Community Corner

New Director of 98-Old Nonprofit Aims to Keep Counseling Services Current

Susan Cowen aims to produce programming that responds to evolving community needs in Glencoe, noting a 20 to 25 percent uptick in requests for services. The Family Service of Glencoe serves about 100 people in counseling services at any given time.

Long before the advent of the Internet, Kaplan courses or mass media, the 98-year-old Family Service of Glencoe was guiding residents through the sticky complications of being a modern-day human.

As society has evolved in recent decades, so has the , and it will continue to do so, according to Susan Cowen. The Glencoe resident recently became the non-profit organization's executive director. She aims to continue to serve Glencoe residents in new ways, as her predecessor, Nancy Sutherland, did for 13 years.

"One of my goals is to ensure that the programming we do really responds to community needs," said Cowen, a 46-year-old mother of two. "We aim to do a community assessment so that we know how to respond to our community needs."

Find out what's happening in Winnetka-Glencoewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Family Service of Glencoe offers individual and group counseling sessions, as well as community outreach programs. In recent years Glencoe has experienced a 20 to 25 percent uptick in requests for counseling services, according to Cowen.

"We see an increase in requests for help with issues that parents face, as well as prevention-oriented services for adolescents," said Cowen, who manages a staff of about 11 people. "We have seventh and eighth graders doing drugs and trying to buy alcohol at 7-Eleven. Some [teens] are really struggling with mental health issues."

Find out what's happening in Winnetka-Glencoewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Related:

Cowen, who lobbied for youth programming as CEO of the Illinois Collaboration on Youth for three years, said she sees some parallels between her work in Glencoe and her earlier work at the state level, where she managed a staff in the hundreds.

"Even though Glencoe is an affluent community, we know that there are similar social and emotional issues that community members face as they do in at-risk communities," she said. "They might look different; in fact, sometimes they are hidden, but they are present."

Today, Cowen said a looming problem for community members is stress management, noting the challenges that come with changes in the family structure, technology and careers. "Kids are building resumes instead of following their dreams," said Cowen. "How do we as a community respond in a way that takes the stigma out and encourages familes to work preventively to face stressors in their lives?"

One way of handling the demand for services would be a transition to a storefront. Currently housed in Glencoe Village Hall at 675 Village Court, the organization can be difficult to find and oftentimes residents don't know of the agency's existence, said Cowen.

"We have several small groups in Glencoe, but they are not formally connected, and one of my mandates is to work with the community so there is a clear understanding of resources."

Kim Cornell, co-president of the organization's board, has been excited about the agency's future since meeting Cowen last fall. Former Executive Director Nancy Sutherland retired after 13 years.

"As we look ahead to our centennial year, we are confident that the agency has been placed in very capable hands with Suzy as our leader," she said. "Several members of staff have come to me personally and thanked us for finding a wonderful leader to bring the agency to its centennial year and beyond."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here