1959
Rev. Stan Davis of Galewood United Church of Christ established an outreach program on Chicago’s Northwest side.
1961
Outreach program expanded becoming affiliated with the Montclare YMCA on Chicago’s Northwest side
1966
Relocated to the Irving Park YMCA and changed its name to Northwest Youth Outreach (NYO)
1968
Begins serving suburban Leyden Township
1971
Became one of Illinois’ first adolescent substance abuse providers
1972
Began serving Chicago’s North Albany Park neighborhood
1977
Formed a Crisis Intervention Team to serve runaway and homeless youth
1980
Began serving the suburban Proviso Township and becomes a Suburban United Way partner
1984
Established itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and changed its name to Youth Outreach Services (YOS)
1987
Began serving Chicago’s Westside Austin community
1987
Expanded services to include Community Prevention Services
1994
Created Child Welfare Services division to keep families together and provide foster care when needed
1995
Established Community Alternatives to Detention Services
1996
Began serving the suburban communities of Oak Park and River Forest
1998
Began serving the suburban communities of Berwyn and Cicero
2000
Became accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Children and Family Services
2002
Expanded substance abuse treatment services in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood
2003
Began providing services in Chicago’s Back of the Yards/New City neighborhoods
2005
Opened a Stabilization Center in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood
2006
Began providing Comprehensive Community Based Youth services (CCBYS) to Chicago’s Pilsen/Little Village neighborhoods. Opened its first of four Transitional Living homes
2010
Celebrated 50th anniversary
2011
Developed the Juvenile Re-entry Initiative Program to assist youth re-entering the community from the Department of Juvenile Justice
2013
Created the very first adolescent domestic battery intervention model in Cook County as part of the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change Initiative in 2010-2013
2014
Awarded a Cook County’s Recidivism Reduction Demonstration Project grant to fund mentoring and positive activities to reduce the likelihood that they will re-offend
2014
Selected by the State of Illinois as one of seven youth service providers to participate in the first Pay for Success project, an innovative approach to serving at-risk youth through performance-based contracts funded by private investment
2015
Started a community garden in the Austin neighborhood
2016
Expanded its detention alternatives to include a Day Reporting Program at the Illinois Youth Center. YOS also began utilizing a MST adaptation for youth with problem sexual behaviors. YOS also began the Release Upon Request (RUR) program for Cook County youth being released from the JTDC without a parent or guardian
2016
Awarded a federal U.S. DOJ grant to work with youth exhibiting problem sexual behaviors (PSB) by using an evidence-based model called Multisystemic Therapy (MST-PSB)
2017
Became the sole provider of substance abuse screening, assessment and treatment services at the Illinois Youth Center facilities in Chicago, St. Charles, Warrenville and Pere Marquette
2017
Expanded prevention and intervention services into Lyons Township
2018
Piloted a Bullying Prevention Program in high schools
2018
Enhanced our PSB treatment to include a new Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-PSB) offering group family therapy
2018
Opened a new office location in the Pilsen neighborhood to serve Pilsen and Little Village communities
2019
YOS celebrated its 60th Anniversary! Rick Velasquez retired as Executive Director; Jamie Noto succeeded him
2019
Opened a new location in Lyons Township, in the lower level of the First Congregational Church of La Grange
2020
YOS, through U.S. HUD funding via the Alliance the End Youth Homelessness in Suburban Cook County, began offering comprehensive homeless services, housing via its partner agencies, and resource referrals, through a 2-year pilot program in the west region
2020
Began offering Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for Emerging Adults, ages 17-26, for those youth exiting DJJ
2021
YOS staff formed its first Social Justice Committee
2021
YOS expanded its Evening Reporting Center to day time, evening, and weekend hours
2022
YOS began the GEMS program, Girls Empowerment and Motivation Series, to reduce reoffending of girls involved in the juvenile justice system.