Jewish Social Service Agency

Call me a pinko, but I am a fan of social services and taking care of the general populous. And as such, I very much appreciate agencies — both public and private — which provide these services (career fairs, mental health care, early childhood intervention and prevention, hospice, psychoeducational testing, adoption counseling, etc.) to needy populations. Of the many wonderful agencies available to Washington and Baltimore area residents, I find the nonsectarian Jewish Social Service Agency to be one of the most all-​encompassing, compassionate, and community-​involved, offering all of the aforementioned services and then some.
If I were going to review this JSSA location’s building itself, I’d give it 2 stars. It’s badly in need of some updating — I don’t think tobacco brown complementing yellowish brick has been de rigueur since Mike Brady was designing buildings. The space is cramped and narrow — bathroom and office doors are so thin a body-​builder would certainly have to slip in sideways, nor are they wheelchair accessible. Décor is cheerless and sterile — not as welcoming as one would hope in a social services agency. The «board room» is blah, awash in harsh fluorescent light, and lacking any interest whatsoever — where are the pictures, the plants?
As a branch of JSSA, however, I give it the four-​star «Yay!» Personally, I find JSSA’s professional development seminars wonderful, and this Montrose Road location in Rockville is where their Post-​Graduate & Continuing Education Program is offered. When it comes to current trends in mental health practice and clinical therapy, JSSA is ahead-​of-​the-​curve. For what I consider very reasonable registration fees, clinicians can hone CBT skills; brush up on latest assessment techniques; learn about family therapy practice; and sharpen clinical skills in general. Workshop leaders are some of the best in their fields, and lectures are engaging, relevant, and useful. Information about programs offered and how to register can be found on JSSA’s intuitive website.
JSSA fills a crucial niche in the community by providing much-​needed services to so many populations, from struggling parents to struggling kids, from the unemployed to working professionals. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like we just may be a’ight.