Spring 2015

DEFININGMOMENTS

The New Abe and Ida Cooper Center p2

The development of the Abe and Ida Cooper Center is an exciting opportunity for Jewish Child & Family Services, enhancing our capacity to support individuals with special needs and their families. The Cooper Center enables us to bring our broad array of services together in a warm, welcoming environment designed to support our current work as well as flexibility and growth into the future.

Cooper’s impact will be wide ranging. In addition to direct services across the lifespan, the Center will house a conference center hosting consumer and professional education, social and recreational activities and board functions. Its opening will allow our West Rogers Park area counseling services to be consolidated at the Joy Faith Knapp Children’s Center. Cooper’s adjacency to the Knapp Center creates a campus that allows us to leverage our facility resources as never before. We are very pleased that this new campus will be named by the Jules and Gwen Knapp Family Foundation in memory of Esther Knapp, grandmother of Joy Faith Knapp and our own Board Vice Chair, Sue Schulman.

A defining feature of the development of the Cooper Center has been the effective collaboration of so many working together to make the project a success. It started with the encouragement and vision of the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation. The staff of the programs to be housed at Cooper then worked with senior management to design a forward-thinking facility responsive to present and future needs. Several talented Board members with real estate development, construction and architectural expertise readily brought their talents to the table. Jewish Federation and its Facilities Corporation has partnered closely with us since day one, participating in every aspect of the project’s development. Essential support from the 50th Ward Alderman Debra Silverstein paved the way for a smooth zoning approval process. Pro bono support from Seyfarth Shaw assisted us in the real estate transaction. A true illustration of our community coming together!

And I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the generous philanthropic support the Cooper Project has received. The lead gift from the Cooper Foundation has been followed by unanimous support from our Board of Directors, as well as a strong response from the broader community. There is more work to be done, but we are well on our way as a result of this incredible outpouring of financial support.

We look forward to breaking ground later in the spring and to the dedication of the Cooper Center and Esther Knapp Campus in late summer 2016!

Howard Sitron President & CEO

Chief Executive Officer

A Message fromHoward Sitron

A Newsletter ofJewish Child & Family Services216 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 700 Chicago, IL 60606

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855.ASK.JCFS (855.275.5237)jcfs.org

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W E ’ R E G R E E N !Defining Moments print edition comes out once a year, but you can get monthly updates, news and events with Defining Moments enews.Sign up is easy! Visit jcfs.org or contact Shannon Corona at 312.673.3202 or shannoncorona@jcfs.org.JCFS is a partner in serving our community, supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation.

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Change of Address: ResourceDevelopment@jcfs.org©2015 JCFS

Spring ‘15

DEFINING M MENTS

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Between 2008 and 2010, the number of heroin-related emergency room visits for people under 20 years old rose to more than 27 percent in Illinois. According to the Chicago Tribune, in 2011 there was a 78 percent increase in felony drug arrests among teens and Wilmette has seen four heroin-related deaths in the last three years.

It’s not just young people who are affected. “Addiction comes in many forms,” said Dr. Beth Fishman, Ph.D., Director of the Jewish Center for Addiction at Jewish Child & Family Services. “Older adults are dependent on prescription medications, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs in record numbers. Some would say that food is the greatest hidden addiction in the Jewish community. Others in our community experience problematic gambling or internet use.”

The Jewish Center for Addiction was created not only to assist those in the path of addiction’s immediate trauma, but to help build communities that cohesively heal and even prevent addiction. Jewish traditions, practices and prayer may enrich one’s program of recovery. JCA offers programs designed to help members of the Jewish community connect 12-Step spirituality to Judaism. In these and many other ways, JCA seeks to remove barriers to recovery for the Jewish community.

The Jewish Center for Addiction fosters supportive neighborhoods of peers, individuals and families. JCA staff train clergy, Jewish communal professionals and interested Jewish community members; provide prevention tools; build bridges to local treatment providers to ensure they are providing culturally and religiously appropriate care to Jewish clients and offer a range of educational opportunities to every corner of the community, regardless of age or gender.

“Our goal is to provide more community awareness, education, knowledge of resources and support from one another in the community so that families are aware of the issues and signs, and know where to turn if there is a concern,” said Dr. Fishman.

May 31 and June 1, JCA brings “Freedom Song” to Chicago, a transformative musical that shatters the myth of Jews being immune to addiction. The cast are all in recovery fromaddiction at Beit T’Shuvah, the renowned treatment center in Los Angeles. Admission is free, advance registration strongly recommended.

For more information, email BethFishman@jcfs.org, call 847.745.5422, or visit www.jcfs.org/addiction-recovery.

Jewish Center for Addiction

Program Spotlight

Counseling, speech therapy, occupational therapy, special education, recreation, job skills training, socialization…the list of supports needed by families with dependents with disabilities is long and varied. But, regardless of the specifics, one thing remains consistent—Jewish Child & Family Services is committed to ensuring that EVERYONE has the opportunity to live their life to the fullest.

With a lead gift from the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, JCFS, in partnership with Jewish Federation and JFMC Facilities Corp., is pleased to announce the development of The Abe and Ida Cooper Center: a 16,000 square-foot facility that not only accommodates agency services as they currently exist for people with special needs through the lifespan, but recognizes that the key to long-term responsiveness to community need is the development of flexible space allowing us maximum use from now into the future.

Abe and IdaCooper Center

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Thanks to our Donors We are grateful to the many donors who have pledged support. In addition to our many generous room-naming donors, we are pleased to recognize the following:

The Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation • The Abe and Ida Cooper Center

The Jules and Gwen Knapp Family Foundation • The Esther Knapp Campus

Eric Rothner • Mezzuzot

The Abe and Ida Cooper Center is being designed with the goal of obtaining LEED Gold certification and will be located on the Esther Knapp Campus with the Joy Faith Knapp Children’s Center in West Rogers Park, solidifying our deep commitment to this community. The new facility will accommodate a range of agency programs for clients with special needs and their families:

• Virginia Frank Child Development Center—counseling, therapeutic nursery, drop-in for young families and consultation with a focus on the use of their Relationship-Based Phase Model to help young children with special emotional needs.

• Integrated Pediatric Interventions—speech-language, occupational and developmental therapies offered both in clinic and at home that provide children with comprehensive, individualized treatments and plans to best address a child’s diagnosis and unique developmental needs.

• Services for People with Disabilities—information and referral for people with disabilities and their families, support groups, respite, socialization opportunities and residential supports.

• Encompass—a response to the recognition that adults with disabilities deserve to live in an integrated, community-based setting to the fullest extent possible.

• JUF Legal Advocacy Center—consultation, information, referrals and legal representation in special education law, mental health and developmental disabilities law and adult guardianship law.

The building is truly being designed to meet the unique needs of our clients and their families. The Family Lounge will be more than a place for a brief wait before an appointment. With zones for children and adults, it offers a welcome space for parents and caregivers to unwind and recharge, log in or connect with others. Flexible meeting rooms, high-tech audio visual capabilities and outdoor patio will make the Conference Wing the perfect place for trainings, seminars and recreational activities for groups large and small. The Administrative Wing will feature open work spaces that encourage collaboration between colleagues that result in the most effective services for our community. In addition to comfortable counseling and consultation spaces, the Client Wing will include a therapy gym, the Virginia Frank Daily Room and a life-skills kitchen and patio with a teaching garden. Of special note will be the Snoezelen Room, a high-tech, interactive, yet relaxing, space designed especially for the needs of children with special sensory needs.

This project is a partnership between Jewish Child & Family Services, the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the JFMC Facilities Corp. All commitments are recognized as gifts to the Centennial Campaign of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation. 3

For more information about the Abe and Ida Cooper Center, or to learn more about available naming opportunities, please contact Stacey Shor at 312.673.3212 or StaceyShor@jcfs.org, or Donna Kahan at 312.444.2827 or DonnaKahan@juf.org.

Ellen and Michael Gross The Snoezelen Room

The Coopersmith Living Trust The Client Kitchen

The Glick Family Foundation The Virginia Frank Daily Room

Joseph L. and Emily K. Gidwitz Memorial Foundation The Small Conference Room

Midge Perlman Shafton The Lobby Consultation Room

Marci and Steven Friedman The Conference Patio

Join us for a of Fun at A Striking Event! Enjoy some delicious BBQ food, bowling, face painting, jugglers and more! This afternoon of relaxing fun is all to support the vital program and services provided by Jewish Child & Family Services to over 30,000 individuals a year. The event is open to the public and the ticket price includes all food and activities. Reception from 4-6:30 pm; program at 6:30 pm.

Win fabulous prizes!

Raffle tickets will be available beginning in April for the Ultimate Chicago Sports package, $5,000 cash and a Culinary package that will allow you to wine and dine like never before! (One prize includes a 6-course dinner for 12 guests served in YOUR home by a top Chicago chef!)

Tickets to A Striking Event are $150 for adults and $35 for children. Visit www.jcfs.org, call 312.673.2726 or email SarahPerl@jcfs.org

If all of the carnival fun, great food and raffle prizes aren’t enough to entice you, then come out to honor two incredible community leaders who will be receiving the Irving B. Harris Leadership Award and the What’s Possible Award.

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Don C. Trossman Irving B. Harris Leadership Award

SAVE THE DATEJune 28, 2015

Scott Bauer What’s Possible Award

The What’s Possible Award will be presented to Scott Bauer, founder of the Lauri S. Bauer Foundation for Sudden Loss. After the unexpected passing of his wife Lauri in 2011, Scott formed this foundation in her honor to provide a place for help, healing and hope for other parents and children battling the sudden loss of a loved one. The Jewish Healing Network, a program of JCFS, is proud to partner with Scott in providing support to grieving families.

4–7 pmPinstripes, 1150 Willow Road Northbrook, IL

We are pleased to present the Irving B. Harris Leadership Award to Don C. Trossman. Board President from 2008-2010, Don led the Agency through the recent recession and helped to bring JCFS out of that challenging time even stronger. Don credits his father for encouraging him to join the JCFS Board and instilling the values of tikkun olam. Don’s proudest moments during his time on the board are hiring our current CEO, Howard Sitron, and assisting in the move of the Therapeutic Day School to its new location in West Rogers Park.

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Success Stories:A young mother’s journeyAt fourteen, Rebecca could barely conjure a handful of positive memories in her own life, let alone be capable of creating them for someone else. Physically abused by family members and then abandoned, Rebecca had lived on the streets, homeless, until she ended up in the child welfare system with her then 2 year-old son, Trevor. Rebecca’s history had left its imprint on her in the form of significant behavioral issues and she frequently acted out physically against others. After multiple failed placements, Rebecca arrived at Jewish Child & Family Services, where she and Trevor lived in the Price Group Home for Pregnant and Parenting Teenage Girls, aged 12-19, and their young children.

At first, Rebecca struggled with staff and the six other girls at Price. She showed very little respect for them, sought negative attention through mean and bullying behavior and became argumentative and verbally aggressive when she did not get her way—all of which made it next to impossible for her to create relationships, repair herself emotionally, learn positive parenting skills and begin to concentrate on getting an education.

With the help of the skilled and caring professionals at Price, Rebecca began to understand why what may have been survival skills while she was living on the streets would only harm her chances at turning her life around now that she was in a stable environment. Rebecca worked with staff counselors to set and achieve treatment goals to address her hostility, distrust and defiance of authority. She learned to identify what triggered her anger, to come up with less adversarial ways to interact with her housemates and to communicate more calmly with others. Eventually this carried over to her relationships with classmates and teachers at school. Her grades improved and in May of 2014, she graduated from high school.

Proof of Rebecca’s newly developed ability to reach out and engage in positive ways with others came in her involvement in several extracurricular activities, including speech therapy, parenting classes and community service. She successfully advanced from the group home to an independent living arrangement where she currently resides with her son. Now actively engaged in individual therapy, Rebecca still remains in contact with her Price Home counselor on a weekly basis and is currently enrolled at a local university.

So many ways to

GIVE

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Get started today! Visit us at jcfs.org, email resourcedevelopment@jcfs.org, or call Shannon Corona at 312.673.3202.

Thinking about selling your car, boat, motorcycle, truck or other vehicle? Donate it to Jewish Child & Family Services instead! Our Vehicle Donation Program converts your car into funds to support our programs and services. Includes free pick-up! Call our dedicated toll-free number, 855.700.JCFS (855.700.5237).

Donate Your Car!

Go Shopping!

Whether it’s a Happy Birthday, In Honor of, Sympathy or all-around Mazel Tov, JCFS has the right Tribute Card for you!

Order online, 24 hours a day!

Send a Tribute Card!

For many of the families served by Jewish Child & Family Services, tangible basic needs are out of financial reach. Through in-kind donations, JCFS fills otherwise unmet needs with NEW toys, clothing and household items. So, when you are off shopping for summer or back to school, pick up an extra backpack, books, supplies or more to give to a child or family in need.

Buy and Give!

Your personal North Shore Auxiliary Key Card entitles you to a 20% discount on all full- priced purchases at over 200 stores and restaurants throughout Chicagoland from August 15-22, 2015. Get your card with a $75 donation to the North Shore Auxiliary, which has supported JCFS programs since 1919.

B&G

Create yourlegacy...give to JCFSbeyond yourlifetime

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Whether you’re sending the IRS a check or waiting for one, when you meet with your tax or financial advisor, you might want to discuss charitable donations. You’ve been a generous donor to Jewish Child & Family Services and we’re grateful for your ongoing annual support. Do you know that you can keep giving to JCFS beyond your lifetime? There’s no need to take anything more out of your pocket today. Here are two ways JCFS could fit into your charitable donation plans: • Make the JCFS Endowment Foundation the beneficiary of your IRA or life insurance policy. It costs nothing to make this change of beneficiary, and it can make a world of difference for the future of JCFS. • Leave a bequest with this statement in your will: I leave (dollar amount or percentage of my estate) to the Jewish Child & Family Services Endowment Foundation.

Your gift may be directed to support a particular JCFS program, and gifts in any amount are appreciated. Of course you want to provide for your family, but including something for those in need in your will reminds your family that making the world a better place was important to you. It’s a way to create your Jewish legacy. And by leaving a gift to charity there may actually be more to provide to family members, particularly when talking about donating an IRA. For more information contact Barbara Chandler at 312.673.3211, BarbaraChandler@jcfs.org or visit www.jcfs.org/donate/leave-a-legacy.

*This is for information purposes only and is not meant to be substituted for legal or financial advice. Please consult your professional advisor regarding your individual situation.

The Jewish Child & Family Services Endowment Foundation was created in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago’s Agency Endowment Program, which was established to assure that JCFS and our sister agencies have the necessary resources to meet growing and evolving Jewish community needs. All commitments to the Agency Endowment Foundation are recognized as gifts to the Jewish Federation’s Centennial Campaign, and are dedicated to the specific fund or program you designate.

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By the Numbers

$2,032,403 Million

2.1942,957

13,585

13,585

86Percentage of children who will reduce developmental delay or improve their current level of functioning (with 3 months or more of therapy through Integrated Pediatric Interventions).

Number of individuals at 57 organizations who participated in interactive workshopspresented by Responseoutreach programs (1,950participants more than the previous year, representinga 17 percent increase).

Total amount of 54 grants received from 36 different foundations and grantors during FY15 (through January 31, 2015).

2,957Total number of individuals impacted by JCARES andProject Shield through more than 131 sessions at 40 organizations.

94Percentage of families who, after receiving services from Integrated Pediatric Interventions, are better able to help their child cope with issues.

82Our impact on the community

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