What Arbor Circle does

Arbor Circle is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based nonprofit organization (founded in 1996 with predecessor institutions dating to 1930) that delivers mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and family and youth services across 12 counties in West Michigan. The organization operates over 50 programs organized into six service categories — Children & Family Services, Counseling Services, Prevention Services, School-Centered Services, Substance Use Recovery Services, and Youth Services — and serves more than 12,000 clients annually through five delivery channels: community settings (35%), office (18%), telehealth (17%), home (16%), and school (14%). Clinical services are grounded in evidence-based modalities including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), framed within a trauma-informed, therapeutic-relationship-centered model of care.

The organization has held Joint Commission Accreditation since 2001 and manages contracts as a community-mental-health-services provider with regional prepaid inpatient health plans including Lakeshore Regional Entity (covering Allegan, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties) and Midstate Health Network (covering Newaygo County). Specialized offerings include The Bridge emergency youth shelter (ages 10–17), Youth Supportive Housing for ages 18–24, Sobriety Treatment Court, Kent County jail-based correctional services, Strong Beginnings (maternal/infant support), and the Total Trek Quest after-school program.

Revenue is generated through three streams: insurance reimbursements (Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurance for outpatient mental health and substance use treatment), foundation grants and individual/corporate donations, and a combination of free services and sliding-scale fees for eligible clients. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging school partnerships, healthcare provider referrals (notably Corewell Health), direct outreach, and community education events such as Mental Health First Aid, QPR suicide prevention training, and Screenagers film screenings. The organization is led by President & CEO Kristin Gietzen with a leadership team spanning operations, finance, equity and inclusion, HR, performance improvement, development, and community engagement, plus program directors for each major service line.

Name

Arbor Circle

Legal name

Arbor Circle

Website

https://arborcircle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Arbor Circle is a West Michigan nonprofit (founded 1996) providing mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and family and youth services through 50+ programs across 12 counties, serving over 12,000 clients annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health and Social Services

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Mental Health Treatment Centers (HLAFACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Caregiver Support & Education Programs (Center-Based) (HSABANAN)

Keywords

• Mental health counseling
• Substance use treatment
• Family services
• Youth housing services
• Foster care adoption

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Reimbursements: Arbor Circle accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurance for services rendered. This represents a primary revenue stream for outpatient mental health and substance use treatment services.
2. Grants and Donations: As a nonprofit organization, Arbor Circle receives funding through foundation grants (e.g., Steelcase Foundation $100,000 grant), individual donations, and corporate sponsorships to support operations and program expansion.
3. Sliding Scale and Free Services: For eligible individuals, many services are offered free of charge. Some services are provided on a sliding scale fee basis, ensuring access regardless of insurance type or status.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arbor Circle is a nonprofit behavioral health and social services organization that delivers mental health counseling, substance use treatment, foster care and adoption services, youth housing and emergency shelter, school-based mental health programs, and prevention/advocacy services across 12 counties in West Michigan. Services are provided through office-based, community-based, home-based, school-based, and telehealth settings, using evidence-based therapeutic modalities under a trauma-informed and person-centered framework.

Product overview

Arbor Circle is a mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and family services organization offering over 50 programs and services across West Michigan. The organization operates as a comprehensive service provider rather than a software platform, with programs organized into six main service categories: Children & Family Services (including foster care, adoption, and parenting support), Counseling Services (outpatient mental health therapy), Prevention Services (substance abuse and child abuse prevention), School-Centered Services (school-based mental health and after-school programs like Total Trek Quest), Substance Use Recovery Services (including jail-based programs and IOP), and Youth Services (homeless youth shelter and housing support including The Bridge emergency shelter). Services are delivered across 12 counties through office-based, community, home, school, and telehealth settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children & Family Services Family support through early childhood and home-based services, parenting groups and education, and foster care and adoption services. Includes Adoption Services, Children's Behavioral Health Home (CBHH), Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Foster Care Services, Infant Toddler Development Services (ITDS), Parent Education, Parent Nurturing Group Services, Pregnant & Parenting Specialized Services, Strong Beginnings, and Wraparound Services for children, youth, and families in West Michigan.
• Counseling Services Trauma-informed and person-centered mental health counseling and therapeutic groups including Outpatient Counseling Services for individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, anger, grief and loss, trauma, and family relationship issues.
• Prevention Services Community-focused substance use, mental health, and child abuse prevention and advocacy including Ottawa Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OSAP), Stop Child Abuse & Neglect Council (SCAN), and Student Leaders Initiating Change (SLIC).
• School-Centered Services School-based prevention and mental health counseling, support for daycare and preschool providers, and after-school programs including Total Trek Quest (TTQ), Great Start To Quality Western Resource Center, and Keep Early Education Positive (KEEP).
• Substance Use Recovery Services Substance use recovery including assessments and peer support offered in community and jail-based locations, with pregnant and parenting people as a priority. Includes Intensive Outpatient Services (IOP), Kent County Correctional Services, Outpatient Substance Use Counseling For Kent County Veterans, Recovery Management Services, Services For Women, Sobriety Treatment Court, and Substance Use And Alcohol Assessments.
• Youth Services Prevention, outreach, and housing support for youth experiencing homelessness including The Bridge emergency shelter, Host Homes, LGBTQIA+ Youth Services, Street Outreach, and Youth Supportive Housing.
• The Bridge Emergency shelter for youth ages 10-17 experiencing homelessness, housing instability, family conflict, or other crises. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, located at Arbor Circle's headquarters at 1115 Ball Ave. NE, Grand Rapids.
• Youth Supportive Housing Housing options and case management for youth-led households ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness including Host Homes, Transitional Living, and Rapid Rehousing programs, with professional support through case management and therapy services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 clients served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Corewell HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorewell Health partners with Arbor Circle on Mental Health First Aid and QPR Suicide Prevention Training programs. The partnership provides educational workshops to the community on mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
• Ottawa Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OSAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSAP co-hosts the Screenagers film series events with Arbor Circle, addressing teen mental health, screen time, anxiety, and depression through community education screenings.
• Ed and Nancy Hanenburg Children's Advocacy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the Ottawa County Stop Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Council and Arbor Circle to offer mandated reporter training, providing social workers and community professionals with the latest research on mandated reporting practices.
• Landlord PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArbor Circle partners with landlords to provide stable housing opportunities for youth ages 18-21 experiencing housing insecurity. Arbor Circle guarantees timely rent payment and provides professional support for tenants through case management and therapy services.
• Lakeshore Regional EntitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional behavioral health authority that serves as a managed care organization for mental health and substance use services in Allegan, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties.
• Midstate Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional behavioral health authority serving as the managed care organization for mental health and substance use services in Newaygo County.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Samaritas: Michigan-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, youth housing, and behavioral health services statewide. Comparable to Arbor Circle on child welfare, youth supportive housing, and statewide nonprofit human services model.
• Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services: Largest behavioral health provider in West Michigan offering inpatient, outpatient, and residential mental health and substance use services. Directly comparable to Arbor Circle on geography (Grand Rapids HQ), clinical service lines (mental health + SUD), and payer mix (Medicaid/PIHP contracts).
• Hope Network: Grand Rapids-headquartered nonprofit providing behavioral health, housing, and rehabilitation services across Michigan. Comparable to Arbor Circle on West Michigan base, mental health and supportive housing services, and managed-care contract relationships.
• Network180: Kent County's Community Mental Health Authority (CMH) and PIHP partner. Operates as a public-sector peer providing mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services for Kent County residents, with overlapping catchment and referral relationships with Arbor Circle.
• Catholic Charities West Michigan: Regional nonprofit social services agency offering counseling, substance use treatment, pregnancy support, and refugee services across West Michigan. Comparable on nonprofit model, broad human-services portfolio, regional presence, and Medicaid/grant funding mix.
• Wedgwood Christian Services: Grand Rapids-based nonprofit providing residential treatment, outpatient counseling, and child welfare services across West Michigan. Directly comparable to Arbor Circle on nonprofit status, child/family services focus, and West Michigan footprint.

Others

• Steelcase Foundation: West Michigan philanthropic foundation that awarded Arbor Circle a $100,000 grant in 2023. Comparable as a like-minded regional funder and potential future capital partner, though not a service-provider peer.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: State agency that funds and oversees the PIHP/CMH system in which Arbor Circle operates as a contracted provider. Relevant as the upstream regulator and largest indirect payer shaping Arbor Circle's contract and rate environment.

Regional players

• Mel Trotter Ministries: Grand Rapids-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, food, and recovery services. Partially comparable to Arbor Circle on West Michigan footprint and vulnerable-population services, though oriented to adult emergency shelter rather than youth-focused programming.

Emerging players

• Family Promise of Grand Rapids: Local nonprofit addressing family homelessness through shelter, prevention, and stabilization services. Comparable to Arbor Circle on West Michigan housing-insecurity programming and case management model, though narrower in clinical scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ArborCircleVideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/arborcircleorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arbor-circle
• Instagraminstagram.com/arbor_circle

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Arbor Circle