MISSION: JCFS Chicago strengthens self-sufficiency, belonging, and well-being among individuals and families in the Jewish and broader Chicago communities.
IMPACT: Areas of impact highlight the positive changes that are made possible as a result of JCFS’ mission and vision, as they work with individuals, families, and communities every day.
VISION: We envision resilient communities, where people are empowered to navigate life’s challenges with confidence, connection, and care.
Our Values
Community/Kehilah
We create collaborative connections that welcome diversity and promote belonging, enabling individuals and organizations to work together for the greater good.
Empowerment/Ha’atzamah
We build and strengthen capacity in others, giving people the tools and skills they need to be independent to the best of their ability.
Respect/Kavod
We treat others with dignity, recognizing their inherent worth. Rooted in empathy, we seek greater understanding of others' experiences and beliefs.
Integrity/Yosher
We demonstrate honesty, morality, and transparency. We are accountable for our actions.
All JCFS Chicago programs and personnel shall recognize and respect the rights of our clients.
Your rights include, but are not limited to:
The right to treatment and to receive services in accordance with an assessment of your needs.
The right to have program rules and expectations enforced consistently.
The right to be treated with respect and dignity and to receive services that are free from harassment and coercion.
The right to receive services in a non-discriminatory manner and the right to receive services that are respectful of and responsive to cultural and linguistic differences.
The right to receive mental health services in the most appropriate and least restrictive or intrusive setting/service.
The right to a current individualized treatment plan.
The right to informed participation in establishing your treatment plan and to participate in service decisions.
The right to periodic information concerning your condition and progress.
The right to refuse any service or treatment (including medication) unless mandated by the law or court order and be informed about the consequences of refusal, which can include discharge.
The right to be informed of any treatment or therapy, including physical and medical consequences and the right to refuse a component of treatment or therapy program, with the right to be informed of all alternatives.
The right to have the opportunity to consult with independent specialists and counselors and to seek an outside psychiatric or psychological evaluation.
The right to freedom from the use of language of an intimidating, degrading, or derogatory nature.
The right to be free from abuse, neglect, harm and exploitation.
The right to have disabilities accommodated as required by the American with Disabilities Act, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5).
The right to have assistance from an independent advocate when, in your opinion, your rights have been violated. You have the right to contact the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, Equip for Equality, Inc., and IDCFS or DMHDD as appropriate. Client will be offered staff assistance in contacting these organizations at the address and telephone number provided:
In addition to the rights that are afforded to you as a participant of JCFS services, there are certain responsibilities you have in order to ensure appropriate delivery of services. Your responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
Abide by all rules and regulations of JCFS including our concealed carry weapon prohibition and our non-smoking policy.
Provide relevant information, to the fullest extent possible, which is accurate and complete when it impacts the services you are receiving.
Actively participate in the services and work on the goals outlined in your treatment or service plan.
Comply with program specific rules and expectations as outlined in your program’s handbook or rules. Please ask questions if you are unsure of what is expected of you within a specific program.
Be considerate of facility personnel and property.
Promptly meet any financial obligations agreed to with JCFS Chicago when applicable.
Justification for restriction of a client’s rights under the statues listed above will be documented in the client’s record. Documentation shall include a plan with measurable objectives for restoring the client’s rights that is signed by the client or the client’s parent or guardian, the QMHP and the LPHA. In addition, the client affected by such restrictions, their parent or guardian, as appropriate, and any agency designated by the client (with appropriate consent) including the above advocates if the client so chooses, shall be notified of the restriction and given a copy of the plan to remove the restriction of rights.
The right or the guardian’s right to present grievances up to and including the provider’s executive director or comparable position. The client or guardian will be informed on how their grievances will be handled at the provider level. A record of such grievances and the response to those grievances shall be maintained by the provider. The executive director’s decision on the grievance shall constitute a final administrative decision (except when such decisions are reviewable by the provider’s governing board, in which case the governing board’s decision is the final authority at the provider level).
If services are funded through a public funder payer (DCFS, DHS, etc), you have the right to contact the public payer or its designee and to be informed of the public payer’s process for reviewing grievances.
The right to contact HFS or its designee and to be informed by HFS or its designee of the client’s healthcare benefit and the process for reviewing grievances.
The right to receive service at times mutually convenient to you and the agency during customary business hours. The agency provides for daytime hours of availability Monday through Friday, and is open by appointment during evening hours.
The right to receive services provided your behavior does not disrupt, threaten, or harm other clients or staff, and that your fee agreement with the agency is maintained. Non-compliance could result in discharge from services.
The right not to be denied, suspended or terminated from services or have services reduced for exercising any rights.
Information Collection Privacy Policy
JCFS Chicago does not collect personal information from visitors to our site.
Like all web servers,our server automatically creates log files for everyone who visits our site. These access logs allow us to make our site more useful to our visitors. The access logs do NOT record visitors' name, address, phone number, credit card numbers, or any other personally-identifying information. They do contain information such as:
The Internet Protocol Address (IP Address) of the machine which accessed our website
The date of the visit
The time of the visit
The path taken through our website
The browser being used
A list of files downloaded or viewed
Any errors encountered
For any questions about the Website Information Collection Privacy Policy, please contact our Director of Marketing at 773.467.3884.
Website Information Collection Privacy Policy
JCFS Chicago does not collect personal health information through its website.
Like all web servers, our server automatically creates log files for everyone who visits our site. These access logs allow us to make our site more useful to our visitors. The access logs do NOT record visitors' name, address, phone number, credit card numbers, or any other personally-identifying information. They do contain information such as:
The Internet Protocol Address (IP Address) of the machine which accessed our website
The date of the visit
The time of the visit
The path taken through our website
The browser being used
A list of files downloaded or viewed
Any errors encountered
For any questions about the Website Information Collection Privacy Policy, please email Communications@JCFS.org
JCFS Chicago is offering extra support to our community through our warm line. Call 855.275.5237 to talk with someone Monday through Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Friday from 9am to 4pm.
Support for organizations, schools and synagogues interested in further services focused on healing through words of comfort, can also call the number above or email Ask@JCFS.org to request programming.
In addition to our warmline, JCFS offers a virtual drop-in group for those in the Chicagoland Jewish community who are seeking connection, support, and coping strategies to get through these difficult times. The group meets on Wednesdays, 12 – 1pm CT via Zoom. Call 855.275.5237 or email Ask@JCFS.org for more information and to obtain the Zoom link.
Locations
Central Office
230 W. Monroe
Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60606
United States
In case of emergencies, call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.
To report the abuse or neglect of a child, please call the Illinois Child Abuse Hotline at 800.25.ABUSE. If you are out-of-state, please call 217.524.2606.
If you are a youth seeking immediate non-emergency support, please contact the DCFS Youth Hotline at 800.232.3798.
Do you have questions about our programs or services? Our team will complete a phone intake and connect you to the appropriate JCFS Chicago program or service.
We’re ready to help!
Learn more about all that we offer—from counseling, psychological testing and assessment, early childhood development and special education K-12, services for people with disabilities, career support, Jewish community programs and much, much more.
To speak to a knowledgeable member of the JCFS Chicago intake team, call 855.275.5237 Monday through Thursday from 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4pm or emailAsk@JCFS.org.
Therapeutic Yeshiva, an arm of our Knapp School & Yeshiva, offers religiously observant families the joyful experience of having their child study history, math and other traditional courses, while also fulfilling the mitzvah of learning Torah.
Our Judaic studies classes follow the Jewish Studies Subjects Taught by most area Orthodox Jewish schools to the greatest degree possible and include instruction in Hebrew language, Torah, Prophets, Jewish Law and Mishnah/Talmud. The Yeshiva also provides Beit Midrash for morning and afternoon prayer and study, special Jewish holiday celebrations and commemorations and optional weekly after-school Mishmar study. When appropriate, students take part in classes from other Jewish schools as part of their academic program. To broaden our students' social and Jewish involvements, we seek volunteer opportunities in the community as well as celebrations at other Jewish schools.
Families with children who have behavioral or emotional disorders can find the traditional school environment a poor fit. Their students may feel stifled or antagonized by settings that are not fully capable of understanding their unique needs and perspectives.
Fortunately, a new tradition for educating special-needs students exists at Knapp School & Yeshiva. Here, an engaging curriculum plus leadership opportunities and support yield success for students. With its low student-to-teacher ratio, positive social interaction, and state-of-the-art facilities including a new Life Skills Room and program , the Knapp School & Yeshiva is designed to meet the needs of special children by alleviating behavioral and emotional struggles and developing a sense of belonging among students.
Understanding Students
The Knapp School & Yeshiva operates on the principle that a therapeutic environment for students with emotional, behavioral and learning disabilities requires meaningful participation from parents, mental health professionals, special needs educators, the community and the students themselves. Using this team approach leads to the kind of reaction from students that every school wants.
“I get the sense that people care,” said one student. “The teachers are relaxed and flexible and everyone finally really listens to me.”
Each student’s academic needs are met through a comprehensive, individualized educational program that engages many members of the faculty, which includes special education teachers, social workers, art and physical education instructors, transition and vocational counselors, a reintegration coordinator, speech and occupational therapists, two rabbis and the school’s leadership and administrative team.
Whether the next step for your student is elementary school, high school, college or even post-college life, Knapp School & Yeshiva provides students with the education, life skills and vocational support to help them succeed.
Therapy, Yeshiva and Flexible Classrooms
Students benefit from a low staff-to-student ratio, as well as individual and group therapy, and individualized and small group special education services. Students enrolled in the Yeshiva program attend Yeshiva classes in addition to their secular education program. The general curriculum is approved by the contracting local school districts, and is delivered within a flexible classroom environment that allows for adaptation to meet the student’s academic strengths, weaknesses, and unique learning style.
Students Reap Rewards
At Knapp School & Yeshiva, our students benefit in ways that yield measurable marks of their development.
50% of our high-school students hold jobs in our in-school work program
At least 10-15% of our students re-enter public schools each year, exceeding the Chicago Public Schools benchmark
Nearly 30% of students are on the academic and attendance Honor Rolls
78% of students showed improvement in their emotional and behavioral needs based on clinical assessment
The Knapp School & Yeshiva is accredited and licensed by the North Central Association, Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the Illinois State Board of Education. In addition to working with the Chicago Public Schools, the school works with suburban school districts from the North Shore, western suburbs and Lake County.
The school is located in West Rogers Park, Chicago, in the Joy Faith Knapp Children's Center on the Esther Knapp Campus.
They are counseled that some children develop slower or later than others. Parents are hesitant about moving beyond their pediatrician’s assessment, even when they have a gut feeling that something isn’t right.
An accurate diagnosis and definitive treatment plan for a child suspected of having a specialized disorder, such as autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit disorder, can be an empowering process that helps parents help their child achieve his or her greatest potential.
At JCFS Chicago, our team of qualified clinical professionals lends their expertise in the assessment and diagnosis of children with specialized disorders. With the goal of providing parents with diagnostic clarification and further understanding of their child’s current level of functioning, clinicians provide feedback and a written report that identifies individualized recommendations for educational placement, speech/language therapy services, occupational therapy services and behavioral interventions.
Recommendations from our team are highly specific and may also be used to advocate for the child’s educational placement.
Our comprehensive psychological/developmental assessment is a 10-hour evaluation that is scheduled over four appointments. During the four sessions, our team interviews parents, administers a standardized, semi-structured assessment of communication, social interaction and play for individuals who may have autism or other pervasive developmental disorders, and direct evaluation of the child, including intellectual testing and language testing.
JCFS Chicago provides flexible payment options and insurance billing for specialized assessments. We are part of the BCBS PPO network as well as the Humana HMO & PPO network. Direct insurance billing may be available for other insurance companies after verification of coverage has been completed. Insurance reimbursement is based on eligible services of the client's benefit plan.
They discuss their common joys and concerns, learn to handle sibling-specific “sticky situations” and have fun!
2025 JCFS Sibshops for Children and Teens, ages 6-16
We will be offering Sibshops for both children and teens at our Northbrook location. We will begin each Sibshop as a large group for an opening activity and then separate into age groups (children and teens).
2025 In-Person Sibshop Dates for Children/Teens, ages 6-16 are as follows:
August 17
September 21
October 19
November 16
December 7
In-Person Sibshops are $30 per session; partial scholarships are available. Pre-registration is required for Sibshops. Please contact Yuto Kanii or Tammy Besser if you have any questions and/or to request registration materials.
JCFS Chicago utilizes the Sibshop model developed by Don Meyer of Sibling Support Project. For more detailed information about Sibshops, visit the Sibling Support Project website.
All In-Person Sibshops are on Sundays from 1pm to 3:30pm at our Northbrook location, 255 Revere Drive, Suite 200.
We have responded to the needs of both children and parents since 1955. Our approach encourages children to reach their potential while promoting a strong parent-child relationship.
We offer a continuum of therapeutic and preventative services for children and families, along with early childhood mental health consultation and training for professionals.
Consultation and Training
Family and Child Counseling
Groups for Children and Families
Our experts offer a continuum of preventative and therapeutic services for children from birth to six years, plus supportive services and counseling for their parents. All of the programs and services offered at Virginia Frank Child Development Center are based on the fact that children develop best in the context of stable, caring relationships. Virginia Frank Child Development Center offers family counseling and socialization groups.
Family Counseling
When a developmental task is unusually difficult for a child, professional counseling may be needed to promote growth and change. While some situations require a short period of intervention, others may require additional long-term work. Our highly trained staff offers counseling to children and families who may be facing tragic losses, financial difficulties, marital concerns or illness, developmental delays, or other issues affecting child development.
Groups
Through the Get Together group, Virginia Frank Child Development Center offers parents, grandparents, nannies, and children from birth to age 5 with opportunities to meet others who also have young children, in order to share and discuss experiences, ideas and developmental issues and watch them unfold as children play.
We also offer socialization and treatment groups for children aged three to nine years old. For meeting times, locations and dates, please check the calendar.
Consultation and Training for Early Childhood Development Professionals
“Connections: A Relationship-Based Phase Model,” was published as a resource for directors and teachers. The book, written by Virginia Frank Child Development Center staff, outlines the developmental and relationship phases children and their caregivers experience. By integrating knowledge of child development and stages of relational growth, the manual provides a roadmap for early childhood instructors to best support the healthy development of young children.
Our clinicians provide relationship-based early childhood mental health consultation to preschool, Early Head Start and Head Start sites throughout Chicagoland. Educators and program staff learn effective tools for building relationships with parents and how to manage difficult behaviors in the classroom through group and individual observations, and professional and parenting workshops.
Whether you need to wean your child from tube feedings or help him transition to first foods, the experts at JCFS Chicago are here to help.
This video is of a sample feeding session. Feeding issues come in many different packages; generally we categorize these as oral-motor, sensory aversion, medical or behavioral needs. Oral-motor problems are those which deal with moving and coordinating the muscle movements for eating. Sensory aversions are over-reactions to certain textures, tastes, smells or temperatures. Medical feeding problems may result from a larger diagnosis such as long term G-tube placement or a neurological issue like Rett Syndrome.
For additional information or to ask about making an appointment, please email ipi@jcfs.org or call 847.412.4379.
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