Youth Outreach Services (YOS) is a Chicago-based non-profit organization that partners with at-risk youth and their families to help them discover what they are capable of achieving.
We inspire positive development through a variety of child welfare, counseling, juvenile justice and prevention services to help overcome challenges such as abuse, substance use and homelessness. Since 1959, YOS has worked with more than 300,000 youth and families, providing community-based support to empower all youth to face life's challenges with confidence, competence and dignity.
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Services Offered
Behavioral Health Services
YOS believes that youth feel supported when they have a safe place to talk about and deal with issues.
YOS behavioral health services include crisis intervention, substance use intervention, and mental health counseling to help youth and their families address and deal with challenges that affect their relationships at home, in the community and at school. All youth receive a comprehensive assessment and are matched to services that best meet their needs. Intervention services are delivered through a combination of individual, group and family counseling.
Substance Use Intervention
YOS believes youth are at an influential stage in their lives and we can help steer them in a positive direction.
Substance abuse intervention services are provided to youth who have experienced challenges based on their use of alcohol or other drugs. Youth are assisted to understand how substance use is affecting their life in a negative way, and assisted to develop skills to reduce and eliminate substance use. Depending on the level of risk of the youth and the severity of the abuse, YOS offers early intervention, outpatient treatment or intensive outpatient treatment options.
Case Management
YOS believes forming solid relationships with youth to help them stay focused on their goals contributes to their stability in a program.
Case management is a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, and advocacy for options and services to meet a youth's and family's comprehensive health needs through communication and available resources.
Fees and Payment
This is a non-profit agency
Youth Outreach Services (YOS) accepts all clients, regardless of ability to pay. With that being said, we make every effort to determine the coverage of the youth and their families. YOS accepts several forms of insurance, Medicaid and Managed Medicaid networks.
Feel free to contact our office with your insurance information so we can confirm eligibility and benefits before you are seen by one of our clinicians.
Services Offered To: Teens
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale Pro-bono Medicare Medicaid
If You Call, Please Let Us Know How it Went:
Were You Able to Make an Appointment?
One quick last question. Who was seeking counseling today?
Do you know the reason they are not accepting clients?
Qualifying for assistance from Illinois' program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to Illinois' program.
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.
