Heritage Christian Services

What Heritage Christian Services does

Heritage Christian Services is a Rochester, New York-based nonprofit human services agency founded in 1984 (with articles of incorporation filed in 1980) that delivers residential, day habilitation, respite, community habilitation, self-direction, employment, and child care services primarily to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The agency operates more than 100 sites across 15 counties in the Rochester and Buffalo-Niagara regions, including neighborhood homes, day program facilities, three child care centers, a health and wellness center, a therapeutic riding stable, a public demonstration farm, a thrift store, affordable housing developments, and an Adirondack retreat. Heritage Christian is licensed under the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and the Department of Health (DOH), with the bulk of revenue derived from Medicaid reimbursement under the Home and Community Based Services Waiver; a smaller revenue layer comes from charitable giving via the Heritage Christian Services Foundation (incorporated 1988) and from fee-for-service community programs.

The service portfolio is organized into three divisions: OPWDD services (self-direction, residential, day habilitation, respite, community habilitation), DOH services (Children's Health Home care management via CHHUNY and the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program/CDPAP in partnership with Public Partnerships LLC), and employment services (Employment Alliance, Project SEARCH with Jewish Senior Life, Youth Transition Services). Heritage Christian also operates wholly-owned community impact brands including Eleversity (workforce education), Expressive Beginnings Child Care, Pieters Family Life Center, Heritage Christian Stables, Springdale Farm, A Second Thought Resale Shop, Heritage Gardens, Ferncliff Apartments, Heritage Hollow, and International Ministries. The agency employs more than 3,600 people across its Rochester and Buffalo-Niagara operations.

Heritage Christian is an independent 501(c)(3) with no parent company or external controlling entity. Under President and CEO Marisa Geitner (appointed January 2013), the organization has grown revenue by 154%, tripled self-direction participation from roughly 500 in 2019 to more than 1,600 by May 2024, refreshed its mission and corporate values in 2024, and earned Rochester Chamber of Commerce Top 100 placement. Recent Day of Giving campaigns have raised more than $291,000 in 24 hours, and the agency has held the Compass designation recognizing it as a top 1% New York service provider for more than two decades. The technology footprint is non-proprietary — the agency operates a learning management system for staff training and uses the eVero platform for program management — and no AI/ML, API, or external technology product is publicly disclosed.

Name

Heritage Christian Services

Legal name

Heritage Christian Services, Inc.

Website

https://heritagechristianservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Heritage Christian Services is a Rochester, NY-based nonprofit human services agency employing more than 3,600 staff and serving thousands of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across 15 New York counties through residential, day, employment, self-direction, and child care programs funded primarily by Medicaid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services (Human Services)

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI), Benefits Counseling & Financial Literacy for Transition-Age Youth (EDAKANAJ)

Keywords

• Developmental disability services
• Medicaid waiver programs
• Residential support services
• Community habilitation services
• Supported employment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Medicaid Reimbursement (OPWDD): Heritage Christian Services generates the majority of its revenue through Medicaid reimbursement from the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) for services including residential, day habilitation, respite, community habilitation, self-direction, and CDPAP. Services are provided under Home and Community Based Services Waiver.
2. Donations and Charitable Giving: The Heritage Christian Services Foundation raises funds through annual giving, the Leadership Circle ($1,000+ donors), Day of Giving campaigns, planned gifts, corporate partnerships, and third-party fundraisers. In 2024, the Day of Giving raised over $291,000 from 227 donors in 24 hours.
3. Fee-for-Service Programs: Revenue from child care services at Expressive Beginnings (three locations), thrift store operations (A Second Thought Resale Shop), and therapeutic riding at Heritage Christian Stables.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Heritage Christian Services is a New York state nonprofit human services agency delivering person-centered, Medicaid-funded disability services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities under OPWDD and DOH programs. Its core offerings include Self-Direction, Residential, Day Habilitation, Respite, and Community Habilitation (OPWDD); Children's Health Home and Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (DOH); and Employment Alliance, Project SEARCH, and Youth Transition Services for workforce participation.

Product overview

Heritage Christian Services is a human services agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services for children, older adults, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across New York state. The organization operates through three primary service divisions: (1) OPWDD Services including Self-Direction, Residential, Day Habilitation, Respite, and Community Habilitation; (2) DOH Services including Children's Health Home and CDPAP; and (3) Employment Services including Employment Alliance, Project SEARCH, and Youth Transition Services. Beyond these core services, Heritage Christian offers numerous community impact programs including Eleversity (workforce education), Expressive Beginnings Child Care, Pieters Family Life Center (health and wellness), Heritage Christian Stables (therapeutic riding), Springdale Farm (agricultural education), A Second Thought Resale Shop (thrift store), Heritage Gardens and Ferncliff Apartments (housing), Heritage Hollow (Adirondack retreat), and International Ministries. The agency serves 15 counties across Rochester and Buffalo-Niagara regions with over 100 residential sites and thousands of people served annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eleversity: Educational division (formerly Center for Human Services Education) that develops learning opportunities for thousands of workers in New York and across the country with a focus on access, diversity, equity and inclusion
• Expressive Beginnings Child Care
• A Second Thought Resale Shop
• Pieters Family Life Center
• Springdale Farm
• Heritage Christian Stables
• Heritage Hollow
• Heritage Gardens
• Balcony Point
• Employment Alliance
• Heritage Christian Services Foundation
• Respitewood
• Respitelodge
• Club Adventure
• Camp Heritage
• Respite Creek
• Respite Friends
• Respite Teens
• Ferncliff Apartments

Products and services

• Self-Direction Self-Direction empowers people with developmental disabilities to shape their own services by having greater say over OPWDD funding, selecting staff members who best support their goals, and designing a personalized plan. Heritage Christian supports over 1,600 people through self-direction across Finger Lakes and Western New York.
• Residential Services Residential options including neighborhood homes and apartments with 24-hour staffing for people with developmental disabilities across the Rochester and Buffalo-Niagara regions, operating under OPWDD Home and Community Based Services Waiver.
• Day Habilitation Day programs offering opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities to develop skills for personal growth, with volunteer-based sites and locations at Springdale Farm and Heritage Christian Stables. Day program participants contribute more than 80,000 hours of collective volunteer service each year.
• Respite Services Short-term care programs for children and adults with special needs, including overnight respite (Respitewood, Respitelodge), site-based hourly respite, in-home respite, Club Adventure weekend program, and Camp Heritage summer day camp.
• Community Habilitation Individualized support in home and community settings helping people with developmental disabilities develop skills for independence through one-to-one staff support.
• Children's Health Home Health Home Care Management for children providing comprehensive care coordination through a care manager who connects youth to medical, behavioral, housing, financial, educational, and social services.
• Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) Medicaid service allowing qualifying people to choose, hire, and train personal assistants they trust to provide care in their homes, administered in partnership with Public Partnerships LLC (PPL).
• Employment Alliance Program matching people with disabilities to employment opportunities in the workforce, providing employment specialists, job coaching, and inclusive hiring support for businesses in Rochester and Buffalo-Niagara regions.
• Project SEARCH One-year work preparation program for people age 18 to 35 with intellectual or developmental disabilities, offered in partnership with Jewish Senior Life, combining classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on learning with mentors.
• Youth Transition Services (Pre-Employment Transition Services / Pre-ETS) Resources and support to assist students ages 14-21 with disabilities during transition from high school to employment, including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS).
• Eleversity Workforce education division developing learning opportunities for thousands of workers in New York and across the country, focusing on access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Expressive Beginnings Child Care Child care division offering three locations in the Rochester area providing a unique family environment and creative curriculum to children through age 12.
• Pieters Family Life Center Health and wellness center in Henrietta open to the community, providing therapies, classes, conferences, clubs, and a gymnasium.
• Heritage Christian Stables Therapeutic riding program in Webster offering opportunities for physical, emotional, and spiritual growth to children and adults with disabilities.
• Springdale Farm Public demonstration farm in Ogden, NY owned by Monroe County and operated by Heritage Christian Services, hosting events, field trips, summer camps, private rentals, and serving as a day program site for adults with disabilities.
• A Second Thought Resale Shop Thrift store in Piano Works plaza in East Rochester offering shopping for a cause and donation opportunities for gently used clothing and household items; supports International Ministries.
• Heritage Gardens 84-unit apartment community in Henrietta operated in partnership with Home Leasing, offering housing to income-eligible tenants with some apartments designed for accessibility and people served by NYS OPWDD.
• Ferncliff Apartments Barrier-free housing in Irondequoit with 23 one-bedroom apartments providing maximum accessibility and shared attendant services for people with disabilities.
• Heritage Hollow Lakeside retreat in the Adirondacks for people from Heritage Christian to relax and rejuvenate while enjoying forest, mountains, and sunsets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,600 people served through self-direction as of May 2024, up from 500+ in 2019
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Public Partnerships LLC (PPL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage Christian Services is an approved facilitator for the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), partnering with the statewide fiscal intermediary PPL. HCS provides technical assistance, answers questions about registering with PPL, and supports consumers across a broad range of CDPAP needs. HCS has been a CDPAP provider since 2016 and became an approved facilitator to strengthen the program for consumers.
• Children's Health Home of Upstate New York (CHHUNY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage Christian Services is contracted with CHHUNY to provide comprehensive Health Home Care Management for children in Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, Orleans, Wayne and Wyoming counties. HCS became a Care Management Agency (CMA) partnered with CHHUNY in December 2016, increasing opportunities to serve children outside of OPWDD.
• Jewish Senior LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage Christian Services and Jewish Senior Life partner to offer Project SEARCH, a one-year work preparation program for people age 18 to 35 who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. The program combines classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on learning with mentors at the Jewish Home location.
• New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)coreOthersOPWDD is the primary state agency overseeing and funding services for people with developmental disabilities. Heritage Christian operates under OPWDD regulations and receives Medicaid reimbursement through OPWDD programs including self-direction, residential, day habilitation, respite, and community habilitation services.
• Adult Career and Continuing Education Services - Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES VR)minorOthersPartner supporting Project SEARCH program and employment services for people with disabilities through vocational rehabilitation funding and resources.
• Corporate Partners (Various)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partners support HCS through annual partnerships or event sponsorships including the Golf Classic, Holiday Pops Concert with RPO, Eleversity programs, and Heritage Christian Stables. Companies like Wegmans, M&T Bank, ESL Federal Credit Union, and many others appear on donor/partner lists.
• Strong Center for Developmental DisabilitiesminorOthersPartner supporting Project SEARCH program with clinical expertise and developmental disabilities resources.
• New York State Department of HealthcoreOthersOversees CDPAP program and Health Home services. Heritage Christian Services provides access to programs available through the NYS Department of Health including Children's Health Home and CDPAP.
• Home LeasingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner developer of Heritage Gardens, an 84-unit apartment community in Henrietta. Some apartments are designed for accessibility and people served by NYS OPWDD.
• Monroe CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonroe County owns Springdale Farm, a 200-acre public demonstration farm in Ogden, NY, which Heritage Christian Services operates. County partnership began in 1993.
• National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allowing Heritage Christian to launch the E-Badge Academy pilot program in January 2023, offering direct support professionals and frontline supervisors opportunities to earn national certification for their knowledge and skills.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network):
• BrightSpring Health Services: BrightSpring is a national publicly traded provider of home and community-based services including I/DD, behavioral health, and pharmacy services. It is a broader incumbent that competes for OPWDD and Medicaid HCBS contracts at scale and serves as a useful reference point for valuation, margin structure, and DSP labor economics.

Direct peers

• AHRC New York City: AHRC NYC is one of the largest New York State providers of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, operating residential, day, employment, and self-direction programs under OPWDD. While based in the NYC metro rather than Rochester/Buffalo, it is the most direct programmatic peer given identical regulatory framework and service mix.
• People Inc. People Inc. is a Western New York-based nonprofit serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including residential, day, employment, and self-direction services. It is the most direct geographic and service-line competitor to Heritage Christian, overlapping in the Buffalo-Niagara region with comparable OPWDD-funded programs.
• Lifespire: Lifespire is a New York-based nonprofit providing residential, day habilitation, employment, and self-direction services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Like Heritage Christian, it operates under OPWDD with comparable service breadth but a different geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HeritageChristian1
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeritageChristianServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/44288
• Instagraminstagram.com/HeritageChristianServices
• TikToktiktok.com/@hcspossibility
• Xx.com/hcsnews

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Heritage Christian Services