Connections

What Connections does

Connections Health Solutions is a Phoenix-based, privately-held LLC that operates a network of 24/7/365 immediate-access behavioral health crisis care centers across eight U.S. states. The company delivers walk-in mental health urgent care, 23-hour crisis observation, subacute crisis stabilization (3.75-day average stay), mobile crisis response teams, and a Transitions post-crisis recovery coaching program through multidisciplinary teams led by physicians, nurses, social workers, and peer support specialists. Services are designed as alternatives to emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and jails, with a "no wrong door" policy that accepts all patients regardless of insurance status, acuity, or circumstance; operational throughput metrics include a 38-minute average door-to-provider time and a 60-70% stabilization-and-discharge rate within 23 hours.

The company's core technology is its clinically-proven crisis care model, including the pioneered 23-hour observation unit, the no-wrong-door policy (with law-enforcement drop-off times under 10 minutes), a subacute stabilization framework, and the Transitions recovery support program (typical 45-day graduation). Domain-specialized components include mobile crisis response teams for rural geographies (Gallatin County, MT) and a post-naloxone care protocol co-designed with King County EMS for opioid overdose response. Multiple centers hold The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval, and the model is recognized by SAMHSA and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing as a national best practice; Dr. Margie Balfour (Chief of Quality & Clinical Innovation) co-authored the National Council's Roadmap to the Ideal Crisis System.

Connections generates revenue primarily through long-term public-private partnership contracts with county governments (King County WA, Prince William County VA, Pima County AZ, Maricopa County AZ, Gallatin County MT, and Cumberland/Dauphin/Perry Counties PA), state behavioral health authorities (Virginia DBHDS Region 2), managed care organizations (Arizona Complete Health/Cenpatico, Mercy Care), and the San Francisco Sheriff's Office for the RESET Center. Reimbursement flows through Medicaid, federal block grants, state and county appropriations, and emerging value-based care arrangements, with services provided at no cost to patients. The company has raised $58M in growth equity across two rounds ($30M Heritage Group-led in August 2021; $28M Town Hall Ventures-led with Heritage participation in October 2023) and serves approximately 45,000 individuals annually across its full care continuum.

Name

Connections

Legal name

Connections Health Solutions, LLC

Website

https://connectionshs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Connections Health Solutions operates 24/7 behavioral health crisis care centers across eight U.S. states, delivering walk-in urgent care, 23-hour observation, subacute stabilization, mobile crisis response, and recovery coaching under public-private partnership contracts with county governments and managed care organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health Crisis Care Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Crisis Stabilization Units & Psychiatric Emergency Services (HLAFACAH)

Keywords

• Behavioral health crisis care
• Crisis stabilization services
• Psychiatric urgent care
• Mental health crisis response
• Mobile crisis teams

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts & Public Funding: Connections derives the majority of its revenue from contracts with county governments, state behavioral health authorities, and managed care organizations. These public-private partnerships fund the design, build-out, and ongoing operation of crisis receiving and stabilization facilities. Funding sources include Medicaid, federal block grants, state and county appropriations, and bond financing.
2. Value-Based Care & Outcome-Based Reimbursement: The Connections model is built on a value-based care philosophy, demonstrating reduced hospital admissions, shorter emergency department stays, and lower incarceration rates. The company pursues value-based arrangements with payors, with the CARE for Behavioral Health Act (H.R. 10419) proposing a Medicare pilot that could expand reimbursement to crisis stabilization facilities.
3. Patient Care Revenue: Connections accepts all patients regardless of insurance coverage, billing Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurers, and absorbing uncompensated care. The company states it accepts everyone, with no exceptions, and serves individuals regardless of insurance or circumstance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Connections Health Solutions operates behavioral health crisis care centers providing 24/7/365 immediate-access services including walk-in mental health urgent care, 23-hour crisis observation, crisis stabilization units, subacute crisis stabilization, mobile crisis response, and recovery support coaching. The company partners with county governments, managed care organizations, and health systems to design, build, and operate crisis care facilities as alternatives to emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and jails.

Product overview

Connections Health Solutions operates a comprehensive behavioral health crisis care system consisting of 24/7 walk-in mental health clinics, 23-hour crisis observation units, crisis stabilization units, subacute crisis stabilization units, mobile crisis response teams, and the Transitions recovery support program. The company operates multiple crisis care facilities across the United States including Arizona (Phoenix, Tucson), Montana (Bozeman), Virginia (Chantilly, Woodbridge), Washington (Kirkland), Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, King of Prussia), and California (San Francisco), with additional expansion planned for Seattle. Services are delivered by multidisciplinary teams including behavioral health providers, nurses, recovery support peers, behavioral health specialists, and case managers. The company's model emphasizes immediate-access, community-based crisis care as an alternative to emergency departments and jails, with a focus on treating individuals in the safest and least restrictive setting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The RESET Center: The Rapid Enforcement Support Evaluation and Triage (RESET) Center in San Francisco, operated by Connections Health Solutions, provides an alternative to jail and emergency departments for individuals in crisis and those struggling with substance abuse. Overseeed by the San Francisco Sheriff's Office and supported by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Products and services

• 24/7 Crisis Walk-In Mental Health Clinic Walk-in mental health clinic open 24/7 at each Connections center; individuals are seen by a trained crisis worker within 90 minutes. Open to all individuals regardless of insurance or circumstance.
• 23-Hour Crisis Observation Unit Rapid assessment, treatment, stabilization, and proactive discharge planning in a therapeutic environment; individuals are typically stabilized within 24 hours of treatment starting.
• Crisis Stabilization Unit Extended stabilization services for individuals needing more intensive care, with providers and peers with lived experience helping individuals stabilize in a treatment-oriented and safe environment.
• Subacute Crisis Stabilization Unit For individuals needing more intensive care, allows them to stay under behavioral health provider supervision so stabilization can continue within their community; average stay is 3.75 days.
• Transitions Program (Recovery Support and Coaching) Recovery support program designed to surround individuals with the care and community-based resources needed to stay on a path to recovery; individuals who enroll typically graduate within 45 days.
• Mobile Crisis Response Team Mobile crisis teams that bring care directly to individuals in need, delivering crisis services across vast distances and reducing unnecessary transport to hospitals or detention; operating in Montana and Pennsylvania.
• Youth Behavioral Health Services Specialized behavioral health crisis care for youth and young adults; Harrisburg serves ages 14+, Woodbridge serves ages 12+, and King of Prussia will have dedicated youth units (ages 1-17 walk-in, ages 12-17 observation and stabilization).
• The RESET Center (San Francisco) Alternative to jail and emergency departments for individuals in crisis and/or struggling with substance abuse; overseen by San Francisco Sheriff's Office and supported through clinical partnership with San Francisco Department of Public Health.
• Post-Naloxone Care Protocol Protocol co-developed with King County EMS that brings post-overdose individuals to Connections Kirkland rather than an emergency department; includes observation guidelines, reassessment criteria, ED transfer triggers, naloxone kits, and connections to substance use treatment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60-70% of individuals are stabilized and discharged back to the community after 23 hours at a Connections center
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prince William County, VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2026Prince William County partnered with Connections to design, build, and operate the Crisis Receiving Center Complex in Woodbridge, VA (opened January 2026). The complex includes Connections' crisis receiving center and the county's community services division. Funded by Prince William County, the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Region 2.
• King County, WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing County selected Connections to operate Crisis Care Centers as part of the King County Crisis Care Centers Initiative. Connections Kirkland opened as the first launch-ready site in August 2024; Connections Seattle will open in 2027 for the Central Zone. The partnership involves multi-site crisis care system design and operation across King County.
• Banner - University MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanner - University Medicine operates the Banner University Medical Center South Campus in Tucson where the Crisis Response Center is co-located. Clinical services are provided through a partnership between Connections Health Solutions and Banner. The co-location includes a covered breezeway connecting to the 66-bed inpatient psychiatric hospital and emergency department.
• Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Region 2coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegion 2, which includes Community Services Boards of Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax-Falls Church, and Loudoun, co-funded the Prince William County Crisis Receiving Center Complex alongside local government and Connections Health Solutions. This multi-jurisdictional partnership enables coordinated crisis care across Northern Virginia.
• King County Emergency Medical Services (EMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKing County EMS partnered with Connections Kirkland to develop a post-naloxone care protocol, bringing individuals who have experienced overdose to the crisis care center rather than an emergency department. The protocol was co-designed with emergency physicians, addiction medicine specialists, and public health leaders.
• San Francisco Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe San Francisco Sheriff's Office oversees the RESET Center, which is staffed by Connections Health Solutions and supported through a clinical partnership with the San Francisco Department of Public Health. This is a unique public safety and healthcare collaboration providing 24/7/365 alternative to jail and emergency departments.
• Arizona Complete Health / Cenpatico Integrated CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArizona Complete Health (Cenpatico Integrated Care), the Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Pima County, funds and contracts for crisis services at Connections' Tucson facility. This relationship has been instrumental in sustaining the crisis care model in Arizona for over a decade.
• San Francisco Department of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partner alongside the San Francisco Sheriff's Office for the RESET Center operated by Connections. Provides clinical oversight and integration with broader public health services for individuals in crisis and those struggling with substance abuse.
• Tucson Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPD works with Connections' Crisis Response Center as a key co-responder and referral partner. TPD's Mental Health Support Team brings individuals in crisis to the CRC rather than arresting them or taking them to emergency rooms. This partnership has been recognized nationally as a model for law enforcement-mental health collaboration.
• North King County Coalition of CitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA coalition of five North King County cities (Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, and Shoreline) partnered with Connections to establish the county's first walk-in mental health crisis care center in Kirkland, WA.
• Maricopa CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaricopa County invested $2.56 million into a pilot program making Connections the second provider of Court-ordered evaluations in the County. Funded functions include direct patient care and virtual hearings infrastructure.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights9 records

Broad incumbents

• Universal Health Services: Operates one of the largest networks of acute care and behavioral health hospitals in the U.S. through its Behavioral Health division. Comparable as a large incumbent behavioral health facility operator, though UHS focuses on inpatient psychiatric hospitals rather than Connections' community-based walk-in crisis stabilization model.
• Acadia Healthcare: Operates a national network of behavioral healthcare facilities, including psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment centers. Comparable as a scaled behavioral health facility operator serving similar patient populations, but with a primarily inpatient model rather than Connections' immediate-access community crisis model.
• Lifepoint Health: Operates a network of community hospitals, behavioral health facilities, and rehabilitation providers across non-urban markets. Comparable as a community-based healthcare services operator with behavioral health lines, county-government buyer relationships, and a focus on underserved markets.
• Centene Corporation: Largest Medicaid managed care organization in the U.S., operating state health plans that contract for behavioral health crisis services. Comparable as a key payor and at times operational partner (e.g., through subsidiaries like Cenpatico in Arizona) for community-based crisis services, though Centene is primarily an insurer rather than a crisis care operator.

Emerging players

• Wellpath: Provides healthcare services to correctional and behavioral health populations, including crisis response, often through partnerships with sheriff's departments and counties. Comparable because of overlap in serving justice-involved individuals in crisis (e.g., the San Francisco RESET Center partnership) and county-government buyer relationships.
• Charlie Health: Provides virtual and intensive outpatient behavioral health services for adolescents and young adults. Comparable as an emerging high-acuity behavioral health provider targeting similar youth crisis populations, though primarily through virtual/intensive outpatient rather than physical crisis centers.
• Lyra Health: Mental health benefits platform providing therapy, coaching, and medication management to enterprise clients and health plans. Comparable as a tech-enabled behavioral health company serving managed care organizations and employers with outcome-based contracts, though focused on ongoing care rather than crisis stabilization.
• Cerebral: Virtual mental health and substance use disorder treatment provider serving insured populations. Comparable as an outpatient mental health and substance use provider addressing high-acuity behavioral health needs, though Cerebral's online-only model differs from Connections' physical crisis centers.
• Talkiatry: In-network psychiatric practice providing medication management and therapy via telehealth and in-person visits. Comparable as a scaled outpatient psychiatric provider accepting insured and Medicaid populations with value-based care orientation, though focused on longitudinal care rather than acute crisis stabilization.
• Sondermind: Virtual and in-person outpatient behavioral health provider network operating across multiple states with payer contracts. Comparable as a multi-state outpatient behavioral health provider targeting managed care and Medicaid populations, though focused on therapy rather than acute crisis stabilization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/connexhs
• Facebookfacebook.com/ConnectionsAZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connectionshs
• Instagraminstagram.com/connectionshs
• Pinterestpinterest.com/connectionshs
• TikToktiktok.com/@connectionshs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Connections