Who We Are

PHILOSOPHY

Services tailored to the needs of our community

Thrive Counseling Center is dedicated to enriching lives through counseling and other mental health services. The emotional well-being of every individual in our community is at the heart of our work.

LICENSED BY

• Illinois Department of Human Services, Office of Mental Health-Medicaid Certification.
• Department of Children & Family Services
• CARF accredited
• Affiliated with the United Way of Oak Park, River Forest & Forest Park

HISTORY

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 and River Forest - was chosen to reflect this mission.

The agency continues to provide professional counseling and behavioral healthcare services to its core communities of Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park, but it has grown to offer services that are not fully conveyed by the name Family Service. With this in mind, the organization changed its name once again to Thrive Counseling Center in April of 2009.

Since then Thrive Counseling Center has risen to the forefront of behavioral healthcare in the Chicago metropolitan area. Thousands of lives have been touched by Thrive Counseling Center's innovative programs. Thrive Counseling Center 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. Thrive Counseling Center 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.