ncgCARE

What ncgCARE does

ncgCARE is a privately held behavioral healthcare network parent organization founded in 1993 in Northern Virginia (originally as Northern Virginia Counseling Group) and now headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company operates as a holding structure for eight behavioral healthcare partner organizations — National Counseling Group, Embrace Treatment Foster Care, Envision Counseling, Appalachian Community Services, Carolina Outreach, Starlight Behavioral Health, Grace Harbour, and the recently acquired Broadstep of North Carolina — collectively delivering outpatient counseling, community-based behavioral services, intensive outpatient programs, mobile crisis response, peer support, psychiatric services, residential treatment, foster care, intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) waiver services, and applied behavior analysis (ABA) for individuals on the autism spectrum. In 2024 the network provided 580,975 service encounters to 21,785 individuals and families, served across more than 60 locations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and West Virginia by a combined clinical workforce of over 2,000 behavioral health professionals.

The company's core operational platform is its administrative infrastructure backbone, which centralizes human resources, billing and finance, regulatory compliance, marketing, facilities management, training, and quality assessment so that partner providers can concentrate on clinical care delivery. Complementary components include the ncgCARE Institute (a research and innovation division producing outcome studies and evidence-based programming), a referral intake system accepting submissions from hospitals, schools, law enforcement, managed care organizations, and families, and an SSL-encrypted, HIPAA-compliant information environment covering the parent and all partners. Marketing relies on referral channels, industry and advocacy association memberships (VACP, Benchmarks, FFTA, NAMI, MHCA, NASW, etc.), and an organic social/website presence.

Revenue is generated primarily through fee-for-service delivery under government payer contracts (Medicaid, Medicare for outpatient and medication management only), managed care organization contracts, and direct self-pay arrangements. The company does not accept commercial insurance. Growth has been driven by a roll-up strategy, with disclosed acquisitions including Carolina Outreach and Therapeutic Interventions in December 2018 and Broadstep of North Carolina in 2024, supplemented by a $5,000,000 growth capital raise in December 2016 from Expansion Capital Partners and NewSpring.

Name

ncgCARE

Legal name

ncgCARE

Website

https://ncgcare.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ncgCARE is a private behavioral healthcare network parent founded in 1993 that operates eight partner provider organizations across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and West Virginia, delivering outpatient, community-based, crisis, residential, foster care, and I/DD services to individuals and families, primarily funded by Medicaid and managed care contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Healthcare Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Communicable Disease Prevention & Chronic Disease Programs (BPAIAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chronic Disease & NCD Program Evaluation (e.g., diabetes/CVD/cancer) (HLAJANAG)

Keywords

• Behavioral healthcare services
• Mental health treatment
• Substance abuse treatment
• Foster care services
• Community-based counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Behavioral Healthcare Services: Fee-for-service behavioral healthcare delivery through network of partner organizations providing mental health, substance abuse, intellectual/developmental disability services, and foster care across multiple states. Revenue derived from government payer contracts (Medicaid/Medicare), managed care organizations, and direct client services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ncgCARE operates as a parent organization for a network of seven behavioral healthcare provider partners, plus the recently acquired Broadstep of North Carolina, delivering mental health, substance abuse, intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD), and treatment foster care services across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and West Virginia. The company provides centralized administrative infrastructure—HR, billing, finance, compliance, marketing, facilities management, training, and quality assessment—enabling partner clinical teams to focus on direct patient care across outpatient, community-based, residential, mobile crisis, and intensive outpatient settings.

Product overview

ncgCARE is a behavioral healthcare network platform that operates as a parent organization for a network of seven behavioral healthcare providers, plus the newly acquired Broadstep of North Carolina. The platform provides administrative infrastructure and support services including HR, billing, compliance, training, and quality assessment to enable partner organizations to focus on clinical care. The portfolio includes partner organizations offering outpatient counseling, community-based counseling, treatment foster care, I/DD services, substance abuse treatment, and psychiatric services across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and West Virginia. The ncgCARE Institute serves as the research and innovation arm focused on outcome studies and evidence-based program development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ncgCARE Institute: Research and innovation division focused on outcome studies, progressive programming, and the latest behavioral health trends to raise the bar on clinical care.

Products and services

• ncgCARE Institute Research and innovation arm of ncgCARE that develops outcome studies, evidence-based programming, and progressive behavioral health interventions to raise the bar on clinical care across the partner network. Aimed at clinicians and partner organizations seeking evidence-based practice frameworks.
• National Counseling Group Partner organization serving Virginia since 1993 with mental health, behavioral health, and substance use treatment services for individuals and families. Has helped more than 50,000 individuals and families since inception.
• Embrace Treatment Foster Care Partner organization providing specialized treatment foster home placements for children who have been removed from their homes due to unforeseen circumstances in Virginia.
• Envision Counseling Partner organization delivering counseling and treatment services to adolescents, young adults, and adults with mental health and/or substance abuse issues using individual, family, and group treatment modalities.
• Appalachian Community Services Partner organization in western North Carolina providing community-based, traditional outpatient, intensive outpatient, mobile crisis, peer support, and psychiatric services.
• Carolina Outreach One of the largest and most respected providers of community-based behavioral services in North Carolina, serving central and east central regions with evidence-based practices.
• Starlight Behavioral Health West Virginia partner offering residential services, waiver services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), ABA services for individuals on the autism spectrum, service coordination, and natural family services.
• Grace Harbour Outpatient mental health practice in Georgia and South Carolina dedicated to enhancing client lives, strengthening families, and instilling hope.
• Broadstep of North Carolina (Coastal Southeastern United Care) Newly acquired partner providing community-based behavioral health services across eastern and southeastern North Carolina with locations in Gastonia, Lumberton, Jacksonville, Supply, and Wilmington serving multiple counties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 580,975 service encounters provided to 21,785 individuals and families in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Broadstep of North Carolina (Coastal Southeastern United Care)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Newest acquisition joining the ncgCARE family, providing community-based behavioral health services across eastern and southeastern North Carolina. Acquisition complements existing NC partners Carolina Outreach and Appalachian Community Services, creating full statewide provider coverage. Locations include Gastonia, Lumberton, Jacksonville, Supply, and Wilmington.
• National Counseling GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner organization since 1993, providing mental, behavioral, and substance use services in Virginia. Has helped more than 50,000 individuals and families find healing, support and success.
• Appalachian Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in far west region of North Carolina offering enhanced community based, traditional outpatient, intensive outpatient, mobile crisis, peer support, and psychiatric services.
• Carolina OutreachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the largest and most respected providers of community-based behavioral services in North Carolina. Serving central and east central regions with evidence-based practices.
• Embrace Treatment Foster CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing specialized foster home placements for children who have been removed from their homes for unforeseen circumstances in Virginia.
• Envision CounselingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing expert counseling and treatment services to adolescents, young adults and adults suffering from mental health and/or substance abuse issues using diverse modalities including individual, family, and group treatment.
• Starlight Behavioral HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest Virginia partner offering residential services, waiver services for individuals with I/DD, ABA services for individuals diagnosed on the spectrum, service coordination, and natural family services.
• Grace HarbourcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia-based outpatient mental health practice dedicated to enhancing lives of clients, strengthening families and instilling hope, operating in South Carolina as well.
• Virginia Association of Community Behavioral Health Authorities (VACP)minorOthersState provider association membership for Virginia behavioral health authorities.
• Benchmarks (North Carolina)minorOthersNorth Carolina provider association membership for behavioral health quality standards.
• WV Behavioral Healthcare Providers AssociationminorOthersWest Virginia provider association membership for behavioral health providers.
• Family Focused Treatment Association (FFTA)minorOthersNational association membership focused on family-centered treatment approaches including foster care.
• Virginia Association of Licensed Child-Placing Agencies (VALCPA)minorOthersVirginia association for child-placing agencies including foster care providers.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)minorOthersNational mental health advocacy organization partnership for awareness and support.
• Active MindsminorOthersYouth mental health advocacy organization partnership.
• Mental Health Corporations of America (MHCA)minorOthersNational professional association for mental health corporations.
• Virginia Counselors Association (VCA)minorOthersVirginia state professional association for licensed counselors.
• Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA)minorOthersHealthcare compliance professional association membership.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)minorOthersNational professional association for social workers.
• AMIkidsminorOthersJuvenile services integration partner for at-risk youth programs.
• Evidence Based Associates (EBA)minorOthersEvidence-based practices integration partner for clinical programming.
• CignaminorOthersCigna health plan partnership providing machine-readable files for transparency in coverage compliance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Meridian Behavioral Health Services: Community-based behavioral health provider in western North Carolina offering outpatient, crisis, and I/DD services; directly comparable to ncgCARE's Appalachian Community Services partner in service mix and western NC service area.
• Gateway Health / Gateway Behavioral Health Services: Regional community-based behavioral health provider serving Georgia and South Carolina; comparable to ncgCARE's Grace Harbour partner in service model (outpatient mental health) and overlapping Southeast geography.
• Trillium Health Resources: Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organization (LME/MCO) administering Medicaid behavioral health and I/DD services across North Carolina; directly relevant as a payer/contracting counterparty to ncgCARE's NC partners and a representative of the MCO infrastructure that funds the network.

Direct peers

• Sevita Health: National provider of home and community-based behavioral health and I/DD services, including ABA therapy, residential, and foster care; highly comparable to ncgCARE's mix of mental health, I/DD waiver, ABA, and treatment foster care services, and similarly reliant on Medicaid funding.
• Centerstone: National nonprofit behavioral health and I/DD provider offering outpatient, residential, crisis, and I/DD services across multiple states; highly comparable to ncgCARE's mix of mental health, substance abuse, and I/DD services in community-based settings.
• BrightView Health: Multi-state outpatient substance use disorder and mental health treatment provider operating across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast; directly comparable to ncgCARE's outpatient counseling, intensive outpatient, and community-based behavioral health services.

Broad incumbents

• Magellan Health: National managed behavioral healthcare company administering behavioral health benefits for Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial plans; relevant as both a potential MCO partner and an industry incumbent shaping the payer landscape in which ncgCARE operates.
• Universal Health Services (UHS) Behavioral Health: Large diversified hospital operator with a substantial behavioral health segment spanning acute inpatient, residential, and outpatient services across the U.S.; comparable as a scaled behavioral health provider with government payer exposure, though it operates at a much larger scale than ncgCARE.
• Psychiatric Solutions / ProMedica Behavioral Health: ProMedica's behavioral health arm operates inpatient psychiatric and outpatient services across multiple states, comparable to ncgCARE in serving government-pay behavioral health populations but with more acute/inpatient focus.
• Acadia Healthcare: One of the largest publicly traded behavioral healthcare operators in the U.S. with a broad portfolio of inpatient psychiatric facilities, residential treatment, and outpatient services; comparable to ncgCARE as a multi-state behavioral health platform serving Medicaid populations, though significantly larger and more inpatient-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncg_care
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncgcare

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ncgCARE