Addiction & Substance Misuse

Prevention, Help and Hope

There is a pervasive myth that addiction is not a Jewish issue. However, no oneis immune, from the least Jewishly involved to the most observant. The myth that Jews are somehow protected from addiction reinforces shame and isolation and can inhibit community members from seeking needed help. The goal of JCFS Chicago's addiction services is to ensure that Jewish individuals and their families  find support within the Jewish community and receive information about  treatment resources.

Community Education

  • Speaker’s Bureau brings Jewish volunteers who are in addiction recovery  to community groups to speak  positively about their life in recovery  and the role Judaism and the Jewish community have played.
  • Safe, sober and spiritual celebrations for Jews in recovery and those who support the recovery community
  • Community Partnerships broaden support and access for Jews working toward or maintaining recoveryYouth Drug Prevention programs for 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Jewish day and synagogue religious schools

Older Adult Services

  • In partnership with CJE Seniorlife, EZRA, and The ARK: substance use disorders assessment, action planning, psychoeducational support services for older adult clients, their loved ones, and caregivers
  • Professional training and consultation for clinicians, care managers, and other staff of partner and community agencies

Information and Resources 

  • Supportive conversations with individuals and family members who have questions or concerns
  • Telephone-based brief assessment
  • Suggested referrals to local and national treatment resources

Jewish Resources for Recovery

  • Jewish Contemplative Practices Workshops teach skills that enable individuals to deepen their experience of their Higher Power and manage stressors with Jewish approaches
  • Pastoral Counseling to explore challenges related to Judaism and sobriety
  • Guidance for synagogues and Jewish communal organizations opening their buildings to 12-Step and other peer-led recovery meetings
  • List of current meetings in Jewish locations
  • Jewish 12-Stepping Workshops examine how the spirituality of 12-Step recovery can be sustained, supported, and enriched by Jewish study, thought, prayer, and practice
  • Booklet for incorporating Jewish prayers into 12-Step recovery

Professional Training

  • Education for clergy and Jewish communal professionals on recognizing individuals at-risk, formulating policies regarding alcohol use and creating welcoming communities for families at risk for or in recovery from addiction
  • Consultation to Jewish organizations interested in developing addiction recovery programs 

Support & Funding
The Jewish Federation's Fund for Innovation in Health (underwritten by the Michael Reese Health Trust), the Albert and Lucille Delighter and Marcella Winston Foundation, a Supporting Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, and other generous donors.
 
For information contact:
Beth Fishman, Ph.D. Program Manager, Addiction Services 847.745.5422
Nina J. Henry, LCPC CADC, Addiction Specialist  847.745.5457