Next to the "Find Offices" button, there is a Help link. The Help link provides basic step-by-step instructions for using the program. Scroll up to see additional Help information.

    If assistance is still needed, email DHS.Webmaster@illinois.gov.

  2. When I search for an office in a particular county or zip, why do I get results from other counties and/or zip codes?

    Offices generally have a loosely defined service area which may consist of other counties and/or zip codes that is not the county/zip in which the office resides. Also, it is in entirely possible that the county or zip code for which the search was performed does not have that particular type of service office available.

    As an example, not all counties have a DHS Administrative Office. When searching for an Administrative Office for Adams county, the result will be an office in Sangamon County which provides administrative services for Adams county.

  3. I have found the office I need. How do I get directions to get there?

    Under the office name and contact information there are a couple links: "To this Office" and "From this Office." By clicking on either of these links below the selected service, a full screen map will be displayed with the ability to enter the address which you will be coming from. Enter the address and hit enter. You may be asked to confirm the address as the program will attempt to standardize the address into a format for which it will understand.

    The program will display turn-by-turn directions to/from your destination on the left hand side of the screen. The right 2/3 of the screen will show a map with directions indicated by a blue-ish line - from your location to the office destination.

  4. I found the office but some of the information is incorrect.

    Please click the Email Technical Support link to email DHS.Webmaster@illinois.gov and provide the correct information; or if the information is unknown then we will look into finding the correct information.

  5. Why will the program not allow me to enter a zip code?

    Zip code is only usable when searching for an office which provides services in Cook county. Offices outside of Cook are searchable only by county.

  6. Do I have to enter a zip code to search for an office.

    You do not need to enter a zip code to search for an office. You can enter a county name or, search the entire state of Illinois by selecting 'All' in the County field. Actually, zip code can only be used when searching within Cook county.

  7. What if I can not find an office in my area?

    You could try to search surrounding counties or the entire state of Illinois. To search the whole state, enter 'All' in the County field. If you are still unsure, try searching for the DHS Administrative Office that supports your county and call them for a reference. Alternatively, contact DHS to find the appropriate email address and/or phone number.

  8. The type of office I need is not listed in the Office Type field. What should I do?

    Do a search for the DHS Administrative Office that supports your county and call them for a reference. Alternativley, contact DHS to find the appropriate email address and/or phone number.

  9. The map shows multiple offices. How do I know which marker is the office I am looking for?

    Click on the "Show Map" button directly under the selected office. This will provide a map zoomed in to only that particular office marker. Or on a map with multiple markers, clicking on the marker will provide a pop-up 'bubble' displaying the address of that particular marker.

  10. The map isn't detailed enough to see the streets in the area around the office marker. What should I do?

    On the map, there are controls on the left which allow you to zoom-in (+) or zoom-out (-). The arrows in the upper left hand corner allow you to pan up, down, left and right. The button in the middle of the four panning arrows, is the reset button. The reset will take the map back to the initial display.

  11. Who do I contact to see if I qualify for services?

    Do a search for the DHS Administrative Office that supports your county and call them for a reference. Or click the Contact DHS link to find appropriate email address and/or phone number.

    Apply for cash assistance, food stamps, or medical assistance.

  12. What should I do if I do not know the county for which I am seeking services?

    If you know the Office Type but not the county, it is possible to select 'All' under 'Select Your County.' This will provide a list of all offices in Illinois which offer a particular service. It might be possible to locate the office by a city name from this list.

    If that does not narrow the list enough or identify a familiar location, searching for a city name using www.MapQuest.com may provide the county boundaries and names. The county name can then be used in the Office Locator application to locate the office. 

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