Family Service & Mental Health Center of Oak Park & River Forest has been enriching the lives of individuals and families in the communities it serves for over one hundred years.

Our history stretches back to 1898 when the Associated Charities of Oak Park & Vicinity was established as a direct response to the needs of low-income families in the area. After many years of enriching community life by meeting basic human needs, voters in Oak Park approved a referendum to establish a mental health center within the community in 1972. As a result, the agency's focus was refined, and a new name-Family Service & Mental Health Center of Oak Park & River Forest-was chosen to reflect this mission.

Since then Family Service has risen to the forefront of behavioral healthcare in the Chicago metropolitan area. Thousands of lives have been touched by Family Service's innovative programs. Family Service was among the first agencies in the country to link police with social services, enabling a more thorough response to community needs. The agency was a pioneer in the use of whole family treatment for the resolution of mental health problems. Family Service was also a pioneer in identifying drug and alcohol abuse as distinct problems as well as the subsequent development of appropriate treatment programs.

While the agency's focus has evolved over the years in order to meet the community's changing needs, the most crucial component-helping and caring about others-has remained.

Read more about our history in the fall 2004 issue of Healthy Mind!