Founded in 1867, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is a statewide non-profit organization operated through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As the largest social services program in the state, it serves thousands of people and has more than 85 locations. The majority of the clientele are financially disadvantaged, so both mental health care and chemical dependency treatment are available at a very affordable rate.
Treatment and Staff
Treatment begins with a medically-assisted outpatient detox lasting three to five days for those who require this service. Clients report to the Kenmore Center where Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is also offered. All clients must be voluntary and medically cleared. Pregnant women, those with serious communicable diseases or anyone who has recently used methadone or benzodiazepines are not eligible.
After detox is complete, individualized outpatient treatment plans are developed, all which include flexible scheduling options at a variety of locations. Treatment consists of individual, group and family therapy using traditional and evidence-based methods, such as CBT. The Arlington Heights location has Spanish-speaking services while the Sterling location provides DUI evaluations.
Staff consists of RNs, counselors, case managers and peer specialists.
Extras
There are a number of mental health resources available at Lutheran Social Services including the Welcoming Center in Chicago for clients with emotional, mental and substance abuse issues. The Portage Cragin Counseling Center, also in Chicago, offers more comprehensive psychiatric services for adults as well as children.
The organization hosts a hotline for crisis intervention and has several group homes for men and women suffering from mental illnesses and developmental disabilities. Additional services include senior support, affordable housing, children’s community services and prisoner re-entry programs.
Extended aftercare for chemical dependency is provided in the form of two sober living homes in Chicago.
In Summary
With a long history of serving residents of Illinois, Lutheran Social Services is a diverse non-profit that offers a range of valuable resources for the community. With detox, MAT and outpatient treatment available with flexible and individualized care plans—as well as affordable housing, prisoner re-entry and children’s services, this vast and caring organization is a beacon of hope for those limited by chemical dependency, mental illness, developmental disabilities, age or financial status.
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (corporate office)
1001 E. Touhy Ave #50
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois Cost: Sliding scale. Reach Lutheran Social Services of Illinois at (847) 640-7954 (Arlington Heights), (773) 637-0487 (Chicago Belmont), (773) 764-4350 (Chicago Edgewater), (847) 741-2600 (Elgin) and (815) 626-7333 (Sterling). Find Lutheran Social Services of Illinois on YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn
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