Madison Originals Magazine Madison Originals Magazine February 2012 | Page 16
16 | madison originals magazineoriginal service For over 100 years, Family Service
Madison has offered a range of human
services to the community. Broadening
its network of resources since 1910,
the organization currently provides a
full suite of family services, including
counseling and workshops that tackle
behavioral, mental health, violence,
substance abuse, and relationship
problems. Beyond counseling and
psychotherapy, Family Service Madison
runs a variety of anti-violence programs,
personal growth programs, alcohol and
other drug abuse services, older adult
services, and other community health
initiatives. Each of these efforts helps
Family Service Madison to carry out its
mission of �providing human services to
instill hope and promote wellness in our
community.�Family Service Madison began its existence in 1910 as Associated Charities�one part of a larger organization that �came together because of some people in the community,� says David Johnson, CEO of Family Service Madison. �This is before the government did anything [to organize such services]; and then the three split off. We�ve had four or ve name changes since then.�Though Associated Charities began as an organization focused on providing relief to the poor, it quickly grew to include more services, expanding in the 1920s to offer social casework services to the community. As various responsibilities began to shift between the organization and other city and county agencies, Associated Charities was renamed the Family Welfare Association of Madison to differentiate it from governmental relief services.Even in its early days, the group�s specialties were already being established. �We don�t have many archives, unfortunately,� says David. �We do have some records from the early 1900s. What was amazing to us is that the depiction of those families was very similar: Dad gets drunk, comes home, beats up his wife and kids. It sounds, unfortunately, a lot like the domestic violence stuff we still see today.�In 1945, the organization�s name was changed to its current title, Family Service Madison. �After the war, we went into child welfare�FDR started By Erin Abler FAMILY SERVICE MADISON Building a Stronger
Community