Centers for Independence

Centers for Independence Building healthy, hopeful and inclusive communities since 1938. Founded in 1938 as Jewish Vocational Services, CFI began helping immigrants settle in Milwaukee.

Today, we're a leading nonprofit offering over 30 life-changing programs and employing 800+ skilled staff. Every year, we help thousands of people access care, gain independence and improve their quality of life. What We Do:
• Support & Advocacy for People with Disabilities: We help people with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities thrive.
• Behavioral Health: Each year, we support

over 3,000 adults with mental health care and crisis response.
• Services for Children: Helping kids thrive emotionally, socially and developmentally.
• Additional Services: We guide people through care decisions, helping them access benefits, caregivers and trusted providers.

We’re well into the 2026 growing season for our Farm2Table program, where LIFE Services clients grow and harvest fresh p...
06/04/2026

We’re well into the 2026 growing season for our Farm2Table program, where LIFE Services clients grow and harvest fresh produce through our horticulture tracs. Clients work with local restaurants, food pantries and other tracs to use the beautiful produce harvested.

These community-integrated outings help build confidence and foster independence, setting all clients up in an environment of success to ensure they meet their personal goals.

🪴 Want to see the impact of our tracs firsthand? We’re hosting an open house at our Bay View Campus on June 18. Join us for tours, communities and even a chance to win a basket of this fresh produce!

🔗 Learn more: https://cfihope.org/news/rooted-in-possibility-explore-cfis-bay-view-campus/

What are you really feeling?Naming your emotions can help you slow down, feel less reactive and better understand what’s...
06/03/2026

What are you really feeling?

Naming your emotions can help you slow down, feel less reactive and better understand what’s going on beneath the surface.

Happy, sad, surprised or angry, there’s often more to the story.

06/02/2026

Join us to tour our Bay View Campus!

After a 5-year hiatus due the pandemic, we’ve returned to the beautiful Bay View neighborhood. Our LIFE Services program, serving neurodiverse and medically complex adults, is back in a space designed especially for them.

On June 18, from 4-7 p.m., come take a look inside, meet our team and see how we plant the seeds for independence and growth. 🌱

Plus, enjoy chances to win fun raffle prizes, including a fresh produce basket featuring items grown in our hoop houses.

05/29/2026

Breathe with us.

The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a simple tool that can help slow your breathing and reduce stress. Follow along in this video and try it yourself.

Children’s mental health in Wisconsin needs urgent attention.🔶 50% of Wisconsin Children with mental health needs receiv...
05/28/2026

Children’s mental health in Wisconsin needs urgent attention.

🔶 50% of Wisconsin Children with mental health needs receive no treatment.
🔶 56% of children with special health care needs also face mental health challenges.
🔶 1 in 10 children live in poverty, severely limiting access to care.
🔶 Food insecurity increases mental health crises, making nutrition support essential.
🔶 School belonging has dropped sharply, leaving children vulnerable and disconnected.

These barriers are real—but they’re not immovable. Early support can save lives. By investing in comprehensive, child-focused services, we can help more children get the support they need to learn, grow and thrive.

Will you help us build a more hopeful Wisconsin for children?

Give today: https://cfihope.org/spring2026/

Today we remember and honor those who died serving our country.CFI’s Main and Bay View Campuses are closed. Our Crisis R...
05/25/2026

Today we remember and honor those who died serving our country.
CFI’s Main and Bay View Campuses are closed. Our Crisis Resource Centers remain open 24/7.

• 2057 S. 14th St., Milwaukee, 414-643-8778
• 5566 N. 69th St., Milwaukee, 414-290-9730
• 5409 W. Villard Ave., Milwaukee, 414-539-4024
• 1501 Airport Rd., Waukesha, 262-896-8589

We’re proud celebrate the birthday of Helen Daniels Bader and honor her lasting legacy in the Greater Milwaukee area. He...
05/20/2026

We’re proud celebrate the birthday of Helen Daniels Bader and honor her lasting legacy in the Greater Milwaukee area. Her commitment to dignity, inclusion and care continues to shape the cultural and mental health landscape of our community.

We’re grateful to Bader Philanthropies, Inc. for their ongoing support, which allows us to carry forward the work Helen championed – uplifting people and their families.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re honored to partner with an organization that empowers people to recognize their strength, resilience and potential.

Happy Birthday, Helen!

Knowing how to support your child through therapy can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone.Here ar...
05/18/2026

Knowing how to support your child through therapy can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Here are 4 tips to help you can help your child build lifelong skills and move through their mental health journey with confidence.

Learn more: www.cfihope.org/news/4-tips-for-supporting-your-child-in-therapy/

By kindergarten, Troy’s undiagnosed anxiety and ADHD left him feeling overwhelmed and unfocused.His outbursts earned him...
05/16/2026

By kindergarten, Troy’s undiagnosed anxiety and ADHD left him feeling overwhelmed and unfocused.

His outbursts earned him the unfair label of “bad kid,” which he started to believe.

His mother turned to our Children’s Behavioral Health team. Through trauma-informed play therapy, Troy found something every child deserves: a space where he felt understood, not judged. With the right support, Troy began to thrive.

Your support makes stories like Troy’s possible. This spring, you can give a gift that helps every child have the chance to learn, grow and play.

Donate today: www.cfihope.org/spring2026

Every day, our mental health providers show up for people and their families when they need it most.They support adults ...
05/14/2026

Every day, our mental health providers show up for people and their families when they need it most.

They support adults and children through therapy, crisis services, case management and more, helping them feel seen, supported and empowered on their mental health journeys. Their work is at the heart of building healthy, hopeful and inclusive communities.

Your help ensures this care is always within reach.

Make a gift today: https://cfihope.org/spring2026

Address

2020 West Wells Street
Milwaukee, WI
53233

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 7:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14149372020

Website

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