"From a Christian foundation, Circle Family Care strives to enhance the quality of life for individuals and families on Chicago's West Side, by providing an array of whole person medical, behavioral, social, and educational services."
In 1975 medical and behavioral healthcare professionals residing and attending churches in the Austin neighborhood convened to address the vast cross-section of needs of Chicago's West Side residents. These professionals were moved to action by their religious convictions and a concern over the lack of response to the radical economic, racial and demographic changes that had occurred over the previous decade. These changes had led to a lack of quality behavioral health, counseling, family services and healthcare options within the community. They realized their goal in 1977 when Circle Family Care became incorporated as two independent agencies - one addressing the neighborhood's medical needs, and the other its counseling needs.
In 1984, the counseling and medical centers merged becoming a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization under the name Circle Family Care (CFC). In 1986, the agency expanded its counseling services to the Humboldt Park community through a contract awarded by The Illinois Department of Mental Health. The expansion of services targets the Hispanic and African American populations residing in this neighborhood.
CFC serves more than 13,000 clients annually through its three units Behavioral Health Services, Children & Family Services, and Community Health Services, all of which serve the particular needs of the community in which they reside. Our Behavioral Health Services Units assists mentally ill adults and provides family support services in the areas of domestic violence and youth outreach. The Children & Family Services Unit is geared toward child welfare and providing Christian based counseling, in addition to emotional and structural support to families in need. CFC's Community Health Services Unit focuses on the physical well being of patients young and old by providing comprehensive, well-rounded health care and supportive services in a community setting. Today, Circle Family Care provides individual and family counseling, parenting education, teen outreach, after school activities, tutoring, psychotherapy, adult outpatient behavioral counseling, residential monitoring psychosocial rehabilitation, basic living skills, case management, medical and outreach services to the homeless, immunizations, obstetric & gynecological care, family practice, lab work, HIV/AIDS services, community outreach health services, after hours clinic and health education services from six West Side locations. Other service programs include Homeless Outreach and the Residential Program.
Circle Family Care is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Additionally, CFC is a licensed child welfare agency through the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. Behavioral health providers at our Humboldt Park location are on staff at St. Elizabeth Hospital. Our physicians are on staff at West Suburban, Bethany, Oak Park and University of Illinois hospitals. CFC provides services without regard to gender, race, sexual preference, religion or financial resource. No one is turned away.