A Caring Alternative
A Caring Alternative is a CARF-accredited, CABHA-certified behavioral health and substance use disorder agency delivering outpatient therapy, ACTT, intensive in-home, and therapeutic foster care to adults, adolescents, and children across 16+ Western North Carolina counties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersMorganton, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What A Caring Alternative does
A Caring Alternative, LLC is a privately held, family-owned behavioral health and substance use disorder services agency headquartered in Morganton, North Carolina. Founded in 2006 by CEO Melaina Rhoney, the firm operates as a Certified Behavioral Health Agency (CABHA) with CARF accreditation, delivering a full continuum of clinical services to adults, adolescents, and children across more than 16 counties in Western North Carolina. Service lines include outpatient therapy, psychiatric medication management, substance use disorder treatment (SAIOP/SACOT), intensive in-home services (IIH), therapeutic foster care (TFC), Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACTT), Community Support Teams (CST), Tailored Care Management (TCM), peer support, and no-appointment walk-in clinics.
The company delivers care through six physical locations in Morganton (corporate office and ACTT office), Marion, Hickory, Asheville, and Statesville, complemented by an online self-referral intake form and partnerships with Managed Care Organizations, primary care physicians, hospitals, and schools. Revenue is generated through insurance reimbursement from Medicaid/NCHC Carolina Access, Medicare, and private carriers under a fee-for-service billing model; no pricing is publicly disclosed and no revenue figures have been published. The headcount is stated as 101–250 employees, and the firm maintains an executive team with an average tenure exceeding two decades in regional human services.
The operating model is values-based and trauma-informed, emphasizing whole-person, person-centered care and family/community engagement. Growth to date has been organic and geographic, funded internally with no institutional capital raised and no M&A activity disclosed. The technology stack is minimal — comprising a Wix-hosted marketing site, Paycom for recruiting, and standard social channels — and there is no evidence of proprietary software, APIs, or AI capabilities.
A Caring Alternative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A Caring Alternative
- Legal name
- A Caring Alternative, LLC
- Website
- https://caringalternative.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- A Caring Alternative is a CARF-accredited, CABHA-certified behavioral health and substance use disorder agency delivering outpatient therapy, ACTT, intensive in-home, and therapeutic foster care to adults, adolescents, and children across 16+ Western North Carolina counties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A Caring Alternative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Behavioral Health Services
- NAICS
- Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Primary Care in Behavioral Health Settings (HLAFAGAM)
Keywords
Where A Caring Alternative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Morganton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
A Caring Alternative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Behavioral Health Services Revenue: Revenue generated from providing behavioral health services billed through insurance including Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance carriers. Services include outpatient therapy, psychiatric medication management, intensive in-home services, and community-based supports.
- Healthcare Service Billing: Comprehensive care agency providing services to adults, adolescents, and children. Services covered through Medicaid/NCHC Carolina Access, Medicare, and private insurance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Insurance-based service model |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
A Caring Alternative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A Caring Alternative is a comprehensive behavioral health and substance use disorder services agency delivering a full continuum of clinical and community-based programs to adults, adolescents, and children in Western North Carolina. Core services include outpatient therapy, psychiatric medication management, substance use disorder treatment (SAIOP/SACOT), intensive in-home services, Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT), Community Support Team (CST), therapeutic foster care, walk-in clinic access, and Tailored Care Management, all billed through Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance.
Product overview
A Caring Alternative is a comprehensive behavioral health and substance use disorder services agency providing a portfolio of interconnected services to adults, adolescents, and children in Western North Carolina. The offering consists of Walk-In Clinic (immediate access without appointments), Adult Services (outpatient therapy, medication management, substance use treatment including SAIOP/SACOT, peer support, community support teams, and assertive community treatment), and Child and Adolescent Services (therapy, psychiatric services, intensive in-home services, and therapeutic foster care). Core services include Tailored Care Management for coordinated whole-person care across all populations. Services are delivered across multiple counties through offices in Morganton (corporate), Marion, Asheville, Hickory, and Statesville.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Walk-In Clinic No-appointment walk-in access to behavioral health services at the Morganton, Marion, and Asheville locations, offering immediate assessment and crisis intervention for adults, adolescents, and children.
- Adult Services Comprehensive behavioral health and substance use disorder support for adults across Western North Carolina, including outpatient therapy, psychiatric medication management, SAIOP, SACOT, peer support, individual support services, hospital discharge planning, assertive engagement, transition management (TCLI), Community Support Team (CST), Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT), and Tailored Care Management (TCM).
- Child, Adolescent & Family Services Family-centered behavioral health services for children, adolescents, and families across Western North Carolina, including outpatient therapy, psychiatric services, Intensive In-Home Services (IIH), service coordination, and therapeutic foster care placement support.
- Therapeutic Foster Care Program Program recruiting and training therapeutic foster parents to provide safe, supportive home environments for children with behavioral and emotional needs, pairing trained foster parents with clinical support and oversight.
Companies that use A Caring Alternative
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
A Caring Alternative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
A Caring Alternative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Managed Care OrganizationscoreCollaborates with Managed Care Organizations to identify community needs, develop, implement, and sustain high-quality programs that support individuals in achieving stability and improved well-being. Works with MCOs to ensure services remain responsive, accessible, and aligned with evolving community needs.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
A Caring Alternative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Monarch: North Carolina-based nonprofit providing behavioral health, mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and substance use services across dozens of counties. Highly comparable in continuum of care and MCO contracting approach, with similar peer support, outpatient therapy, and case management offerings, though Monarch operates at significantly larger scale than ACA.
- Thompson Child & Family Focus: North Carolina child and family services provider offering intensive in-home, therapeutic foster care, and behavioral health programs for youth. Closely comparable to A Caring Alternative's Child and Adolescent Services arm (IIH and TFC), with similar Medicaid-funded operating model.
- RHA Health Services: One of the largest North Carolina behavioral health, I/DD, and substance use providers operating across multiple regions of the state. Closest comparable to A Caring Alternative by service portfolio (outpatient therapy, ACTT, community support, I/DD services) and payor mix (Medicaid-led, contracted with NC MCOs), though RHA operates at meaningfully greater geographic and headcount scale.
- Coastal Horizons Center: North Carolina behavioral health, substance use, and justice-involved services provider on the coastal plain. Comparable outpatient, SUD, and case management service portfolio and Medicaid-funded revenue model, but serves a different region of NC.
- The Children's Home Society of North Carolina: Large North Carolina nonprofit providing child behavioral health, foster care, and family services statewide. Comparable to ACA's therapeutic foster care, child/adolescent outpatient, and intensive in-home service lines, but operates at significantly larger scale across more counties.
- Daymark Recovery Services: North Carolina behavioral health and substance use provider with an established walk-in/no-appointment access model across multiple counties, directly mirroring ACA's walk-in clinic differentiator. Operates outpatient therapy, medication management, SAIOP/SACOT-equivalent SUD programs, and crisis services for similar Medicaid populations.
- Alexander Youth Network: North Carolina-based child behavioral health provider offering residential, intensive in-home, and community-based services. Overlaps with ACA's child/adolescent services portfolio (IIH, TFC, outpatient therapy) and competes for the same Medicaid-funded youth population.
Broad incumbents
- Easter Seals UCP North Carolina & Virginia: Established multi-state behavioral health, I/DD, and disability services provider with broad service portfolio. Offers overlapping outpatient, case management, and behavioral health services but operates as a broader social services incumbent rather than a focused WNC regional provider.
Others
- Vaya Health: North Carolina Managed Care Organization serving multiple WNC-adjacent counties that contract with community behavioral health providers similar to ACA. Operates as a payor/referral counterparty rather than a direct service provider, making it a key ecosystem participant shaping ACA's regional demand.
- Partners Health Management: North Carolina Managed Care Organization (LME/MCO) responsible for behavioral health Medicaid oversight in the western/central NC catchment area overlapping ACA's service counties. Functions as both a payor and referral source for A Caring Alternative's services; not a peer provider but a critical ecosystem counterparty that shapes demand and reimbursement.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
A Caring Alternative social profiles
Digital presenceA Caring Alternative compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
A Caring Alternative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A Caring Alternative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
A Caring Alternative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A Caring Alternative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A Caring Alternative
What does A Caring Alternative do?
A Caring Alternative is a comprehensive behavioral health and substance use disorder services agency delivering a full continuum of clinical and community-based programs to adults, adolescents, and children in Western North Carolina. Core services include outpatient therapy, psychiatric medication management, substance use disorder treatment (SAIOP/SACOT), intensive in-home services, Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT), Community Support Team (CST), therapeutic foster care, walk-in clinic access, and Tailored Care Management, all billed through Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance.
Is A Caring Alternative a public or private company?
A Caring Alternative is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was A Caring Alternative founded?
A Caring Alternative was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is A Caring Alternative based?
A Caring Alternative is headquartered in Morganton, United States, in the North America region.
How does A Caring Alternative make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Behavioral Health Services Revenue is the primary driver. The others are healthcare Service Billing.
Who are A Caring Alternative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Monarch, Thompson Child & Family Focus, RHA Health Services, Coastal Horizons Center, The Children's Home Society of North Carolina, Daymark Recovery Services and Alexander Youth Network. Easter Seals UCP North Carolina & Virginia is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Vaya Health and Partners Health Management.
Does A Caring Alternative have an API?
No public API is recorded for A Caring Alternative.
What industry is A Caring Alternative in?
A Caring Alternative's product category is Behavioral Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAGAM, Integrated Primary Care in Behavioral Health Settings. Its NAICS code is 6232 and its SIC code is 8000.