The Village of Niles operates Niles Family Services to provide mental health counseling and therapy to residents. Fees are determined on a sliding scale. No Niles resident is denied services because of an inability to pay.
Many of the clients are children or families referred by local school districts or the police department. Seth Knobel, the director, says the police department credits Niles Family Services with helping a number of families resolve problems and staving off potential trouble, whether that be domestic disputes, young people acting out or other unhealthy behaviors.
Niles Family Services shares the same building as the Niles Fitness Center in Civic Center Plaza, on the southeast corner of Waukegan Road and Oakton Street. To find the entrance to Niles Family Services (as well as the Niles Senior Center), drive around the back of the building. There is a driveway with a gate, and the gate lifts automatically when its sensor detects a vehicle.
Niles Family Services also provides an emergency food pantry.
Residents come here to work out marital issues, parenting issues, family disputes, job loss, aging issues, bereavement and more.
The Niles Senior Center is a modern, spacious building with a gameroom, a lounge, a billiards room, an auditorium for lectures and performances, a coffee area and other amenities. Seniors come to the facility to socialize and play cards, backgammon and other games, read the newspaper and watch stock reports. There is different programming each week, from health and wellness activities to movie nights; educational activities, such as a lecture on immigration at Ellis Island; and entertainment programs, such as a presentation on the music of Elvis Presley.
There are also day trips to places of interest. Director Kelly Mickle says that some seniors who come are in their 60s and 70s, while others are in their 80s and 90s. Some even come in wheelchairs with caregivers. The Niles Free Bus makes a stop here and many seniors use it as their transportation.