Youth Services believes every child should grow up happy, healthy and hopeful. Our mission is to foster the social and emotional growth of children and youth.
Youth Services’ activity-based treatment model is grounded in engaging youth and young adults through a variety of self-expressions, including art, music, play, physical activity, sensory engagement, social connection, and more. This approach helps clients build trusting connections with counselors, social workers, and peers to find healing, build new skills, and grow into healthy, thriving adults.
We accept a variety of insurance coverage and private pay options, as well as offering the most generous sliding scale scholarship for those needing financial assistance. No child is ever turned away due to their family’s inability to afford treatment. All are welcome.
Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook was created from two similar agencies, one serving Glenview (founded in 1971) and the other serving Northbrook (founded in 1974). These entities were merged in 1992 as they had the same mission. The agency originated as a community initiative to create a space for adolescents and teens. The early years of the organization served more as a drop-in place for youth. It realized a greater need and began to be a source of support for these children, focusing its attention on relevant needs.
Youth Services has had several homes; from a small, upstairs office on Waukegan Road to a house at Shermer and East Lake, which is now the site of the Glenview Police Department. On land donated by the Village of Glenview on the former Glenview Naval Air Station property, another location at 3100 West Lake Avenue was built. Because of its modular construction it was affectionately referred to as ‘The Trailers’ and our home from 2004 to 2009.
While still in the trailers, a capital campaign was begun with the hopes of building a permanent home for the agency. By fall of 2007, half of the funds were raised (approximately $3M). Shortly thereafter, Nutrien (formally Potash) and the McLennan Family promised gifts to complete the bulk of the necessary fundraising. Staff and clients moved into our new building located at 3080 West Lake Avenue in August 2009.
Youth Services is guided by four core values: trust, safety, connection, and compassion. These values reflect who we are and what we expect from each other. Our values are both the boundaries of our space as well as a compass that helps guide us forward as we move toward our mission.Every day the work done at Youth Services has been aimed to promote the emotional and mental health of all families in our community. The backbone of all we do relies on the promise of hope and equality. However, we realize that saying it is not simply enough, and despite all we do as a community, many of our clients are faced with the stark reality that the color of their skin does not allow for the same justice, opportunity, investment, or grace.
We are dedicated to being a safe space for all who look to Youth Services for support. That promise will never change. We are committed to being a place for our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color) clients, colleagues, and community members to find a home where we will listen, act together, and lend our voice to our most vulnerable communities both close to home and from afar.
Moving forward, we are working to ensure that we are sharing our anti-racist values for the families of color we serve. Our staff is having critical conversations internally about racial injustice, our role as community partners, and how we can more deeply engage with transformative approaches to conflict and harm.
We are also inspired by the young people who are pushing these efforts with dedication, focus, and enthusiasm. They are having profound, mature, helpful conversations and have looked to the agency as a safe, inclusive space for everyone. Their actions give us hope – and we are committed to honoring the opportunity to re-evaluate our role in this conversation. Please join us.
If you have any questions or would like to find related resources for you or your family, please contact the agency.
Youth Services provides individual and group therapy, youth development programs, crisis intervention, and academic support. Youth Services does not provide testing or medication.
Youth Services provides individual and group counseling to children and youth who are struggling with depression and anxiety, grief and loss, divorce and familial distress, school-related stressors, and other mental health concerns. Our therapists use a variety of modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), play therapy, and client-centered approaches. The agency does not provide occupational, physical therapy, or speech therapy.
Youth Services does not have any geographical boundaries. Most of the agency’s clients come from across Chicago’s northern suburbs.
The agency sees clients across their development. Most of the clients are elementary, middle, and high school students. We also offer parent-child group support for young children under five.
Youth Services has multiple payment options to remain accessible to everyone who needs services. Agency clinicians accept insurance, clients may choose to pay privately, and we have the most generous sliding scale in the area to allow every child access to services, in addition to a long list of free programming. The agency’s promise to the community is that we never turn anyone away based on ability to pay.
If you are interested in joining any of Youth Services’ groups or starting individual services, contact the agency to speak with our intake coordinator.
