Volunteer of the Year - Prof. Dr. Stephanie Kutzen

Given to a volunteer who makes a difference through her sincere passion and deep commitment   

Dr. Kutzen is an adjunct professor in trauma and addiction at the University of Illinois –Chicago campus, the Jane Addams College of Social Work and the Hebrew Seminary for the Deaf in Skokie. Dr. Kutzen is founder and director of Employee Consultation Services, a comprehensive human services firm specializing in counseling in the workplace. Her practice interests include re-entry services for individuals and families in the criminal-legal system.

In 2010, she began volunteering in the criminal legal system as a volunteer instructor for Cook County jail’s General Education Program.  In 2015, with growing interest in becoming an advocate for the incarcerated, she became a volunteer for The Safer Foundation, a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization providing employment/housing opportunities for those reentering post-incarceration.

Currently, Dr. Kutzen provides counseling and adaptive skill support for those living in the Chicago west side, adult transition center, a pre-re-entry residence operated by Safer Foundation and the Illinois Department of Corrections.

For the past four years, Dr. Kutzen has actively pursued volunteer roles with the Hinda Institute. She facilities sessions in the Hinda Institute reentry education program, supervises interns and provides therapeutic counseling for selected clients. As an invaluable advisor and mentor, Dr. Kutzen has found a professional and personal home  at the Hinda Institute, working closely with the leadership, staff and clients.