About Jamal Place!
The Jamal Place Group Home, located in Chicago's North Lawndale community, was a therapeutic group home for preteen and adolescent boys who are wards of the state.
Founded as an idea in 1993 by five professionals in the education and social work fields, Jamal Place grew from a grassroots effort funded by individual supporters in the metro Chicagoland area who recognized the need for a safe and loving home where at-risk boys could thrive.
Following a complete rehabilitation of an abandoned building on South California Avenue in Chicago's North Lawndale community, Jamal Place opened its doors for children in July of 1995. Expanding its mission to serve young men preparing for adulthood, Jamal Place, Inc. opened the DeAngelis House Transitional Living Program in April of 2002. In 2006, at the request of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Jamal Place expanded its transitional living program services to accommodate seven more young men.
Jamal Place, Inc. provided residential homes, educational opportunities and therapeutic services for 22 boys and young men living in North Lawndale on Chicago's near west side. Today, the transitional living programs remain. Jamal Place has demonstrated successful outcomes. The agency's residents have a 78% high school graduation rate. This rate exceeds the 40% graduation rate of DCFS wards and the 45% graduation rate of students who attend Chicago Public High Schools located within a five mile radius of Jamal Place programs.
In May, 2010, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services informed Jamal Place that they would not be renewing its group home contract with the agency for FY 2011. To address the loss of this state funded contract, Jamal Place developed the Metanoia Home, an after school/violence prevention program to serve boys in the North Lawndale neighborhood at the 1335 S. California program site.
The boys and young men Jamal Place, Inc. served serves make remarkable improvements in their emotional, behavioral and academic functioning.
These gains are attributed to:
The attention and concern demonstrated on a daily basis by a dedicated and committed staff .
Individual therapy that addresses issues of abuse, loss, anger and trust.
- Group therapy that teaches and models appropriate social behaviors.
- Educational support through the use of good schools, involvement of Jamal Place staff and teachers and after school tutoring.
- Exposure to a variety of cultural and recreational activities that broadens the residents' "world views".
- Provision of substance abuse counseling and treatment for youth who are at risk of using and abusing drugs and alcohol.
- Multi-disciplinary treatment planning designed to address the individual needs of each child and youth.
- Social skills group to help the boys understand societal expectations.
- Life skills group to prepare the boys for adult living expectations and responsibilities.
- Provision of community service activities to teach the boys how to "give back" to their community.
- Talking Circles" to address anger and conflict issues and promote peaceful resolutions toward individual and community conflict.
Jamal Place is licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, is a member of the The American Association of Children's Residential Centers and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation.