Youth Crossroads provides school-based individual and group counseling services to help at-risk young people develop the skills and confidence to achieve success in school, at home and in life. The agency focuses its counseling efforts on reducing the negative effects of violence, trauma and other current life difficulties while building new skills and attitudes that help young people move forward in safe and productive ways. Youth Crossroads is continually adapting our Counseling and Support Services to better meet the needs of local youth and their families.
Referral & Evaluation
With input from members of the school community, eligible students are referred and evaluated for YC Counseling Services.
Individual Counseling
YC Individual Counseling is available, at no cost, to students during school hours. The results of individual counseling are based on the student’s needs and chosen goals.
Family Counseling
Family counseling is provided, as needed, during the school day. Families in need of more intensive family services can be referred to services offered in the community. The results of family counseling are based on the student’s needs and chosen goals.
Violence Prevention
Youth Crossroads offers an intensive 90-day violence prevention program for 16-24-year-olds in Cicero, Berwyn, and surrounding communities with a history of violence, risk factors associated with violence, or criminal justice system involvement. The program provides individual counseling to youth to address the impact of trauma and mental health issues that increase the risk factors for violence. Family counseling addresses parental challenges and build positive communication at home. Coaching and mentoring helps youth build positive support structures in their lives. Case management connects youth to resources they need to achieve success in school or future employment. Violence prevention education promotes conflict resolution in middle schools. Our violence prevention programs build resilience in youth to increase their ability to self-regulate, problem-solve, and increase healthy communication. Youth can also participate in workforce development or youth leadership training.
GOALS:
- Improve school attendance and performance
- Improved peer and family relations
- High self-worth
- Heightened sense of trust towards important adults in the lives of youth
- Reduce or eliminate school truancy and suspensions, street-gang association, fighting, bullying, illicit drug and alcohol use, as well as depression, self-harm tendencies, and community-related delinquency
RESOURCES:
- Powerful interventions: we build authentic, trusted, safe relationships
- Shame resilience: we form relationships built on empathy
- Trauma informed mindfulness: we focus on being present in the here and now
- Trauma informed care – realize, recognize, respond, resist re-traumatization
- Trauma informed social justice lens to learn about the source of the pain and determine how to assist.