Jewish Family Service | Help for all in need


Jewish Family Service will preserve and strengthen the quality of life for individuals and families in the Jewish and Greater Dallas communities by providing essential and affordable mental-health and social services.

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Counseling Services for Adults	Fee Statement
For information about Counseling Services for Adults, please call 972-437-9950 and ask to speak to the Coordinator of Clinical Services. Jewish Family Service provides a clinical, therapeutic service to address the following through individual, family, marriage or group counseling: personal emotional crises such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and/or serious difficulties, including conflicts in interpersonal relationships such as marriage and peer friendships

Click on one of our services below
Individual Counseling \| Career and Employment \| Breast Cancer Support Family Violence Intervention \| Services for Children, Adolescents, and Their Parents School Mental Health \| Services for the Elderly and their Adult Children Healing Services \| Emergency Assistance \| Refugee Services Indigent Burial Program \| Fee Statement

Individual Counseling	to navigation
Our licensed professionals offer one-on-one counseling, helping people identify and understand their feelings, and develop skills to better deal with those concerns.

Marital Counseling Our licensed professionals help build stronger marriage relationships by identifying concerns and improving communication.
Family Counseling Our licensed professionals help build stronger families by improving communications and relationships.
Family Violence Intervention and Counseling Our licensed professionals offer a variety of services to help individuals or families coping with emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.
Psychiatric Consultation Jewish Family Service can provide psychiatric assessment as appropriate.

Career and Employment Services	to navigation
For more information about any of our Career and Employment Services, please call 972-437-9950 and ask to speak to the Coordinator of that department. Jewish Family Service offers assessment, counseling, job search training assistance, and selective placement services to help the unemployed, underemployed and persons with special needs (physical and emotionally disabled, single heads of households, New Americans, and the elderly).

Career Guidance Our career-management specialists provide individualized assistance to identify career options/alternatives in employment transition. The focus is on placement, improving job-search effectiveness, achieving career goals and re-employment.
Services for Special-Needs Clients Services are tailored for disabled/special-needs individuals and we provide direct assistance in job-search training, job placement, and on-the-job training. Our primary referral source is the Texas Rehabilitation Commission.
Testing and Assessment The testing and assessment program enables people to identify suitable career paths based on personal interest, talents, and temperament.
Psychiatric Consultation Jewish Family service provides psychiatric consultation to help with challenging client issues.
Job Search Resource Center This Center provides job seekers: Job leads, networking contacts and job-search information, use of phone, computers, fax, copier, and Internet directory. To employers, we provide (at no cost): candidate profiles for pre-screening, candidates resume book, and job requisition posting service. Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Tuesday evenings 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
CareerNet This networking program, which meets every Monday, 9 a.m. to noon, provides an opportunity to meet other job seekers and share job leads in a comfortable setting. Speakers are scheduled bi-monthly as part of the program’s emphasis on improving one’s job search.
Employment Resource Group This program, which meets on the second Tuesday evening of each month offers an award-winning, no-cost networking forum. Featured speakers address important career topics.

Breast Cancer Support Services	to navigation
For information about any of the following services, please call 972-437-9950 and ask to speak to the Coordinator of Breast Cancer Services. "Together, Linked by Cancer" provides a wide range of support services for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer at any time in their lives, as well as support for their family members.

Individual Counseling for Women Our professional staff provides one-on-one counseling for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, helping them understand their feelings and develop skills to best cope with their concerns. We provide in-home one-on-one counseling for those women whose illness limits their mobility.
Support Groups for Women For women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer at any time in their lives, this group, facilitated by a licensed professional, provides a safe environment for sharing experiences.
Support Group for Children Whose Parent Has Cancer Our professional staff provides age-appropriate support for children whose parent has been diagnosed with cancer, helping them express their concerns and develop coping skills.
Support Group for Couples Coping with Cancer For couples with a diagnosis of breast cancer, or any other type of cancer, this weekly support group explores a variety of topics including communication and intimacy issues.
Financial Assistance Jewish Family Service can provide some financial assistance for transportation to medical appointments, for purchase of medication, or for other recovery-related needs.
Transportation Jewish Family Service volunteers and drivers take frail or immobile individuals to medical appointments.

Family Violence Intervention Services	to navigation
For information on this program, please call 972-437-9950 and ask to speak to the Coordinator of the Family Violence program. If you are calling when our office is closed, your call will be answered by a service. One of our social workers will be available to speak to you. If you are in immediate physical danger, please call 9-1-1. Jewish Family Service provides crisis intervention and safety planning, counseling, and support groups for the victim of family violence, as well as professional help for the abuser.

Crisis Intervention / Safety Planning In the event of a family-violence crisis, Jewish Family Service works to provide immediate physical and emotional safety, and to develop a plan for future safety. We work in conjunction with other community agencies as necessary to provide appropriate housing, legal, or medical services.
Individual Counseling for Adults Affected by Abuse Our professional staff provides individual counseling for adults who have been affected by emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, whether that abuse is in the past or ongoing.
Abusive Relationships: Group Counseling for Women These groups are for women who are currently in, or previously have been in, an abusive relationship. Two groups are open for new members and both are facilitated by a female counselor.
Abusive Relationships: Group Counseling for Men This group is for men who have been a victim of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse at any time in their lives. This group is facilitated by a male counselor.
Individual Play Therapy for Children Affected by Abuse Our professional staff provides age-appropriate one-on-one play therapy for children who have been victims of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or who have witnessed any type of abuse in their homes.
Therapeutic Group for Children Affected by Abuse Our professional staff guides this group for children who are currently facing any type of abuse against themselves or a family member, or have in the past.
Parent / Child Counseling Our professional staff provides family counseling for parents and children who want to work together to explore issues related to family violence.
Individual Counseling for the Abuser Jewish Family Service will provide counseling for an abuser who wants to work to change his/her pattern of behavior.
Psychiatric Consultation Jewish Family service provides psychiatric consultation as appropriate to help with challenging client issues.
Employment Assistance Jewish Family Service professionals provide employment assistance to women who are seeking to establish financial independence. (Please see page 8.)
Prevention / Education Programs Jewish Family Service provides family-violence education programs to parents, teachers, and clergy of all communities, as well as accredited conferences for those who work professionally with victims of abuse.

Services for Children, Adolescents, and Their Parents	to navigation
For information on any programs for children or adolescents, please call 972-437-9950 and ask to speak to the Coordinator of Services for Children. Jewish Family Service offers a clinical, therapeutic service that addresses personal emotional crises such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and/or serious difficulties, including conflicts in interpersonal relationships with parents, teachers, siblings, or peers.

Counseling Our licensed professionals offer one-on-one counseling, helping children and adolescents identify and understand their feelings, and develop skills to better deal with them.
Play Therapy When young children are troubled, play therapy is often the best way to understand their concerns. Licensed professionals work with children at their own level, helping them to express their feelings and begin the healing process.
Parent Guidance Our licensed professionals offer one-on-one counseling to the parents of young children or teens, to help them better understand their children’s development and to improve family communication.
Family Counseling If a child or teen has an issue that involves the entire family, our licensed professionals offer counseling for the child or teen and other family members together.
Psychiatric Consultation Jewish Family Service provides psychiatric consultation as necessary to help with challenging client issues.
Big Pal Program Adults serve as friends and mentors to Jewish children raised in single-parent families.
Social Skills Groups Our licensed professionals facilitate Social Skills groups for children and adolescents, to help them learn to navigate the world of their feelings and relationships.
Mother / Daughter Workshop The goal of "Weaving Webs of Womanhood" is to strengthen families by helping elementary-school-aged daughters develop a strong identity, healthy relationships, self-esteem, and leadership skills.
Support Group for Siblings of the Emotionally, Physically, Psychologically, or Learning Disabled This group, facilitated by a licensed professional, is for children whose siblings require special attention because of emotional, physical, psychological, or learning disabilities.
Support Group for Children Coping with Divorce or Loss This group targets the needs of children who have suffered through a loss of some type, whether by divorce or death. It is also for children whose parents are in the process of separation or divorce.
Support Group for Children Whose Parents are Chronically or Terminally Ill For children who are impacted by the illness and/or impending death of a parent, this group provides support and help in the development of coping strategies.
Therapeutic Group for Children Affected by Abuse Our professional staff guides this group for children who are currently facing any type of abuse against themselves or a family member, or have in the past.

School Mental Health	to navigation
Jewish Family Service provides on-site assessment of students in Jewish schools, from preschool through high school. For more information, please call 972-437-9950 and speak to the Coordinator of School Mental Health.

Student Observation Our licensed professionals observe children in the school environment, in the classroom or on the playground.
Parent-Child Counseling, Intervention, and/or Referrals At the request of the student, parent, teacher, or administrator, Jewish Family Service counselors meet with parents to address a variety of issues affecting the child’s school performance. If the problems require ongoing intervention, families will be referred to professionals outside the school as appropriate.
Classroom Intervention Our counselors work weekly with each class using pre-set curricula (such as “Kids Connection,” “Youth Connection,” and “Second Step”) to teach empathy, anger management, impulse control, and bullying prevention.
Inservice Training for Teachers Counselors provide inservice education for teachers and administrators on topics requested by the schools.
Speaker Workshops Jewish Family Service counselors bring professionals to the schools to speak to children and parents on topics such as eating disorders, bullying prevention, early childhood nutrition, and human development.

Services for the Elderly and their Adult Children	to navigation
For information about any of the services on this page, please call 972-437-9950 and speak to the Coordinator of Services for the Elderly. Jewish Family Service provides a wide spectrum of services for the frail elderly to help individuals remain independent in their communities for as long as they can function safely and effectively.

Gerontology Assessment and Case Management Jewish Family Service professional staff assess the needs and capabilities of older adults, offering our own services, or making recommendations for physical care and living arrangements as appropriate.
Lifeline Emergency Response Service For older or disabled adults, Jewish Family Service provides Lifeline, a 24-hour-a-day emergency-response service.
Homemaker Services Jewish Family Service arranges for light housekeeping for individuals who are unable to clean their homes.
Transportation Jewish Family Service volunteers and drivers take frail or immobile individuals to medical appointments.
Personal Resource Organizers (PRO) When paperwork becomes overwhelming, Jewish Family Service volunteers help clients balance their checkbooks, organize their bills and personal paperwork, and file insurance and medical forms.
Emotional Support Our licensed professionals offer one-on-one counseling to address the unique needs of the elderly, and to help them develop skills to better deal with these issues.
Kosher Home-Delivered Meals We deliver nutritious, kosher meals directly to seniors’ homes, helping them remain independent in their community. This project is offered in conjunction with the Dallas Area Agency on Aging.
Assistance to Holocaust Survivors Jewish Family Service provides professional help and limited homemaker, home-health, transportation, and emergency assistance to qualified Holocaust survivors to help maintain independence.
Counseling for Adult Children of the Elderly Our professional staff help adult children of the elderly better understand the needs of their parents, and help them plan for the future.
Psychiatric Consultatio Jewish Family Service can provide psychiatric assessment as appropriate.
Caregivers Support Group For spouses, adult children, and other family members coping with a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or other conditions requiring long-term care.
Guardianship Jewish Family Service acts as legal guardian for people who can no longer make informed decisions and have no family members available to take over affairs on their behalf. Once we become the legal guardian for an individual, we are committed to acting just as a concerned family member would--for the rest of the individual’s life. We provide case management; advising on controversial issues, turning to as ethics committee as necessary; monitor medical, housing, psychological, and legal needs; oversee estate issues; and provide an annual accounting to the probate court.

Healing Services	to navigation
While all agency services provide healing benefits, the services listed in this section address physical healing and end of life issues.

Individual Counseling for Women with Breast Cancer Our professional staff provides one-on-one counseling for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, helping them understand their feelings and develop skills to best cope with their concerns. We provide in-home one-on-one counseling for those women whose illness limits their mobility. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Breast Cancer Services.
Support Groups for Women with Breast Cancer For women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer at any time in their lives, this group, facilitated by a licensed professional, provides a safe environment for sharing experiences. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Breast Cancer Services.
Support Group for Couples Coping with Cancer For any couple with a diagnosis of breast cancer, or any other type of cancer, this weekly support group explores a variety of topics including communication and intimacy issues. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Breast Cancer Services.
Support Group for Children Whose Parent Has Cancer Our professional staff provides age-appropriate support for children whose parent has been diagnosed with cancer, helping them express their concerns and develop coping skills. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Services for Children.
Transportation Jewish Family Service volunteers and drivers take frail or immobile individuals to medical appointments. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Services for the Elderly.
Grief Support This is a six-week grief support group for adults of any age who have suffered a loss through death. The six-week session is offered four times a year at various synagogues. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Services for the Elderly.
Grief Support, Too “Grief Support, Too” is a support group for adults of any age who have suffered a loss through death and have previously attended some type of workshop on grief / loss, either through Jewish Family Service or elsewhere. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Services for the Elderly.
Caregivers Group For spouses, adult children, and other family members coping with a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or other conditions requiring long-term care. This group meets the third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at Brighton Gardens. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Services for the Elderly.
Chronic Pain For those who are dealing with physical conditions involving chronic pain, and their loved ones, this group meets the first Wednesday of each month, 7:30 to 9 p.m. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Services for the Elderly.
Chaplaincy Program The purpose of the chaplaincy program is to address the spiritual needs of our community’s non-affiliated individuals and families who • are experiencing a personal or family crisis or long-term illness resulting in either short-term or long-term institutional care, medical or psychiatric hospitalization, rehabilitation nursing-home or in-home care, • are coping with imprisonment, or • need a rabbi to perform an indigent burial service. For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Services for the Elderly.

Emergency Assistance	to navigation

Emergency Financial Assistance When families or individuals find themselves in a financial crisis, Jewish Family Service can provide Emergency Financial Assistance. Sometimes all it takes is just one rent payment to avoid a financial disaster that could even lead to homelessness and/or long-term poverty.
Food Pantry Jewish Family Service’s Food Pantry provides food and nutritional information for qualified families and individuals in the following North Dallas and Carrollton zip codes: 75209, 75220, 75225, 75229, 75230, 75231, 75234, 75238, 75240, 75243, 75244, 75248, 75252, 75254, 75287, 75001, 75006, 75007, 75010, 75011. Food is also distributed on-site at several schools and subsidized housing complexes. Food Pantry Hours (by appointment only): Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Information & Referral When people call Jewish Family Service to request help that we cannot provide for any reason (geography, eligibility, etc.), we will refer them to the appropriate agency that should be able to help.
Medication Assistance (MEDS) Jewish Family Service can help cover the cost of prescription medications for clients in need through our limited MEDS program.

Refugee Services	to navigation
Jewish Family Service works to settle refugees who are being persecuted in their homeland for religious reasons, in particular, Jewish Refugees from countries of the former Soviet Union and the B’hai people of Iran. We provide for the basic needs of the refugees for several months, and help them become a part of the community in American society. For more information, please call 972-437-9950 and ask to speak to the staff in charge of Refugee Resettlement.

Pre-Migration Assistance Jewish Family Service staff helps determine if an individual or family is eligible to apply for refugee status in the United States. If so, we file all the necessary paperwork on their behalf.
Shelter, Food, Financial Assistance. When refugees arrive in our community, Jewish Family Service provides a furnished apartment, food, financial assistance, other services listen on this page, and, perhaps most importantly, encouragement and comfort.
Case Management We assign a case manager to work with the elderly, disabled, low income, or chronically unemployed individual or family, to assess their needs and help provide services as appropriate.
Acculturation Information Jewish Family Service staff works with refugees one-on-one to provide information about Amercian culture: banking, shopping, transportation, etc.
Instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) Jewish Family Service provides several months of ESL lessons, as learning to speak English is an essential part of integrating into their new society.
Employment Assistance Our employment professionals work with the refugees to help identify their skills and experience, and to help them understand the process of applying for a job in the U.S.
Interpreters For those refugees who arrive with poor English skills, Jewish Family Service interpreters help them communicate with doctors and at other needed appointments.
Green Card Assistance Jewish Family service staff works with the refugees to help adjust their status to permanent residents, as appropriate.
Citizenship Coaching. Jewish Family Service volunteers help primarily elderly refugees in our community become U.S. citizens by reviewing and studying U.S. history and potential citizenship-test questions, and then celebrate when the big day arrives. We also help with the application for citizenship.
Partners in Conversation. Our volunteers visit New Americans in their home, helping them practice conversational English, while making new friends.
Indigent Burial Program	to navigation
Jewish Family Service’s Indigent Burial Program ensures that indigent members of the Dallas area Jewish community will be able to have a Jewish funeral. The term “indigent” refers to individuals with no income or extremely low income. The program utilizes Sparkman-Hillcrest funeral home (with special fee arrangements) and three cemeteries: Temple Emanu-El, Congregation Shearith Israel, and Tiferet Israel. Jewish Family Service monitors a rotation between the three cemeteries. The Indigent Burial Fund is maintained and administered by The Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas. When a request for the Indigent Burial Program arises, the family or responsible individual should contact the Coordinator of Services for the Elderly. She will see the family either later that day or first thing the following morning. This appointment is necessary to determine whether the deceased individual or family qualifies as “indigent,” since the deceased’s spouse, children, siblings, and/or parents are expected to pay for a funeral, if possible.