Youth Advocate Programs

What Youth Advocate Programs does

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit founded in 1975 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania by Tom Jeffers, originally as a community-based alternative when Pennsylvania ordered the release of children detained at Camp Hill adult prison. Operating across 34+ states plus Washington, D.C. with 1,001–5,000 employees, YAP delivers community-based wraparound services through its proprietary YAPWrap® model as alternatives to youth incarceration, residential placements and neighborhood violence. The organization runs six core service lines — Youth Justice Services, Child Welfare, Behavioral Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Community-Based Safety Initiatives, and YAP® in Schools — supported by the YAPWORX™ workforce development sub-product, YAP Supported Work, and the employee-funded Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education.

YAP's revenue model is anchored in multi-year service contracts with state, county and municipal public systems (youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, education and public safety), supplemented by philanthropic grants (Communities Foundation of Texas, Boeing, Comcast NBCUniversal) and the Tom Jeffers Endowment. Services are delivered free to participants under a "no reject, no eject" policy by neighborhood-based Advocates drawn from the communities they serve. Documented outcomes — validated by John Jay College of Criminal Justice (86% arrest-free, <5% secure placement, ~90% community retention) and Georgetown Center for Juvenile Justice Reform ("Extremely Successful") — underpin contract renewals. Pricing economics are sharp: YAP wraparound services cost $311/week per youth vs. $2,207/week for detention, and the Santa Fe Youth Services FIT program costs $440/week vs. the same $2,207/week detention comparator.

The technology stack is anchored by Netsmart's electronic health record and health information exchange platform maintained under SOC 2 Type 2 standards, with evidence-based program curricula (SNAP®, Seven Challenges, ACRA, Seeking Safety, Botvin Life Skills, Strengthening Families) implemented programmatically rather than algorithmically. Governance rests with a Board of Directors led since May 2026 by Board Chair Clarence Campbell (SVP, Freedom Federal Credit Union), with Gary Ivory serving as President and CEO. The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025 and has expanded operations while absorbing episodic program-level funding shocks (Dallas CRED closure February 17, 2025; Tarrant County contract termination and reversal July–October 2024).

Name

Youth Advocate Programs

Legal name

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc.

Website

https://yapinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) is a 50-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering community-based wraparound services as alternatives to youth incarceration and residential placements across 34+ states, serving justice-involved youth and families via the YAPWrap® model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Youth and Family Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ), Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ)

Keywords

• Youth justice services
• Wraparound services model
• Behavioral health programs
• Child welfare services
• Community violence intervention

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government System Contracts: Primary revenue source from contracts with public systems including youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, education, and public safety agencies. Services delivered as alternatives to incarceration, residential care, and out-of-home placement.
2. Philanthropic Support: Funding from foundations, corporations, and individual donors. Includes grants from organizations like Communities Foundation of Texas, Boeing, and Comcast NBCUniversal.
3. Employee-Funded Endowment: Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education primarily funded through YAP employee donations via voluntary payroll deductions. Provides scholarships to current and former program participants.
4. Program Cost Subsidies: YAP subsidizes government contracts with national donor funds when contract dollars don't cover costs. For example, subsidized Tarrant County contracts with $113,192 in FY and $192,000 in prior FY.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) is a national nonprofit that delivers community-based wraparound services through its proprietary YAPWrap® model, providing neighborhood-based Advocates who connect youth, young adults, and families with individualized educational, economic, and emotional tools. Service lines include Youth Justice Services (diversion and alternatives to incarceration), Child Welfare Services, Behavioral Health Programs (including Medicaid YES Waiver), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services, Community-Based Safety Initiatives (violence interruption), and YAP® in Schools. Programs operate under a 'no reject, no eject' policy and are delivered in homes, schools, and community sites across 34+ states plus Washington, D.C.

Product overview

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®) is a national nonprofit organization offering community-based social services as a unified platform-plus-programs model centered on the YAPWrap® wraparound services methodology. The core YAPWrap® model powers multiple service lines: Youth Justice Services (diversion and alternatives to incarceration), Child Welfare Services, Behavioral Health Programs, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services, Community-Based Safety Initiatives (violence interruption), and YAP® in Schools. Supporting the core model are workforce development programs (YAPWORX™, YAP Supported Work), the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund scholarship, regional programs including Santa Fe Youth Services (substance use, family, and life skills programming), Dallas CRED violence interruption, Alternatives to Violence (Charlotte), and YES Waiver mental health services in Texas. Programs also include evidence-based curriculums such as SNAP®, Seven Challenges, ACRA, Seeking Safety, Botvin Life Skills, and Strengthening Families. All services follow a 'no reject, no eject' policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YAPWrap® Wraparound Services
• Youth Justice Services
• Child Welfare Services
• Behavioral Health Programs
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services
• Community-Based Safety Initiatives
• YAP® in Schools
• YAPWORX™ Workforce Development
• YAP Supported Work
• Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education
• Dallas CRED (Community Resilience Initiative)
• Santa Fe Youth Services
• Alternatives to Violence (ATV)
• STOP NOW AND PLAN (SNAP®) Programs
• YES Waiver Services
• Seven Challenges Program
• ACRA (Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach)
• Seeking Safety
• Recovery Advocate Program (RAP)
• Strengthening Families Program
• Botvin Life Skills Training
• Families in Transition (FIT)
• Training and Consulting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of YAP youth justice participants remain arrest-free 6-12 months after program completion
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• City of DallascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021YAP launched Dallas CRED in May 2021 under a contract with the City of Dallas to include violence interrupters in its public safety strategy. The violence interruption approach was recommended as part of the Mayor's Task Force on Safe Communities. Program served four neighborhoods targeting highest-risk individuals for violence engagement.
• Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for OVR My Work summer employment program placing youth with disabilities in jobs across Pennsylvania. In fourth year, program expanded to provide employment experiences to 280 participants with almost 80 employers.
• Olivet Boys and Girls Club of Reading & Berks CountyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmployer partner hosting YAP program participants for summer employment as camp counselors at the Olivet Boys and Girls Club.
• Hope Rescue MissionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit employer partner providing work opportunities for YAP program participants in Berks County, PA.
• LGBT Center of Greater ReadingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit employer partner providing work opportunities for YAP program participants in Berks County, PA.
• City of CharlottecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Charlotte to provide Alternatives to Violence through street outreach targeting Beatties Ford Road corridor and West Blvd/Remount Road areas. Program disrupts violence by mediating conflict and preventing retaliation.
• Mecklenburg CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty partnership for Alternatives to Violence program targeting individuals aged 14-25 identified as most at risk of violence. Partners with city to serve specific Charlotte neighborhoods.
• NetsmartcoreTechnology or IntegrationKansas-based health information technology company providing electronic health records and health information exchanges for behavioral health and human services. Maintains SOC 2 Type 2 security standards for data protection.
• Child Development Institute - SNAP ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYAP implements SNAP (Stop Now and Plan) evidence-based cognitive-behavioral program developed by Child Development Institute. Program teaches youth ages 6-17 how to pause, think through situations, and make better choices.
• Cure Violence GlobalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYAP combines its YAPWrap model with Cure Violence Global's violence interruption approach for programs like Dallas CRED. Cure Violence Global tracking monitors program outcomes.
• John Jay College of Criminal JusticemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership producing evidence on YAP outcomes including 86% arrest-free rate and <5% secure placement rate for youth justice participants.
• Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice ReformmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgetown research found alternative-to-incarceration startups including YAP to be 'Extremely Successful' in serving youth with felony offenses.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Youth Villages: National nonprofit providing intensive in-home services, residential programs, and transitional living for at-risk youth. Operates Wraparound services similar to YAPWrap across multiple states, competing directly for government child welfare and juvenile justice contracts.
• Pressley Ridge: Pittsburgh-based nonprofit providing community-based, residential, and educational services for children and families involved with child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Directly comparable wraparound and alternatives-to-detention model.
• Eckerd Connects: Nonprofit providing workforce development, juvenile justice, and child welfare services across multiple states. Competes with YAP for federal and state contracts and operates community-based alternatives to incarceration programs.
• KVC Health Systems: National nonprofit providing child welfare, behavioral health, and foster care services across multiple states. Closely comparable model with in-home and community-based services funded through government contracts.
• KidsPeace: National nonprofit providing behavioral health, residential, and community-based programs for at-risk youth and families. Direct competitor for child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health contracts in overlapping geographies.
• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit providing school-based support and case management for at-risk students. Highly comparable to YAP's 'YAP in Schools' service line and student support case management operations.
• Children's Home Society of California: California-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and child welfare services. Comparable model of community-based wraparound services for system-involved youth in a YAP-served geography.

Broad incumbents

• Boys Town: Historic national nonprofit serving at-risk youth and families with residential, in-home, and community-based programs. Larger and more brand-recognizable than YAP, with overlapping service lines in behavioral health and family support.
• Volunteers of America: Large national nonprofit providing housing, behavioral health, and youth services across all 50 states. Broader portfolio than YAP but directly overlaps in youth justice, foster care, and community-based safety initiatives.

Emerging players

• Cure Violence Global: National nonprofit deploying public health approach to violence interruption in cities across the U.S. and internationally. YAP already partners with Cure Violence on Dallas CRED; overlaps directly in the violence interruption segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YAPInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/YAPInc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=u6pp86rRp_A

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 Youth Advocate Programs