LSSI – West Byron Street, Chicago

Do NOT go here. Avoid this place at all costs. They have an ongoing issue with the male workers engaging in inappropriate behaviors. They also have a huge turn over rate and cannot keep any of their level headed,… dedicated professionals with the exception of Liz who is a tremendous therapist. Ms. Newton whose title is the FSP coordinator will ask you to do her work for her and have you call every residential facility that your child’s insurance will cover and will deliberately lie and state she submitted documentation, packets, IR etc to said programs. What’s worse is their supervisor Corrie. She brushes everything under the wrong & pretends like this is all acceptable & excusable behavior. They are also a part of the CARES-SASS crisis team depending on your service area. Most notably, my sons psychiatrist said he needed to be in inpatient setting and she came out when his grandmother took him due to me recovering from surgery and falsely checked off boxes claiming he was safe to come home. I have documentation of his diagnoses that reflect his inability to manage these behaviors and she even checked a box saying he doesn’t have a condition that he’s been diagnosed with and is currently on medication for. 🤦🏼‍♀️ lastly,, there was a time when their crisis worker came out and followed me in the middle of my sons crisis, kicking doors, banging his head into the car, spitting and screaming, (he’s 11) and this worker continued telling me that I needed to sign this safety plan saying I agreed that I could keep him safe in the home DESPITE me saying it’s evident he’s going to the hospital. I then reported this to CORRIE , their supervisor and mentioned it was recorded and she just apologized and continued to send ANIA again. Luckily, I took him to another hospital where this agency was not the LSSI service area and they admitted him.

I am leaving this review as a parent who is deeply disappointed and harmed by my experience with LSSI (Lutheran Social Services). I entered services in good faith, with trust and an open mind, believing this would be… supportive for my child and respectful toward our family. Instead, my experience was the opposite. The process escalated in a way that felt extreme and unnecessary, and the documentation connected to my child included statements that were shocking, hurtful, and not consistent with our reality as a family. Reading those kinds of allegations about my home and my parenting was devastating. What made this even worse is the emotional impact on my child and on me as a mother. When families seek support, they should be met with care, neutrality, and professionalism not language that feels defamatory or a process that leaves a parent feeling blindsided and retraumatized. I also want to be transparent that I did not feel respected or treated with fairness through this experience. As a parent, you can tell when the tone shifts from support to suspicion, and that is exactly how this felt. No family should leave a helping organization feeling like they have to defend their character just to be heard. I cannot recommend LSSI to other parents based on my experience. If you are considering services involving your child, I strongly encourage you to ask very direct questions upfront about how concerns are documented, how escalation decisions are made, what your rights are as a parent, and how communication will happen with you not around you. I truly wish my experience had been different, but it wasn’t and I would not choose this again.

I'm a mental health professional unaffiliated with LSSI and I recently had to deal with this location for my work with a client. I dealt directly with one of the social workers, who identified herself as a… supervisor/manager. This was by far the least professional experience I have experienced in any "professional" situation, ever. Not just in mental health care. The social worker, who claimed to have an MSW and the proper qualifications/accreditations, was completely unprepared for every meeting to the point t that she did not even know what client she was speaking about nor what the state of Illinois requirements were for said client's situation. Furthermore, the most astonishing was that this mental health worker would loudly speak about clients by name and MAKE FUN of their issues in front of me (again I don't work there), support staff, and other clients at the office. I am absolutely disgusted that anyone like this considers themselves a social worker and I am disgusted that LSSI would employ such a despicable human being and treat those seeking help in such an inhumane and ILLEGAL manner.

It’s been years but I remember coming here when I needed help. It was one of the best things I ever did. I encourage others to try it.

Unfortunately I can't leave 0 star that is what it deserves. No help what so ever, numerous phone calls not returned. The young lady in intake took 15 to get past the name. Sadly no one cares, unprofessional and people… being untreated with this facility. Very sad