Washington County Mental Health Services

What Washington County Mental Health Services does

Washington County Mental Health Services (WCMHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community mental health center established in 1967 and headquartered in Montpelier, Vermont. Designated by Vermont Statute as the official provider of mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services in Washington County and three Orange County towns (Orange, Washington, Williamstown), WCMHS delivers integrated care through nine major program divisions: Children, Youth & Family Services; Intensive Adult Mental Health Services (Community Support Program); Center for Counseling & Psychological Services; Center for Substance Use Services; Intensive Care Services (24/7 crisis); Psychiatric & Nursing Services; Community Developmental Services; WellSpace/Summer Street; and the Access Hub walk-in urgent care. Specialized sub-programs include the EMERGE early childhood autism program, the only Snoezelen Room in Northern New England (Imagination Station), the Doula Project for perinatal mental health, the Peer Support Program with multiple residential facilities, ChOICE Academy independent schools, and the Collaborative Systems Integration Project (CSIP) street outreach. In FY2021, the agency served 4,382 clients with 266,589 services delivered, and the agency serves more than 6,700 individuals annually with 8,552 total lives impacted when non-billable community services are included.

WCMHS operates a hybrid service platform combining centralized 24/7 phone intake (802.229.0591), the walk-in Access Hub, eight physical offices across Montpelier, Barre, Berlin, and Morrisville, embedded school-based clinicians throughout Washington County, mobile/outreach teams, law enforcement co-response partnerships, and hospital diversion with Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC). Its technology differentiators are primarily clinical and programmatic rather than software-based: the Snoezelen sensory environment, the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) methodology, the peer-staffed residential model (Maple House, Tiny Houses, Fresh Start House, Arid House), and the EMERGE early childhood autism framework. The agency uses a Results Based Accountability (RBA) evaluation framework adopted in 2014 and became the first in Vermont history to be recertified as a Center of Excellence by Vermont Care Partners in January 2022.

WCMHS is funded through a mix of Vermont state and town appropriations, Medicaid reimbursement, SAMHSA and Vermont Community Foundation grants, sliding fee client payments based on household income (no one denied services for inability to pay), and tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3) entity. Distribution is anchored in regulatory designation and embedded referral partnerships with schools, hospitals, police departments, corrections, DCF, and DAIL. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the agency employs 501-1,000 staff across clinical, residential, peer support, administrative, and IT functions, with leadership including CEO Beth Sightler, CFO Heidi Spaulding (former Vermont DMH Director of Finance), and COO Jessica Kell.

Name

Washington County Mental Health Services

Legal name

Washington County Mental Health Services, Inc.

Website

https://wcmhs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Washington County Mental Health Services is a Vermont-statute-designated 501(c)(3) community mental health center serving Washington County and three Orange County towns with integrated mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services for over 6,700 individuals annually across the lifespan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Stabilization Units & Psychiatric Emergency Services (HLAFACAH), School-Based Mental & Behavioral Health Services (EDAJAIAB), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Community mental health
• Substance use treatment
• Developmental disability services
• Crisis intervention
• Behavioral health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpelier

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (State and Town): WCMHS is a state and town funded agency designated by Vermont Statute to provide mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services. Government funding is a primary revenue source.
2. Medicaid Reimbursement: As a designated agency serving Medicaid-eligible individuals, WCMHS receives reimbursement for covered services. Developmental Services require Medicaid eligibility. Many programs bill Medicaid.
3. Sliding Fee Discount / Client Payments: WCMHS offers a sliding fee discount based on household income to make care affordable for everyone regardless of insurance status. This applies to outpatient services including Adult Outpatient Counseling. No one is denied services due to inability to pay.
4. Grant Funding: WCMHS receives grant funding for specific programs, including SAMHSA grants for the Child Grant Wellness Program and recovery housing projects funded through Washington County Department of Job & Family Services RFPs.
5. Donations: Donations from individuals, businesses, foundations, and municipalities help bridge gaps between state funding and unfunded community programs. WCMHS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Washington County Mental Health Services (WCMHS) is a Vermont state-designated nonprofit community mental health center delivering mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services to residents of Washington County and parts of Orange County. The agency operates a portfolio of integrated programs including outpatient counseling, 24/7 crisis response, residential and housing support, school-based services, psychiatric care, and peer-supported programs for children, adults, and families.

Product overview

Washington County Mental Health Services (WCMHS) operates as a portfolio of integrated mental health, substance use, and developmental disability service programs rather than a single technology product. The organization delivers care through nine major program divisions: Children, Youth & Family Services (CYFS); Intensive Adult Mental Health Services / Community Support Program (CSP); Center for Counseling & Psychological Services (CCPS); Center for Substance Use Services (CSUS); Intensive Care Services (ICS); Psychiatric & Nursing Services; Community Developmental Services (CDS); and community-facing programs including WellSpace/Summer Street and the Access Hub. These programs collectively serve more than 6,700 individuals annually across Washington County and three Orange County towns in Vermont, offering a continuum from prevention and wellness through 24/7 crisis response. The portfolio includes specialized sub-programs such as Independent School Programs (ChOICE Academy, STARS School), the Sunrise Wellness Center, the Imagination Station Snoezelen Room, the Peer Support Program with multiple residential facilities, the Doula Project, and the Collaborative Systems Integration Project (CSIP), all coordinated through centralized intake and crisis services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children, Youth & Family Services Office, community, school and home-based services for children and families living with mental and behavioral challenges, including expectant mothers and youth up to age 22 across Central Vermont.
• Intensive Adult Mental Health Services / Community Support Program (CSP) Community rehabilitative services for adults with chronic and persistent mental health needs, including case management, counseling, psychiatric services, employment support, peer-supported housing, and crisis beds.
• Center for Counseling & Psychological Services (CCPS) Outpatient mental health counseling across the lifespan (ages 6-99), including individual, couples, family and group therapy, co-occurring treatment, psychiatric services, the LINCS trauma program, and the Behavioral Health Integration Program (BHIP).
• Center for Substance Use Services (CSUS) Outpatient substance use and mental health services including buprenorphine management, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), DUI license reinstatement counseling, intensive outpatient therapy, and group/individual therapy.
• Intensive Care Services (ICS) 24-hour emergency crisis services providing mobile crisis intervention, assessment, hospital diversion, urgent care, and stabilization support, including the Emergency Screening Team, Home Intervention Program, and Law Enforcement Mental Health Clinician co-response.
• Psychiatric & Nursing Services Medical and psychiatric nursing care embedded across the agency, including medication evaluation, ongoing medication management, health and wellness promotion, and coordination with primary care providers.
• Community Developmental Services (CDS) Comprehensive services for individuals with developmental disabilities, autism, and traumatic brain injury, including employment services, nursing and psychiatric services, residential care, communication services, skill-building groups, and the Bridges Program.
• Access Hub Walk-in urgent care program for individuals 18+ experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, providing crisis stabilization, needs assessment, and safety planning without requiring a formal referral, staffed by a multidisciplinary team.
• Sunrise Wellness Center Supportive environment in Montpelier for individuals to learn and practice skills managing symptoms of mental illness, trauma, and substance use using Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) tools, supported by peer staff with lived experience.
• Independent School Programs (ChOICE Academy MS/HS, STARS School) State-approved independent school programs serving students grades 5-12 with significant emotional and behavioral challenges, offering behavioral supports, special education, therapy, case management, and BCBA-facilitated individualized supports.
• Imagination Station Snoezelen Room A multisensory Snoezelen Room providing a controlled sensory environment for individuals on the autism spectrum, the only such room in Northern New England, funded with support from the Autism Puzzle Foundation.
• The Doula Project Prenatal, labor, and postpartum support program for women with mental health issues, cognitive limitations, trauma histories, or addiction struggles who receive or are eligible for WCMHS services.
• Collaborative Systems Integration Project (CSIP) Street outreach program offering supports to marginalized and disconnected individuals who are homeless, involved with the criminal justice system, or in addiction treatment programs, helping them access services and build self-sufficiency.
• Peer Support Program (PSP) Peer-run support services for residential programs including Maple House crisis bed, Heaton Street transitional bed, Men's and Women's Shared Living residences, Tiny House Project, Fresh Start House, and Arid House, staffed by individuals with lived experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92%+ of clients agree services received were right/appropriate (FY2021 satisfaction survey, n=444)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vermont Care Partners (VCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS is a member of the Vermont Care Partners network of 16 designated (DA) and specialized services agencies (SSA) in Vermont. VCP provides the System of Excellence framework including peer review, quality improvement standards, and the Centers of Excellence certification process. WCMHS was the first in Vermont designated as COE (2018) and first recertified (2022).
• Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS Behavioral Health Integration Program (BHIP) co-locates outpatient therapists in CVMC primary care practices. Also partnered on the Doula Project with CVMC birthing center, crisis response in the ER, and hospital diversion programs.
• Montpelier Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS has had an embedded clinician with Montpelier Police Department since summer 2020, jointly responding to emergency calls with police to provide de-escalation and mental health supports during crisis situations. WCMHS Executive Director addressed National Association of Police Chiefs about Team Two.
• Barre City Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS employs a full-time clinician embedded with Barre City Police Department since summer 2020 as part of the Law Enforcement Mental Health Clinician Project. Joint response to emergency calls providing de-escalation and mental health supports.
• Norwich University Architectural Design DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwich University's Architectural Design department designed and built the Tiny Houses — a unique three-unit housing initiative for formerly homeless individuals in Barre, Vermont.
• Downstreet HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDownstreet Housing manages the Tiny Houses project (and adjacent apartments) for WCMHS. The WCMHS Housing Coordinator provides housing support to tenants.
• Vermont Department of Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a designated agency, WCMHS operates under state oversight and funding from the Vermont Department of Mental Health. DMH and Department of Public Safety jointly fund Team Two crisis training statewide.
• Autism Puzzle Foundation of VermontcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Autism Puzzle Foundation (co-founded by financial adviser Randi Lamberti) donated over $75,000 for Snoezelen Room equipment. WCMHS used its own funds and in-house staff to build the Imagination Station, dedicated to Lamberti's late mother Kay Lamberti. The Imagination Station is the only Snoezelen Room in Northern New England.
• Vermont Coalition to End HomelessnessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWCMHS works alongside the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness in Washington County, supporting local Continuum of Care (CoC) efforts to ensure safe, stable, affordable housing and that homelessness is brief, rare, and everyone is treated with dignity.
• Central Vermont Prevention CoalitionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWCMHS is part of a network of community providers seeking harmonized resources in Central Vermont where there is no wrong door for substance use disorder and co-occurring condition support. Members include CVMC, Turning Point, VT Dept. of Health, Youth Service Bureau, and law enforcement.
• THRIVE (Accountable Community for Health)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHRIVE is a collaborative effort to create an Accountable Community for Health in Central Vermont, bridging healthcare and social services through collaboration across healthcare, social service, private business, nonprofit, government, public education, civic groups, and community members.
• Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS collaborates with DCF on multiple programs including Intensive Family Based Services (IFBS), therapeutic foster care, and Reach-Up Program (with DCF Economic Services Division) for participants with mental health and/or substance use needs.
• Vermont Department of Aging and Independent Living (DAIL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS receives DAIL funding for employment services through United Employment Services for individuals with developmental disabilities, and DAIL participates in the statewide DDS waiver program intake process.
• Team Two (VT DMH/Public Safety Collaboration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeam Two is a collaborative training program between the Vermont Department of Mental Health and Department of Public Safety, providing statewide mental health crisis training to law enforcement and mental health workers. WCMHS coordinates Team Two; currently 35 trainers in five regions statewide. WCMHS Executive Director and Team Two Coordinator addressed the National Association of Police Chiefs about the program in 2019.
• ChOICE AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS operates independent school programs at ChOICE Academy locations (Middle School grades 5-8, High School grades 8-12) serving students with significant emotional and behavioral challenges. WCMHS provides clinical staff, case managers, BCBA consultation, and behavioral supports.
• The Phoenix (Recovery Community)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWCMHS provides meeting space and refers clients to The Phoenix, a sober active community offering in-person and live-streaming exercise classes free for those in recovery and their support people.
• Turning Point Center of Central VermontminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWCMHS is part of a network that includes Turning Point Center, a peer-run recovery center in central Vermont supporting those in addiction recovery.
• Central Vermont Medical Center Emergency DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS provides diversion from CVMC Emergency Department through its crisis programs. Clients may arrive at Maple House from CVMC ER as diversion from emergency psychiatric care.
• Green Mountain Transit AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGMT provides fixed route, microtransit, Medicaid NEMT, and Recovery and Job Access transportation services to WCMHS clients. WCMHS refers clients to GMT for transportation to appointments and services.
• Vermont Department of CorrectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCMHS CSIP provides re-entry support for clients returning from corrections. The Home Intervention Program accepts referrals from Department of Corrections. WCMHS works with corrections to divert individuals from incarceration to community mental health services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Howard Center: Vermont's largest designated community mental health agency, based in Burlington. Most directly comparable to WCMHS in statutory designation, scope (mental health, substance use, developmental services), and mixed state/Medicaid/town funding model; WCMHS is a peer within the Vermont Care Partners network.
• United Counseling Service of Bennington County: Designated agency for Bennington County, Vermont. Directly comparable model—statutory designation, crisis, outpatient, developmental, and substance use services funded through Vermont DMH and Medicaid—making it a peer in scale, scope, and revenue mix.
• Counseling Service of Addison County (CSAC): Designated community mental health agency for Addison County, Vermont. Operates the same statutory service mix as WCMHS; WCMHS' Director of IAMHS previously held senior positions at CSAC, evidencing direct operational comparability.
• Lamoille County Mental Health Services: Lamoille County's designated Vermont community mental health agency. Same statutory role, comparable program portfolio (crisis, outpatient, developmental, substance use), and joint service of overlapping Vermont populations; WCMHS CSUS has a Morrisville presence in the same county.
• Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS): Designated agency serving Windsor and Orange Counties (multiple office sites). Closest geographic peer to WCMHS' Orange County towns; similar service breadth including developmental services and sliding-fee access for the uninsured.
• Northeast Kingdom Human Services (NKHS): Designated community mental health agency for Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia Counties. Comparable rural designated-agency model with crisis, outpatient, developmental, and 24/7 access lines—highly analogous operating environment to WCMHS.
• Rutland Regional Mental Health Services / Rutland County designated agencies: Vermont designated community mental health provider serving Rutland County. Operates the same statutory mix of crisis, outpatient, substance use, and developmental services, with shared state oversight via Vermont Care Partners.
• Clara Martin Center: Designated community mental health agency serving Orange and Windsor Counties, Vermont. Comparable in scope (mental health, substance use, developmental services) and reliance on Medicaid/state funding; partial geographic overlap with WCMHS' Orange County catchment.
• Northwestern Counseling & Support Services: Designated agency serving Franklin and Grand Isle Counties, Vermont. Same statutory designation, similar program mix (crisis, outpatient, substance use, developmental, peer support, embedded community programs), and parallel funding structure.

Others

• Vermont Care Partners (VCP): Statewide association of Vermont's 16 designated mental health and specialized service agencies. Functions as a peer-network umbrella and quality framework owner (COE certification) for WCMHS; not a competitor but the network through which WCMHS' COE and funding leverage flow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubebit.ly/3glZZ6y
• Xx.com/WCMHS

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Washington County Mental Health Services