Adolescent Consultation Services

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Adolescent Consultation Services

Since 1973, Adolescent Consultation Services has provided specialized diagnostic and therapeutic services to high-risk children and their families.

Adolescent Consultation Services (ACS) supports and empowers court-involved children and families by providing mental health prevention and intervention services to help them envision and work toward a better future. ACS was founded in 1973 in response to the specialized needs of children involved in the juvenile justice system. Throughout our first two decades, ACS served teens and families who were court-involved from Cambridge and Greater Boston. The program developed expertise in diagnostic and therapeutic services and established key partnerships in the community. In 1998, ACS was awarded the contract administered by the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to provide Juvenile Court Clinic services throughout Middlesex County. Today, ACS provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, treatment services, and advocacy for high-risk kids and their families. Private support enables ACS to offer Treatment and Education & Advocacy (E&A) services at no cost to families. We connect children and families with the resources they need to overcome obstacles due to trauma, family difficulties, educational challenges, mental health issues, and substance use concerns. This is the only official page of Adolescent Consultation Services.

06/26/2025

Every person deserves a supportive community and quality healthcare, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. As we continue celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, please find local resources below that may help provide these needs for you or a loved one!

The Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY) is a youth-led organization designed that provides a supportive community and social justice for LGBTQ+ youth across Massachusetts!
https://www.bagly.org/about-us

GLASS (GBLTQ+ Adolescent Social Services) is a community organization that supports LGBTQ youth of color and their allies, specifically serving individuals ages 13-29.
https://jri.org/services/health-and-housing/health/boston-glass

Boston LesBiGay Urban Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to curating an inclusive community presence for LGBTQ+ people of color in Boston through social events, promoting medical and mental healthcare awareness, and uplifting the voices of LGBTQ+ leaders.
https://www.lesbigayurbanfoundation.org/

Greater Boston Parents and Friends of Le****ns and G**s (PFLAG) is a community organization that provides education and advocacy toolkits, support groups, and other resources to LGBTQ+ youth and their friends and families.
https://www.gbpflag.org/services

Click the following link for a list of pediatric and adolescent gender-affirming medical providers in the Boston area: https://www.gladlaw.org/affirming-medical-providers-in-massachusetts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

06/20/2025

As we wrap up the week, let's highlight a few additional local mental health resources that emphasize supporting the Black community and Black clinicians.

Trinity Boston Connects is a non-profit organization that conducts several youth programs and organizational trainings aimed at promoting racial equity, trauma-informed care, and restorative justice throughout Boston's communities of color.
https://trinityconnects.org/vision-mission/

Young Man With a Plan is a nonprofit organization that offers mentoring for Black and Latino young men, particularly those in 7th-12th grade.
https://youngmanwithaplan.org/

Boys II Men is a mentoring program for 6th-8th grade boys of color that promotes social and emotional wellness, and offers the opportunity for participants to become lifetime members.
https://boysiimen.org/boys-ii-men-program

Black Men Heal is a nonprofit organization based in Cambridge that specializes in providing mental health services to men of color.
https://blackmenheal.org/

CORE Mental Health is a non-profit organization that provides racial equity workshops, hosts community forums around racism and mental health, and supports aspiring Black clinicians through the CORE fellowship program.
https://core-mental-health.org/

06/19/2025

Today is Juneteenth! We celebrate the day when the remaining enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned that they were free, as declared by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. June 19th is also referred to as Black Independence Day, Freedom Day, and Jubilee Day.

You can celebrate Juneteenth by supporting local Black businesses, attending Juneteenth events, and as always, by being a supportive ally to the Black community! Scroll for details about local Juneteenth events and amazing Black businesses!

Today- Juneteenth Parade at 1:45 PM ~ 183 Roxbury St Roxbury, MA
Saturday (6/21)- Juneteenth Picnic from 11 AM-7 PM ~ Franklin Park in Boston

06/18/2025

This week, we are highlighting Black mental health providers and mental health resources that prioritize serving the BIPOC populations!

Today, we are highlighting Dr. Sasheen Hazel! Dr. Hazel is a clinical forensic neuropsychologist who specializes in completing forensic evaluations, including parenting evaluations and child risk assessments. She has a passion for serving her community, particularly young women of color who are court-involved. Click the link below to learn more about Hazel Approach Psych Services.

https://www.hazelapproach.com/services-provided.html

06/17/2025

This week, we are highlighting Black mental health providers and mental health resources that prioritize serving the BIPOC populations!

Today, we are highlighting Dr. Charmain Jackman! Dr. Jackman is a clinical psychologist and the founder and CEO of Innopsych, Inc. Innopsych is a directory for mental health providers of color! Dr. Jackman has also developed several workshops and resources to assist clinicians of color in starting their own private practices. She has an everlasting dedication to breaking the stigma around mental health within communities of color and increasing access to quality mental health clinicians of color. Click the link below to learn more about Innopsych or find a clinician of color near you!

https://www.innopsych.com/

06/16/2025

In honor of Juneteenth, we are highlighting Black mental health providers and mental health resources that prioritize serving the BIPOC populations!

Today, we are highlighting Dr. Kwame Dance and Mental Health ACCESS! Dr. Dance is a clinical psychologist who specializes in providing psychological evaluations and family and couples counseling to underserved communities. Dr. Dance is the founder of Mental Health ACCESS, and co-founder of 2B-EPIC. Mental Health ACCESS was the first paid mental health career pipeline program to be established in the U.S. 2B-EPIC is a paid internship program that focuses on early psychosis intervention and career development for Black and Latinx students. Thank you Dr. Dance for your continued dedication to mentoring clinicians of color and providing marginalized communities with quality mental healthcare!

2B-EPIC (Building Bridges Toward Equity in Psychosis Intervention and Careers): https://www.responsetorisk.org/2b-epic

Mental Health ACCESS: https://www.thementalhealthaccess.org/about

06/11/2025

Happy Pride Month! Let's consider a few simple ways to be a supportive ally:
1) Use a person's preferred pronouns-- and if you don't know, ask! If you're meeting someone new, sharing your own pronouns when you introduce yourself can be a gentle invitation for them to share theirs as well.
2) Be ready to listen. It is important that we are open to gentle corrections from members of this community, and always listen with open hearts and minds when they seek out support.
3) Educate yourself! Never assume you've learned all that there is to know, and as you learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and how to best demonstrate inclusivity, put those tips into practice and share them with those around you!

06/01/2025

Today is the last day of Mental Health Awareness month, but ACS is committed to providing mental health services to kids in need all year round.
Join our circle of friends with a donation today. Your donation will help us to provide the mental health services kids need to heal, grow, and thrive. www.acskids.org/donate.

05/30/2025

Knowledge is power!⭐ As Mental Health Awareness month draws to a close, let's remind ourselves of the basics. Together, we can build a more supportive world!

Beginner's Guide to Mental Illness

1) Anyone can develop a mental illness - Everyone regardless of their race, gender, social standing, our identity is at risk of Developing a mental illness. the National institute of mental health estimates that 1 in 5 adults suffer from a mental illness.
2) Mental illness is NOT weakness - it is an illness just like the flu. Likelihood of developing a mental illness is shaped by factors like biological and environmental processes, which most people cannot control.
3) Therapy is for everyone - our life experiences shape our brains. Therapy helps change the structure of our brains for the better. It helps you feel better, even if you don't have a mental illness.
4) Talking about mental illness helps to reduce its stigma. This helps those with mental illnesses get better support and understanding from those around them!

05/29/2025

Children and teens are feeling lonelier than any other age group. About twice as many adolescents worldwide are experiencing loneliness than just 10 years ago. Share these tips with your kids and model them yourself.
5 Tips for building self-esteem
1) Remember: You can't read people's minds.
2) Challenge your negative thoughts.
3) Use positive self-talk.
4) Practice self-compassion.
5) Build community.

05/28/2025

"You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." ~ Christopher Robin
We agree Christopher Robin, but what if we don't feel that we are brave, strong, or smart?
Everyone feels awkward, insecure, or bad at times—especially during adolescence. Between how media depicts growing up, mean kids at school, and puberty, it’s unfortunately common to not feel great about yourself sometimes. The secret is: Most of your peers feel this way too—even the ones who seem to have it all.
Check out this Mental Health America article about Fitting in and Self-Esteem to learn more about the challenges facing kids and teens - https://mhanational.org/resources/fitting-in-and-self-esteem/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=89480861-e150-4859-8a51-87e9439df786
Psst......check back tomorrow for tips on building your self-esteem!

05/27/2025

Life can be stressful! But how do you know when you are struggling with stress or anxiety. If you are struggling to cope, or the symptoms of your stress or anxiety won’t go away, it could affect your health. Review this info graphic to learn the differences between stress and anxiety and ways to cope.

Address

189 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA
02141

Website

http://www.acskids.org/

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Our Story

Since 1973, Adolescent Consultation Services (ACS) has provided specialized diagnostic and therapeutic services to court-involved children and their families in Middlesex County and Greater Boston. Although their histories and circumstances vary, all our kids have experienced serious setbacks such as learning disabilities, family substance abuse, medical and mental health problems, poverty, and cultural adjustment issues due to recent immigration. For its first two decades, ACS served court-involved kids from Cambridge and Greater Boston. The program developed expertise in diagnostic services and built community linkages within the child welfare and juvenile justice community. In 1998, based on a strong track record of meeting the needs of vulnerable children, the Massachusetts Juvenile Court awarded ACS the contract to provide Juvenile Court Clinic services throughout Middlesex County. Since then, the Department of Mental Health has administered the contract that funds juvenile court diagnostic evaluations, approximately 60% of the overall ACS operating budget. Currently, about 600 kids are referred to ACS for evaluations by the Middlesex Juvenile Court each year. This is the only official page of Adolescent Consultation Services.