START

What START does

Start Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Houma, Louisiana, operating an integrated healthcare and social services network as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). The organization delivers primary care, behavioral health, substance use treatment, dental services, pharmacy, HIV care, housing programs (including Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and the Wren Way Supportive Housing program for individuals with serious mental illness), veteran services, and youth and family services through seven primary locations across 18 Louisiana parishes spanning Houma, Thibodaux, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Covington, Mandeville, Lafayette, and Shreveport.

The organization's business model combines government healthcare reimbursements (Medicaid, Medicare via FQHC designation), federal and state grants (HRSA, SAMHSA, HUD), and charitable donations. Services are billed on a sliding scale based on household income and size, with no individual turned away for inability to pay. Distribution occurs through community health center clinics, street outreach teams, ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) teams, 24-hour mobile crisis response, courier-based pharmacy delivery, and a mobile application (The Starting Point) integrated with the FindHelp platform. The target customer segments are underserved and vulnerable populations including individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, substance use disorders, poverty, veterans, and families requiring perinatal or youth services.

START Corporation has grown from its flagship Houma campus to seven locations statewide over four decades, with recent strategic expansions including a $5M Bezos Day 1 Families Fund award (2022), a $1M HRSA award (November 2024), a French Quarter clinic capital campaign (2025), and the opening of a Children's Clinic and Behavioral Health Crisis Wing at the Houma location in April 2026. The organization is led by Casey Guidry, who has served as President & CEO since 2006 and holds an LCSW license from Louisiana. Notable credentials include 2023 HRSA Community Health Quality Recognition badges for Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and Health Information Technology (HIT), plus the 2023 LWCC Safest 70 workplace safety award.

Name

START

Legal name

Start Corporation

Website

https://startcorp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Start Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1984 operating as a Federally Qualified Health Center and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic across 18 Louisiana parishes, delivering integrated primary care, behavioral health, housing, and social services to underserved and vulnerable populations through seven primary locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Services

NAICS

Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health Centers (FQHCs & Look-Alikes) (HLAFAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI), Community & Public Health Dentistry Clinics (FQHC/School-Based/Nonprofit) (HLABAAAF)

Keywords

• Community health services
• Behavioral healthcare
• Supportive housing programs
• Substance use treatment
• Federally qualified health center

Headquarters

HQ city

Houma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Healthcare Reimbursements: Revenue from Medicaid, Medicare, and other government healthcare programs through the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation. Services billed include primary care, behavioral health, substance use treatment, and pharmacy services.
2. Federal and State Grants: Funding from government entities including HUD (housing programs), HHS (healthcare programs), and state contracts. The organization received a $5M Bezos Day 1 Families Fund award in 2022 for family homelessness programs.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations through the organization's fundraising campaigns, including capital campaigns for facility expansion (e.g., French Quarter clinic) and general operational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

START Corporation operates a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and social service programs across 18 parishes in Louisiana. The organization delivers integrated primary care, behavioral health, substance use treatment, dental services, pharmacy, HIV care, and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) services. It also provides housing programs including Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and the Wren Way Supportive Housing facility, alongside veteran services, youth and family programs, and case management.

Product overview

START Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1984 that operates as a healthcare and social services provider across Louisiana. The organization functions as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with multiple service lines. Its core offerings include START Community Health Centers providing integrated primary care, behavioral health, dental, pharmacy, and specialty services; the START Pharmacy for prescription fulfillment with courier delivery; comprehensive Housing Programs including Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and the Wren Way Supportive Housing program; Behavioral Health Services through ACT teams and CCBHC model; Substance Use Treatment; Veteran Services; Youth and Family Services; and HIV Treatment and Prevention. Additional offerings include The Starting Point mobile app integrated with FindHelp, Healthy Start perinatal services, and WIC nutrition programs. The organization serves 18 parishes across Louisiana through seven primary locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Starting Point App: Mobile application for accessing START services, available on Apple Store and Google Play
• START Community Health Centers
• Wren Way Supportive Housing
• START Now
• START Pharmacy

Products and services

• START Community Health Centers Federally Qualified Health Centers providing integrated primary care, behavioral health, substance use treatment, dental care, HIV treatment, pharmacy access, Medicaid/Medicare enrollment, hepatology, PrEP, and rapid testing across five Louisiana locations for underserved populations regardless of insurance status.
• START Pharmacy

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% of Wren Way program participants transitioned into stable housing in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)coreOthersSTART operates as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) under SAMHSA guidelines, required to serve anyone who requests care regardless of ability to pay, place of residence, or age.
• HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration)coreOthersSTART operates as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) under HRSA's Health Center Program. Receives HHS funding and has Federal Public Health Service deemed status with respect to certain health-related claims.
• CrescentCareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint op-ed published with CrescentCare CEO highlighting how CCBHCs are transforming lives across Louisiana through accessible, trauma-informed care, and calling on Congress to secure long-term funding.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Merakey: Large national nonprofit providing behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disability services, and housing supports across multiple states. Comparable to START in behavioral health and housing service lines but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Volunteers of America: Large national nonprofit delivering behavioral health, housing, veteran services, and community health programs across the U.S. Comparable to START's integrated service portfolio (especially veteran and housing programs) but operates at national scale rather than a single state.

Regional players

• SWLA Center for Health Services: Federally Qualified Health Center serving Southwest Louisiana with primary care, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy. Comparable FQHC operating model and Louisiana footprint to START, though concentrated in the Lake Charles region.
• EXCELth: Louisiana-based FQHC operating multiple health centers in the Greater New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas offering primary care, behavioral health, and pharmacy services. Direct geographic and service overlap with START's FQHC footprint and patient populations.
• Teche Action Board: Louisiana FQHC serving rural Southeast Louisiana with primary care, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy services. Comparable community health center model to START's rural parish locations, though operating in a more rural geography.
• InclusivCare: Louisiana FQHC serving the Greater New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas with primary care, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy services, including HIV care. Overlapping patient population and service lines with START, particularly the Ryan White HIV program and community health center operations.

Direct peers

• NOELA Community Health Center: New Orleans-based FQHC providing primary care, behavioral health, and enabling services to underserved populations. Comparable in scope and patient population to START's New Orleans community health centers.
• CrescentCare: New Orleans-based FQHC and HIV/AIDS service organization delivering integrated primary care, behavioral health, and social services across Southeast Louisiana. Directly comparable to START as a peer Louisiana FQHC with overlapping service lines; already a documented collaboration partner through a joint op-ed on CCBHC funding.
• Odyssey House Louisiana: Louisiana-based nonprofit providing residential and outpatient substance use treatment, behavioral health, primary care, and housing services. Comparable to START's behavioral health, substance use treatment, and housing program lines (Wren Way, PSH, RRH), with similar Medicaid/grant-funded model.
• CareSouth: Multi-site FQHC delivering primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy, and supportive services in Louisiana and the Southeast. Closely comparable operating model to START, including community health centers, sliding-scale fees, and integration of behavioral health into primary care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/startcorp.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/startcorporation
• Xx.com/startcorpla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/start-corp

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 START