As one of the nation’s premier social services agencies, JCFS Chicago has been recognized by several accredtiting bodies and institutions, such as the Council of Accreditation and cognia.  See below for a more complete listing of accrediting and licensing bodies.

As professionals in the social service industry, we also can benefit by looking beyond our day-to-day work.  Association memberships allow us to do just that:  See below for a list of membership associations and other affiliations.

Accreditations and Licensing

Advance Education, Inc.

Internship in Clinical Psychology, accredited as a doctoral internship in health service psychology*

*QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE PROGRAM’S ACCREDITED STATUS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION: OFFICE OF PROGRAM CONSULTATION AND ACCREDITATION AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 750 1ST STREET, NE, WASHINGTON, DC 20002 PHONE: (202) 336-5979 /

E-MAIL: APAACCRED@APA.ORG 

WEB: WWW.APA.ORG/ED/ACCREDITATION

Council on Accreditation (COA)

"Partnering with human and social service organizations to strengthen their ability to improve the lives of the people they serve."

Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) (License #010618)

Professional and Association Memberships

Alliance for Children and Families (ACF)

American Psychological Association

Association of Chicagoland Externship and Practicum Training

Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers

Illinois Association of Private Special Education Centers

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Jewish Communal Service Association

Joint Council on International Children's Services

National Guardianship Association

Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)

JCFS Chicago is comprised over 400 professionals who are

• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Special Educators
• Speech
• Occupational and Developmental Therapists
• Early Childhood Educators
• Infant Mental Health Specialists
• Lawyers who specialize in special education advocacy
• Pediatric Nurses
• Vocational/Life Skills Counselors
• Non-Profit Leaders
• Administrators
• and more

Please email us for a list of topics, or to schedule a speaker at your upcoming community or professional meeting, school event, or more.

In the News

JCFS Chicago CEO, Stacey Shor spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times about how JCFS Chicago is able to continue supporting refugees after the recent stop work order.
2/9/25

Our CEO Stacey Shor spoke with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about how we will continue to support refugees.
2/6/25

Publications

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.

Client rights are guaranteed to them in accordance with Ch. 2 of the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (IMHDD) Act [405 ILCS 5} and Rule 132.

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:

Illinois Guardianship & Advocacy Commission
160 N. LaSalle St., Suite S500 Chicago, IL 60601
800.232.3798 or 312.793.5900

Equip for Equality, Inc.
20 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60602
312.341.0022
800.610.2779 (TTY)

DCFS Service Appeal
Bureau of Quality Assurance
State of Illinois Center
100 West Randolph, Suite 6-200
Chicago, IL 60601
312.814.6800

DHS Appeals
Bureau of  Hearings
69 West Washington, 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
800.435.0774
877.734.7429 (TTY)

Client Responsibilities

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.

• The right to confidentiality regarding health/mental health information and any correspondence sent from the agency in accordance with the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.
• 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.