Youth Outreach Services (YOS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1959 that provides community-based substance use treatment for youth from its central office in Chicago, Illinois. The organization partners with at-risk young people and their families across 23 Chicago neighborhoods and surrounding suburban communities, reaching approximately 3,000 youth annually. YOS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation and is a United Way partner organization.
Youth Substance Use Treatment
The central office houses YOS’s counseling program, which includes community-based substance use intervention services for young people struggling with alcohol or drug use. The program provides screening, assessment, and treatment designed to help youth understand how substance use is affecting their lives and develop the skills to reduce or eliminate use. YOS also serves as the exclusive provider of substance abuse screening, assessment, and treatment at Illinois Youth Center facilities in Chicago, St. Charles, Warrenville, and Pere Marquette, working with incarcerated youth in state settings.
Additional Counseling and Crisis Services
Alongside substance use treatment, the central office coordinates a range of counseling services including individual, family, and group therapy, outreach and mentoring, and around-the-clock crisis intervention. The organization accepts insurance and managed Medicaid, and its programming is rooted in the belief that all young people are capable of excellence when given the support to face challenges with confidence and dignity.
