Nicasa, NFP
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
As an innovator in the field of substance abuse Nicasa Behavioral Health Services has seen the various challenges and complexities that afflict individuals and families within the community. Almost no one experiences substance abuse difficulties in a vacuum. Similarly, many human service entities have long provided only a few services to improve certain aspects of the needs among the community. Research has shown that with more referrals and change in service providers, there is a decreased likelihood for long-term success. This experience and knowledge has fueled Nicasa Behavioral Health Services to decrease the amount of "service silos" while also providing comprehensive service options. To transform one life at a time, Nicasa Behavioral Health Services remains flexible and consistently changes to both innovations in the field, as well as the ever-changing needs of the individuals and families in need.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Substance Abuse and DUI Services
Consultations, evaluations, assessments, education, and treatment for youth and adults covering a variety of substance abuse difficulties. Individuals are assessed and recommended for treatment based on severity and other identified needs (can range from risk education to intensive outpatient). Services are provided in individual or group modalities. Counselors can address co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders as well. Drug testing is also available, and in many instances required due to program and/or legal requirements. Referrals are made for anyone in need of psychiatric care. All services are provided in English and Spanish.
Illinois law requires individuals who are arrested for a DUI to obtain an alcohol/drug evaluation. Per the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, all DUI evaluations in Lake County are required to be completed at Nicasa Behavioral Health Services. As a result of the evaluation, recommendations may be made for additional education and/or treatment services.
The evaluation determines how many hours of treatment are needed for an individual to complete, which can range from lower level outpatient to higher level intensive outpatient. Additionally, individuals will receive DUI Risk Reduction Education (mandated by the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery), which is a 10-hour program designed for those who make high-risk choices (like impaired driving) to learn about the risks and consequences of alcohol and other drug use. Treatment is then provided in a group format (individual sessions are offered only on a case-by-case basis) with varying topics and approaches (e.g. DUI education, dialectical behavior therapy, coping and healthy living skills, co-occurring disorders, positive decision-making, solution-focused brief therapy, expressive therapy, and more).
For individuals who have lost their driving privileges as a result of their DUI offense, there are Secretary of State (SOS) Services available as well. This service helps individuals work towards the reinstatement of their driving privileges through the Secretary of State for licenses that have been suspended or revoked. Staff provides an evaluation for an individual's substance abuse history, identifies needs, and ensures all concerns have been addressed prior to application for reinstatement. These services are provided in three parts and are based on a flat rate (due to requirements of the state there is no eligibility for a fee reduction).
Bridge House
A clinically-managed, low-intensity, extended residential treatment center for adults who are in need of substance abuse recovery and maintenance support. This transitional program (categorized as a SUPR III.1 Level service) is for both men and women who are experiencing difficulties with substance abuse. Individuals enter the program via referrals from other substance abuse providers (e.g. higher end residential or hospital settings), Lake County and McHenry County Drug Courts, Lake County Mental Health Court, and other local area providers. The site contains 20 beds total, with two that can accommodate differently abled individuals (ADA compliant) , and is staffed 24/7/365 for supervision and support. All services are provided in English and Spanish. The focus of the program is to support individuals through the recovery process and provide them with skills, tools, and connections that will lead to stability in order for them to move on and enjoy substance-free living while becoming productive members of society.
All individuals residing here must be free from any substances for at least 30 days before entering and are expected to remain substance-free throughout their time in the program. Additionally, individuals are expected to be responsible for general chores and treat the building as if it were their own home (e.g. weekly scheduling of meals, cleaning, and etc.). An initial down-payment is required upon entering the program to cover the first 28 days of treatment. Co-pays are then required in order to remain in the program.
Programming within this treatment center requires individuals to attend a minimum of 1 hour of therapy per week, 5 groups per week, participate in drug testing, daily meditation, substance abuse counseling, identify and communicate with a sponsor, and engage in either school, work, or volunteering for at least 3 days per week. There are also healthy recovery activities that are offered for positive social engagements, as well as opportunities for family visiting days and family therapy. Some examples of groups and activities include Art Impact, Bible Study, Community Group, Family Group, Peer Recovery activities, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and more.
In addition to the general programming outline, there is also the ability to provide individualized treatment. Some approaches and modalities that support the independent and strengths-based environment include cognitive behavioral
therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Matrix Model, motivational interviewing, and other evidenced-based models.
Individuals typically stay in the program for 90 days (case-by-case determinations are required in order to extend their time). Upon discharge from the program, staff connects individuals to other internal programs to assist with housing and/or securing a space in a sober living facility/location, as well as external services and supports.
Teen Court
Participating police departments refer juvenile offenders (ages 10-18) in order to address the root cause of their offense, change their behavior, and reduce recidivism in the future. This voluntary program, based on balanced and restorative justice, allows a youth to admit guilt and commit to learning from their mistake from a sentence determined by a jury of peers. Services include activities that result in learning, understanding, and implementing behavior change. Any child with a drug or alcohol offense is required to be evaluated by a Nicasa counselor and follow through with recommendations. All services are provided in English and Spanish.
Family Advocacy Center (Including Parent Education)
Advocacy, case management, information, and referrals for families in crisis that have children under the age of 18. A Family Advocacy Center Facilitator meets with individuals to assess for needs of themselves and their family, provide parenting education, and coordinate services and connections to necessary resources. Areas of need that the program can help coordinate with include parenting, insurance (Medicaid), housing, substance abuse, mental health, immigration, education, some transportation (as it relates to identified services), emergency assistance (like locating an open shelter), and more. All services are provided in English and Spanish.
Parenting education is provided in either individual or group formats for an average of 6-8 weeks. Parent-education and support programming is designed to build on strengths and empower parents to improve family communication and functioning while decreasing family conflict.
*No housing vouchers.*
In-School Prevention Program
A collaboration with middle schools in Waukegan, Mundelein, and Wauconda. The program is offered in English and Spanish. The schools offer time during the day to deliver the program to the students. The teachers often remain in the classroom during sessions to reinforce what is being discussed with the class. A multi-sector Community Advisory Board tracks the successes and progress of the program as well.
We use the "Too Good For Drugs" curriculum, which is designed to reduce risk factors for alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Protective factors in this program are enhanced via lessons on decision-making, pro-social connections, identification and management of emotions, and positive communication. The curriculum is proven to diminish ATOD among participating students and positively impact the risk and protective factors surrounding youth alcohol and drug abuse. This evidenced-based model program requires 10 sessions and 5 boosters implemented in 30-60 minute segments.
Gambling Outreach and Intervention
Gambling addiction counseling and intervention programs, including self-exclusion. Consultations, evaluations, assessments, education, and treatment for youth and adults experiencing problem gambling. Individuals are assessed and recommended for treatment based on severity and other identified needs. Services are provided in individual or group modalities (including telehealth). Counselors can address co-occurring gambling, substance abuse, and mental health disorders as well. All services are provided in English and Spanish. There are also recovery support groups (e.g. Gamblers Anonymous) available for individuals and their family members, as well as various outreach efforts across the community. Nicasa Behavioral Health Services is 1 of only 9 state-licensed facilities in all of Illinois to provide these services, and it is the only provider of its kind in northern Illinois.
Nicasa is the only problem gambling service provider in northern IL, and is one of only nine state-funded providers in all of Illinois.
Mental Health Services
Consultations, assessments/evaluations, and outpatient mental health treatment for youth and adults covering a wide range of diagnoses and concerns. Services begin with a 2-hour assessment and then treatment is provided in individual, family, and group modalities (depending on the needs of the primary individual). Staff can address co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders as well. Anyone requiring psychiatric care and/or medication monitoring is referred out accordingly. All services are provided in English and Spanish, and there is a focus on treating those who are uninsured, under-insured, and/or undocumented.
Treatment Recovery Enhancement and Expansion (TREE)
Offers comprehensive treatment, early intervention, and recovery support services to Transitional Age Youth (18-25 years old) with substance use disorders and/or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, and their families/caregivers. The program provides a free tablet to complete online learning components and offers reduced co-pays for behavioral health treatment received at Nicasa. Services include substance abuse and mental health treatment, assistance with enrolling in Medicaid and/or the insurance marketplace, integration with primary healthcare, employment assistance, connections to address other identified needs, trauma-informed programming, family/caregiver education and socialization, recovery activities, connection to the recovery community, and more. All services are provided in English and Spanish.
Act-Recover-Change-Hope Program (ARCH)
Offers a connection to stable, permanent housing, behavioral health treatment, peer recovery support services, and employment assistance to individuals and families with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders (mental health, substance abuse, and/or developmental disabilities) that are homeless or are at risk of homelessness. This is a free program in collaboration with PADS Lake County. Additional services include integration with primary healthcare, enrolling in Medicaid and/or the insurance marketplace, connections to address other identified needs, trauma-informed programming, and more.
Where we work
Awards
Program of the Year 2021
Illinois Association of Addiction Professionals
Special Recognition Promoting March as National Problem Gambling Awareness Month 2023
Lake County Board
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Substance abusers, Low-income people, Undocumented immigrants, Victims of crime and abuse
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Individuals are continuing to remain in care longer than before, which means less people can be seen. Also staffing increased, but has not fully stabilized, so only a slight increase in total served
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Nicasa Behavioral Health Services aims assist individuals and families so they may reach their fullest human potential while living safe and healthy lives. In order to accomplish this, the organization focuses on preventing, reducing, and treating substance abuse. Additionally, Nicasa Behavioral Health Services provides supportive services, both as a part of the recovery process and as a compliment to substance abuse services. Most notably, the organization takes great focus on treating concurrent substance abuse and mental health challenges (whether co-occurring or not). This enables the organization to assist individuals and families, improve behaviors and overall health, stabilize living environments and family structures, teach new skills, eliminate negative systemic involvement, and ultimately prevent various types of fatalities (e.g. overdoses, suicides, abuse, neglect, and etc.).
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Nicasa Behavioral Health Services provides a continuum of care comprised of education, prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery services. This is accomplished via individualized outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment, which includes individual, group, and partner modalities. The organization also provides a variety of prevention programming to improve community education, safety, and wellness, while also moving forward with innovative programming, such as rapid re-housing for criminally-involved adults, criminal justice diversion programming, supportive services for child welfare, and specialized programming for individuals experiencing co-occurring substance abuse and mental health difficulties accompanied by other complexities. For those who require a heightened level of treatment the organization also maintains an adult residential recovery halfway house for ongoing intensive care to best prepare them for independent living in the future.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Nicasa Behavioral Health Services employs a variety of licensed and credentialed staff, including certified alcohol and drug counselors, certified peer recovery support specialists, licensed social workers (clinical and non-clinical), licensed professional counselors (clinical and non-clinical), and certified problem gambling counselors. Additionally, a majority of employees have tenure with the organization for 10, 15, 20, and over 30 years which emphasizes not only consistency and an enhanced level of care, but also speaks to the impact that Nicasa Behavioral Health Services has on the community. Lastly, the organization maintains a current accreditation status with the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) since 2017.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In FY21, Nicasa Behavioral Health Services experienced the following outcomes:
Prevention:
- 80% of students received the full Too Good For Drugs prevention and booster prevention curriculum sessions.
Early Intervention Services:
- XX% of clients successfully completed the Alcohol and Other Drug risk-reduction classes.
- 98% of participants who successfully completed Teen Court did not re-offend within 12 months of case closure.
Substance Abuse - Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient Services:
- 85% of clients successfully discharged from substance abuse services.
Bridge House:
- 67% of clients successfully discharged from the program.
- XX% of successfully discharged clients reported supportive community interaction or 12-step participation.
Mental Health Services:
- 87% of clients successfully discharged from mental health services.
Problem Gambling Services:
- 87% of clients successfully discharged from gambling services.
Family Advocacy Services:
- 99% of families experienced an instance of abuse and/or neglect while engaged in the program.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Nicasa, NFP
Board of directorsas of 08/23/2023
Janice Kapinos
Rust-Oleum - Retired
Term: 2020 - 2023
Javier Alonso
College of Lake County
LaTonya Burton
Bur-Men Law Group
Vallery Gallagher
Baxter Healthcare Corporation
Mike Goldberg
Johnston Tomei Lenczycki & Goldberg LLC
Joy Gossman
Lake County Public Defender
Louise Bryant-Hayes
Lake County State's Attorney's Office
Melvin Flores
American Portfolio Mortgage Corporation
Janice Kapinos
Rust-Oleum - Retired
Joe Karich
AbbVie - Retired
Ray Millington
Baird & Warner
Michael G. Nerheim
Judge - 19th Judicial Circuit Court
Ali O'Brien
College of Lake County
Michone Riewer
Strategic Divorce
Scott Roe
Abbott Laboratories - Retired
Dr. Deborah Smart
Smart Healthcare Consulting
Kim Smith
First Bank of Highland Park
Jan Zobus
Community Liaison - 26th District - Retired
Patricia Cornell
Judge - 19th Judicial Circuit Court
Joshua Jackson
Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP
Nick Kalfas
Lake County Sheriff's Office
Sam Nemmers
Medtronic
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/23/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.