Group and Individual Counseling

Group and Individual Counseling reaches hundreds of youth and families each year at Alternatives’ Uptown Youth Center and through school-based health centers at Senn, Roosevelt, Uplift, and Northside Prep High Schools.

In the schools, Alternatives provides individual and family counseling, case management, and collaboration/advocacy services; increases immigrant integration into the school environment by increasing social functioning and decreasing adjustment issues; increases students’ knowledge of healthy relationships and reduce at-risk behavior related to substance abuse and unsafe sexual activity; and enables Student Health Club members to educate their peers about health-related topics with a special focus on high risk adolescent behavior. The provision of mental health services within school settings is not only efficient, but crucial to the well being of students from communities with limited resources.

On-site individual and family therapy, including bilingual therapy for Spanish-speaking youth and families, is offered to nearly 100 families each year, emphasizing family communication, discipline structures, and life skills development. These services use a strength-based approach to provide short- and long-term therapy, case management, and consultation. Therapists work with young people and their families to build resilience, improving family functioning and to address challenges both before and as they occur.