The JCFS offers a wide range of programs and services. For
more information, visit JCFS.
AIDS Service and Support Program
LOCATIONS: Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center,
Chicago City (North) Community Counseling Center, Goldie Bachmann
Luftig Building, North Suburban Community Counseling Center,
Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center, South Suburban
Community Counseling Center,
Virginia Frank Child Development Center, West Suburban Community
Counseling Center
CONTACT: Daniel Hirschhorn,
Goldie Bachman Luftig Building, 847-568-5219
DESCRIPTION: AIDS Service and Support Program promotes awareness,
education and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
diseases.
The Center for Practice Excellence
LOCATION: Elaine Kersten Children’s Center
CONTACT: Steve Wildman,
Assistant to the Associate Executive Director, 847-412-4387
DESCRIPTION: The Center for Practice Excellence is the educational
center of JCFS, dedicated to providing the most current clinical
conferences and training to area professionals, agency staff,
and student interns from the fields of social work, psychology,
counseling, and art therapy. Since 1996, we have trained over
2,100 area professionals and students on topics such as attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder, the effects of divorce on
families, and violence in adolescence.
Chemical Dependency Program
of the Jewish Healing Network of Chicago
DESCRIPTION: The Chemical Dependency Program provides intervention
and referral to treatment facilities; support groups, and
spiritual retreats for people with chemical dependency and
their family and friends; and education for professionals,
religious and community leaders in Jewish settings about the
prevalence of substance abuse in our community and how to
respond.
Counseling
LOCATIONS: Northwest Community Counseling Center, West Suburban
Community Counseling Center, Goldie Bachmann Luftig Building,
Elaine Kersten Children’s Center, North Suburban Community
Counseling Center, Chicago City (downtown, north) Community
Counseling Centers, Joy Faith Knapp Children’s Center,
South Suburban Community Counseling Center
CONTACTS: Edward Reed,
Director of Children and Family Centers, 847-568-5106 or Ruth Fruehauf,
Director of Community Counseling Centers, 773-467-3782
DESCRIPTION: Community Counseling Centers offers a range
of services including individual, couple, family, and group
counseling for children and adults of all ages. Clinicians
provide comprehensive and integrated assessments and interventions
with mutually established goals. Overall program goals are
to strengthen individuals and families by improving functioning,
coping and communication. Some of the other services included
in this program are family life education and financial assistance.
Early Childhood Autism Academy
LOCATION: Elaine Kersten Children’s Center
CONTACT: Judy Katz,
Early Childhood Specialist, 847-412-4380
DESCRIPTION: The Early Childhood Autism Academy combines
the latest innovative therapeutic methods with a strong family
component. Serving children ages three to six, the Academy
is distinctive in its year-round program and full-day schedule
of classroom activities and services.
DESCRIPTION: With the assistance of the Jewish Community
Centers of Chicago, the Early Childhood Center For Innovative
Learning is now operating a unique childcare program that
is dedicated to providing quality programming for both children
with and without disabilities in an inclusive environment.
Working in collaboration with the Northern Suburban Special
Education District (NSSED) and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP),
ECCIL provides year-round full and part-time childcare.
Early Intervention
LOCATIONS: Elaine Kersten Children’s Center and Joy
F. Knapp Children’s Center
CONTACT: Marlies
Gramann, Director of Clinical Services, 847-412-4342
DESCRIPTION: Early Intervention provides comprehensive therapeutic
services for children ages 0 to 6. Services are provided by
experienced and credentialed staff and include the following:
Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Developmental
Therapy, Developmental Play Groups, Social Work, Psychology
and Nursing. EI also includes the Autism Assessment Service,
which provides a comprehensive Autism-specific battery to
diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders in all ages.
DESCRIPTION: JCFS places children and adolescents from birth
to 21 years of age who are wards of the State in JCFS foster
homes. Our Specialized Foster Care program serves children
who have a high degree of emotional/behavioral and medical
problems. The full service, comprehensive program provides
individual/family therapy, group therapy, life skills classes,
respite care and case management services.
DESCRIPTION: Provide parent coaching to families and children
in foster care within Cook County. Program is to assist in
reunification of families.
Gay and Lesbian Community
Services
LOCATIONS: Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center,
Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center, Goldie
Bachmann Luftig Building, North Suburban Community Counseling
Center, Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center, South
Suburban Community Counseling Center, Virginia Frank Child
Development Center, West Suburban Community Counseling Center
DESCRIPTION: Gay and Lesbian Community Services offer a Jewish
environment to GLBT individuals, their partners and their
families.
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of
Chicago (HIAS Chicago)
LOCATIONS: 216 W. Jackson, Chicago, Chicago City (North)
Community Counseling Center, Goldie Bachmann Luftig Building,
Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center, Ezra Multi-Service
Center, community sites through the city and suburbs
CONTACTS: Susan Wexler,
Assistant Director, 312-673-3233 or Howard Cohen, Assistant
Director, 312-673-3232
DESCRIPTION: HIAS Chicago provides a wide range of immigration
related services including refugee processing, family based
immigrant petitions, green card and citizenship application
assistance, as well as citizenship preparation through volunteer
driven classes, individual tutoring and practice interviews.
HIAS Chicago assists those interested in locating long-lost
relatives and, in partnership with Holocaust Community Services,
helps Holocaust survivors to apply for restitution. HIAS Chicago
participates actively with the Jewish Federation on city,
state and federal levels in advocating on behalf of immigrants
and refugees.
Holocaust Community Services
LOCATIONS: Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center,
Chicago City (North) Community Counseling Center, Goldie Bachmann
Luftig Building, North Suburban Community Counseling Center,
Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center, South Suburban
Community Counseling Center, Virginia Frank Child Development
Center, West Suburban Community Counseling Center
DESCRIPTION: Holocaust Community Services is a communal service
network for aging survivors of the Holocaust and their families.
Services include home delivered meals, transportation, adult
day services, personal care, housekeeping, laundry, counseling,
care management, drop-in groups, financial assistance, assistance
with applications for compensation and reparation program,
consultation and training. It is a collaborative effort of
JCFS, Council for Jewish Elderly, HIAS Chicago, and the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
DESCRIPTION: The Jewish Healing Network of Chicago ensures
that people in the Chicago Jewish community who struggle with
illness and loss can find out about and access social service,
medical and spiritual resources. Services include Nursing
Home Visiting, a resource library, support groups, community
and professional conferences and Bikur Cholim (visiting the
sick) training in synagogues. It is a joint program of JCFS,
Council for Jewish Elderly, the Chicago Board of Rabbis and
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
Keshev and Deaf Kids Festival
LOCATIONS: Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center,
Chicago City (North) Community Counseling Center, Goldie Bachmann
Luftig Building, North Suburban Community Counseling Center,
Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center, South Suburban
Community Counseling Center, Virginia Frank Child Development
Center, West Suburban Community Counseling Center
DESCRIPTION: Keshev provides a full range of counseling and
preventative services to members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing
community and their families. The Deaf Kids Fest is an annual
event of fun, entertainment and learning for deaf and hard
of hearing children through age 14 and their families.
DESCRIPTION: Advocacy Services provides legal representation,
consultation, and information and referral services to individuals
with disabilities and their families. Advocacy Services also
provides consultations and information and referrals to the
social service staffs of Jewish Federation agencies and other
community agencies. This Federation program focuses on special
education law, mental illness and developmental disabilities
law, adult guardianship law and Social Security Disability
benefits law.
Life Education Network
LOCATIONS: Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center,
Chicago City (North) Community Counseling Center, Goldie Bachmann
Luftig Building, North Suburban Community Counseling Center,
Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center, South Suburban
Community Counseling Center, Virginia Frank Child Development
Center, West Suburban Community Counseling Center
CONTACT: Ruth Fruehauf,
Director of Community Counseling Centers, 773-467-3782
DESCRIPTION: Life Education Network programs are small discussion
and support groups for children and adults on contemporary
topics, led by qualified and dedicated professionals. An example
is the Chicago Chuppah Project, which provides workshops for
engaged and newly married couples to help them build a Jewish
home and a successful marriage.
DESCRIPTION: Migdal Oaz provides a home and supportive services
for adults who have developmental disabilities.
Pastoral Counseling of the
Jewish Healing Network of Chicago
LOCATIONS: Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center,
Chicago City (North) Community Counseling Center, Goldie Bachmann
Luftig Building, North Suburban Community Counseling Center,
Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center, South Suburban
Community Counseling Center, Virginia Frank Child Development
Center, West Suburban Community Counseling Center
DESCRIPTION: 'Rabbi Joe' is available for consultation with
clinicians or for short-term work with clients to address
spiritual issues raised by struggles with illness and loss.
He can also co-lead one or multiple sessions of Life Education
Network groups around illness and loss.
Project Esther: The Chicago
Jewish Adoption Network
LOCATION: Joy F. Knapp Children's Center
CONTACT: Marsha Raynes,
Director of Project Esther, 773-467-3747
DESCRIPTION: Project Esther: The Chicago Jewish Adoption
Network provides comprehensive services for adoptive and prospective
adoptive families, couples, individuals and the Jewish communities
in which they live. Services include adoption home studies,
linking families to domestic and international adoption placement
agencies, support groups, social networking programs and educational
conferences and workshops. Project Esther also provides services
to birth parents and adult adoptees.
DESCRIPTION: Project Shield exists to respond to the overwhelming
silence in the Jewish community about issues of sexual abuse
and molestation. Project Shield provides a 24-hour hotline,
confidential information and referral services for victims
and adult survivors of sexual abuse. In addition, the program
offers education and training services for students and staff
at area day schools and summer camps.
Psychological Services
LOCATION: Elaine Kersten Children’s Center
CONTACT: Alysa Slay,
Psy. D., Director of Psychological Services, 847-412-4366
DESCRIPTION: The Psychological Services department of JCFS
is comprised of a team of qualified professionals in the field
of Clinical Psychology. This team offers the community an
opportunity to receive high quality, individualized, and affordable
assessment and consultation. Services can be obtained as a
primary service or in conjunction with one of JCFS’
many programs or services. Services include psychological
evaluations, parenting capacity assessments and autism spectrum
disorder assessments.
Refugee Resettlement Services
LOCATION: Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center
DESCRIPTION: Resettlement Services including counseling,
financial assistance and referrals to medical, education and
vocational resources are available for refugees and immigrants.
Residential Services
LOCATIONS: Five homes in West Rogers Park. The administrative
offices are at the Joy F. Knapp Children’s Center.
CONTACT: Shelley
Weiss, LCSW, Coordinator of Intake, 773-467-3713
DESCRIPTION: Residential Treatment at Jewish Child &
Family Services consists of five homes designed to help children
whose treatment needs exceed the resources of family care.
Our homes treat children and adolescents with a wide range
of clinical disorders, including mood disorders, ADHD, oppositional
behaviors and developmental disorders. The homes include:
Rosenberg Group Home
The Rosenberg Group Home has a capacity of twelve and serves
girls and young women between the ages of twelve and twenty-one.
Price Pregnant and Parenting Teen Group Home
The Price Group Home can serve up to eight teens who are
pregnant and/or parenting, and their babies. In addition
to the childcare staff and therapist, there is a nurse and
child development specialist available to the residents.
Cummings Group Home
The Cummings Group Home is a small, highly structured home
serving six boys between the ages of six and thirteen.
Aggregate Foster Homes
JCFS operates two Aggregate Foster Homes, the Talman Home
and the Campbell Home. Both homes serve boys between the
ages of eleven and twenty with a capacity of six at Talman
and seven at Campbell. These homes follow a family model
where a group of boys lives with a highly trained foster
parent(s) with additional structure, support and guidance
provided by three additional childcare staff assigned to
the home.
Respite Services
LOCATION: Joy F. Knapp Children’s Center
CONTACT: Sara Johnson,
Director of Respite Services, 773-467-3750
DESCRIPTION: Respite provides a mentoring, therapeutic relationship
to children with special needs and short-term relief to parents.
The overall goals of the Respite Program are to support the
child in functioning at his/her fullest potential, decrease
the level of stress for families, to prevent the move of children
into a more restrictive environment, and to improve the overall
functioning of the child and family.
Response Center
LOCATIONS: Skokie Office and Prairie View Office
CONTACTS: Robin
Stein, Director of Response Center, 224-625-2900 or
Randy Parks, Assistant Director, 224-625-2901 or
Becky Carter, Clinical Coordinator (Intake), 224-625-2909
DESCRIPTION: Response Center was established in 1970 as a
program of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago to
provide adolescents and their families with education, counseling
and medical services that enable them to make healthy life
choices. It combines resources of four Federation agencies:
Jewish Child & Family Services, Jewish Community Centers,
Jewish Vocational Service and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Services to Organizations Serving
Children (SOSC)
LOCATIONS: Community Sites
CONTACT: Edward Reed,
847-568-5106, Director of Children and Family Centers
DESCRIPTION: SOSC provides consultation and school social
work services to early childhood, elementary and high school
programs throughout the Chicago area.
Services to People with
Disabilities and their Families
LOCATIONS: Community Counseling Centers
CONTACT: Tamara
Besser, Eva Cooper, Disability Coordinator and Specialist,
773-467-3751
DESCRIPTION: Coordinate a number of services for people with
disabilities (primarily developmental) and their families
such as sibshops, family camp and social skills groups. Consultation
is also available for JCFS staff.
Shaarei Chesed: Comfort and
Support with Advanced Illness
LOCATION: Goldie Bachmann Luftig Building
CONTACT: Carol Klein,
Goldie Bachman Luftig Building, 847-568-5208
DESCRIPTION: A new program of JHNC to ensure quality of life
for patients and families facing advanced illness in a Jewish
context. Jewish Healing Network of Chicago and Seasons Hospice
& Palliative Care have a preferred provider relationship.
Seasons provides medical hospice services that focus on comfort
and symptom relief; JHNC meets the spiritual and emotional
needs of patients by providing a chaplain, staff training,
educational and spiritual materials, and resources for Jewish
religious observance.
DESCRIPTION: The Swartzberg and Zoller Residential Respite
program offers a home to young adults that are experiencing
a crisis. Young adults can live in a supportive, confidential
and empowering environment for up to six months to stabilize
and transition back into the community.
DESCRIPTION: JCFS’ System of Care (SOC) program provides
an array of services, from assessment to intensive therapy
to wards of the state of Illinois. SOC works with emotionally
and behaviorally disturbed youth and their families. SOC focuses
on permanency for children within their own communities and
attempts to avoid placement in more restrictive settings,
such as group homes or residential treatment facilities.
Therapeutic Day School &
Yeshiva
LOCATION: Joy F. Knapp Children's Center
CONTACT: Ede
Snyder, Assistant Principal, 773-467-3900
DESCRIPTION: JCFS’ Therapeutic Day School is designed
to meet the needs of students, grades 1-12, with emotional
and behavioral disorders who have adjusted poorly within the
traditional education system.
Virginia Frank Child Development
Center
LOCATION: Virginia Frank Child Development Center, 3033 W.
Touhy, Chicago
DESCRIPTION: The Virginia Frank Child Development Center
provides a network of preventative and therapeutic services
to parents and their young children, including a therapeutic
nursery and kindergarten, counseling, a get-together group
for parents and their young children, and workshops and groups
addressing developmental issues and parenting. The Consultation,
Education and Training Program of VFCDC provide support to
early childhood programs throughout the Chicago area to enable
staff to effectively address the psychological and cognitive
development needs of the children they serve.
Volunteers and Mentors
LOCATION: Joy F. Knapp Children's Center
CONTACT: Heather Sher,
Coordinator of Volunteers, 773-467-3746
DESCRIPTION: Our diverse group of Chicagoland volunteers
compliment and reinforce services to families by providing
an array of supportive activities such as tutoring and mentoring.
Yad B’ Yad
LOCATION: Joy Faith Knapp Children’s Center
CONTACT: Tamara
Besser, Eva Cooper, Disabilities Specialist, 847-412-4357
DESCRIPTION: Yad B' Yad is a volunteer program bringing together
Jewish young adults with developmental disabilities and young
Jewish volunteers for social, cultural and religious activities.
Jewish Child & Family
Services Office Locations
Central Office
216 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60606
312-444-2090
Fax 312-855-3754
Roger S. Bloch Child & Family Counseling Center
at the Goldie
Bachmann Luftig Building
5150 W. Golf Road
Skokie, IL 60077
847-568-5200
TTY 847-568-5240
Fax 847-568-5250
Chicago City (Downtown) Community Counseling Center
216 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60606
312-357-4800
Fax 312-855-3754
Chicago City (North) Community Counseling Center
3525 W. Peterson Avenue, Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60659
773-866-5035
Fax 773-866-1035
Child and Adolescent Institute
at the Elaine Kersten Children's Center
255 Revere Drive, Suite 200
Northbrook, IL 60062
847-412-4387
Early Childhood Center for Innovative Learning
776 Red Oak Lane
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-831-2692
Fax 847-831-2731
HIAS Chicago
216 W. Jackson, Suite 700
Chicago, IL. 60606
312-357-4800
JCFS Therapeutic Day School and Yeshiva
at the Joy F. Knapp Children's Center
3145 W. Pratt Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60645
773-467-3900
Fax 773-467-3999
Elaine Kersten Children's Center
on the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Campus
255 Revere Drive, Suite 200
Northbrook, IL 60062
847-412-4350
Fax 847-412-4360
Joy F. Knapp Children's Center
3145 W. Pratt Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60645
773-467-3700
Fax 773-467-3799
North Suburban Community Counseling Center
85 Revere Drive, Suite J
Northbrook, IL 60062
847-272-2882
Fax 847-272-1115
Northwest Suburban Community Counseling Center
1156 W. Shure Drive, Suite 181
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
847-392-8970
Fax 847-392-3221
Response Center: Skokie
9304 N. Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, IL 60077
847-676-0078
Fax 847-676-0574
South Suburban Community Counseling Center
3649 W. 183rd Street, Suite 123
Hazel Crest, IL 60429
708-798-1859
Fax 708-798-9148
Virginia Frank Child Development Center
3033 W. Touhy Avenue
Chicago, IL 60645
773-761-4550
Fax 773-761-6426
West Suburban Community Counseling Center
10 E. 22nd Street, Suite 120
Lombard, IL 60148
630-705-9639
Fax 630-392-7832
Upcoming Programs
For a full list of programs offered now through summer, 2008
as part of the JCFS' Life Education Network, click here.
Grief and Loss Group
Thursdays, June 5 - July 10, 2008
7:30 - 9:00 pm
JCFS
85 Revere Drive, Suite J, Northbrook
Adults who have lost a family member or close friend will
learn about the normal stages of grief, how to deal with the
loss and ways of moving on. Fee is $90. Contact Tema Rosenblum,
LSW, at 847-272-2882.
Single Adoptive Families — Support/Discussion
Group
Monday, June 9, 2008
7:00 - 8:30 pm
JCFS
255 Revere Drive, Suite 200, Northbrook
Join other parents to discuss the joys and challenges of
adoptive parenting. Snacks and child care with age-appropriate
activities will be provided. Cost is $25 per session. Contact
Marsha Raynes, LCSW, at 773-467-3747 or Robin Davis, LCSW,
at 773-761-4550.
Sibshops for Children Ages 6-12
Sunday, June 15, 2008 (one Sunday a month)
2:30 - 5:30 pm
JCFS
255 Revere Drive, Suite 200, Northbrook
Sibshops offers brothers and sisters of children with disabilities
and/or special needs an opportunity to meet other siblings
in a relaxed, supportive and recreational setting. They can
discuss their common joys and concerns, learn to handle common
situations and have fun! Children can attend one, two, three
or the entire series. Cost is $25 per Sibshop. For more information,
contact Tamara Besser, LCSW, at 773-467-3751.
Dealing with Separation and Divorce
Mondays, June 16 - July 21, 2008
7:30 - 9:00 pm
JCFS
85 Revere Drive, Suite J, Northbrook
Join others to discuss feelings of anger, guilt, grief, coping
with loss and change, managing relationships with family and
friends and planning the future. Cost is $90. For more information,
call Tema Rosenblum, LSW, at 847-272-2882
