Additionally, Maine East has opened a Family Center, which provides a number of social work services including evening hours and programs to accommodate students and families who are unable to meet during the traditional school day schedule. Primary goals of the Center are to support students and their families in managing obstacles that might interfere with student progress and to help individuals locate local community resources and services when needed. In addition to providing information and referral, the Family Center offers crisis intervention programs, support groups for parents and students,educational workshops, and informational meetings. A number of programs are conducted in Spanish, Polish, and Gujarati (and occasionally other languages), and bilingual/interpreter services are available upon request. Family Center services are available to Maine East's students and families, and to community members of Des Plaines, Glenview, Morton Grove, Niles, Park Ridge, and Rosemont.

While keeping in mind the wide variety of guidance services available, parents should also remember that their teenager's counselor is as close as their telephone whether the need is college and career planning, academic difficulties, or personal problems. Counselors can also mediate conflicts, set up staffings, monitor student attendance and behavior, and provide information regarding tutoring.

For members of the Student Personnel Services Department to be the most effective, it is important that there be open communication between the home and the school. A resource booklet authored by SPS Director Mr. Vic DiPrizio—Guidance: Doing It For Kids—is available for interested parents. Call the SPS office at 847/692-8526.

Counselor Directory: Click HERE