Mental Health

Jewish Community Programs

September is National Recovery Month

by Dr. Beth Fishman PhD
Manager, Addiction Services

September is National Recovery Month, therefore it seems a good time to ask “what is recovery?” The addiction services at JCFS Chicago serves Chicago’s Jewish community by raising awareness about addiction issues, educating on addiction, prevention and treatment, referring community members to recovery resources, and supporting Jews in recovery. So it is equally fitting that addiction services would bring this question to our community.

Children & Adolescents Counseling & Psychological Services

Caring for a Bipolar Child

by Talia Rudkin, B.A., Psychological Services Diagnostic Extern

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) has been given a considerable amount of attention in recent years. Even though pediatric bipolar disorder has yet to find its individual place in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM), there has been a recent influx in the number of children and adolescents being diagnosed with bipolarity. This can be an alarming diagnosis for parents, as it is one that is often given to adults. In fact, bipolar disorder is so much more common in adults that the DSM-V does not distinguish adult-onset from pediatric-onset symptoms of bipolar, despite clinically significant differences in the presentation and duration of symptoms(^3,5,6,7). However, a growing interest in this topic has led to an increase in research and treatment options for how to best care for a bipolar child.

Counseling & Psychological Services

Mental Health Therapy for Children? Why?

By Lindsay Hardy, M. A.

Life in general presents us with ongoing challenges, many of which we feel unprepared to handle- parenting, divorce, interpersonal issues, etc.. At times, we need outside support to help us make sense of the challenges we face. And so do children. Pursuing counseling for a child, either as a primary service or an addition to current services, can foster positive change on a number of levels. It probably looks much different than you think. However, knowing when a child might need this type of help can be challenging.