VIA LINK

What VIA LINK does

VIA LINK is a Louisiana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 (operating under the VIA LINK name since 2001) that operates a 24/7 contact center delivering crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and information-and-referral services to Louisiana residents. The organization is the FCC-designated 2-1-1 provider for ten parishes in Southeast Louisiana, answers the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for the 225, 504, and 985 area codes, and runs the statewide Teen Crisis Textline, TXT211 text service, Opioid Text Program, and online Crisis Chat in over 150 languages. It also manages the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) as Lead Agency for the UNITY of Greater New Orleans and Northlake Homeless Coalitions and operates the Louisiana Data Collaborative as a data-governance sub-brand.

The technology platform consists of a multi-channel contact center (phone, SMS, web chat), a proprietary resource database of more than 4,000 Louisiana health and human services organizations, the HMIS data system compliant with HUD standards, and a suite of interactive public and custom data dashboards that have won industry recognition (the Hurricane Ida Dashboard won the 2023 AIRS Innovation Award). VIA LINK handles more than 100,000 calls, texts, and chats per year and has held AIRS Agency Accreditation since 2011 and American Association of Suicidology certification since 2004.

VIA LINK's revenue is derived from four streams: grants from foundations (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, Greater New Orleans Foundation, Baptist Community Ministries, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, United Way affiliates, and others), contracted services with government agencies and managed care plans (Louisiana Department of Health, Orleans and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Offices, Humana, AmeriHealth), individual and corporate donations (including the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation), and fee-based professional trainings (Suicide prevention, crisis intervention, trauma, ACEs) offering Social Work CEUs and NBCC Credit Hours. All helpline services are free to end users, with no government funding for 2-1-1 work according to the organization's FAQ. The customer base spans individual crisis callers, youth aged 13-22, kinship foster families, correctional facilities (via PREA hotline contracts), homeless service providers (via HMIS), and government agencies contracting for contact center and analytics services.

Name

VIA LINK

Legal name

VIA LINK

Website

https://vialink.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VIA LINK is a Louisiana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the regional 2-1-1 and 988 crisis lifelines, Teen Crisis Textline, HMIS data platform, and award-winning public dashboards serving residents, government agencies, and healthcare partners across Southeast Louisiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crisis Intervention and Information Referral Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Social Assistance (624), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention services
• Information and referral
• Suicide prevention hotline
• Homeless management information system
• Community health data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and organizational donations support VIA LINK's crisis and referral services. The organization accepts donations through its website and recognizes donors including the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation and individual donors.
2. Grant Funding: VIA LINK receives grants from foundations including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, United Way affiliates, Baptist Community Ministries, Greater New Orleans Foundation, and others. These grants support specific programs and operations.
3. Contracted Services: VIA LINK contracts with government agencies and organizations to provide contact center services, specialized helplines, crisis intervention, care coordination, and data analytics. Partners include Louisiana Department of Health, Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, and others.
4. Training Services: Provides fee-based educational trainings for professionals, community groups, schools, and agencies on crisis intervention, suicide prevention, trauma, and related topics. Social Work CEUs and NBCC Credit Hours available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

VIA LINK is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides 24/7 free crisis intervention and suicide prevention services through phone (2-1-1, 988), text, and chat channels, plus information and referral services connecting Louisiana residents to health and human services via a database of 4,000+ organizations. The organization also operates the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, develops interactive data dashboards, provides care coordination, and contracts with government agencies and organizations for specialized contact center and hotline services.

Product overview

VIA LINK is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offering a portfolio of crisis support, information and referral, and human services technology solutions. The core offerings include 24/7 phone, text, and chat helplines (Crisis and Suicide Intervention, 2-1-1 Services, Teen Crisis Textline, TXT211, Crisis Chat), supported by specialized programs like the Opioid Text Program, Louisiana Parent Line, Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group, and Kinship Foster Care Support. The technology suite includes Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for data management, a Resource Database of over 4,000 organizations, and both Public and Custom Data Dashboards for community needs analysis. Prevention and training programs include Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana (PCAL), Community Training Programs, and PREA Hotlines for correctional facilities. The Louisiana Data Collaborative (LDC) extends data governance support statewide. Services are available across 10+ parishes in Southeast Louisiana with crisis lines covering additional areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis and Suicide Intervention 24/7 phone, text, and chat crisis intervention and suicide prevention services, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for area codes 225, 504, and 985. Free to the public in over 150 languages.
• 2-1-1 Services Comprehensive information and referral service for health and human services resources across 10 parishes in Southeast Louisiana (Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington). Available 24/7, free, in over 150 languages.
• Teen Crisis Textline Text-based crisis support service for youth ages 13-22 experiencing emotional distress, available 24/7 statewide throughout Louisiana.
• TXT211 Text-based information and referral service allowing users to text their zip code to 898211 for community resources throughout Louisiana.
• Crisis Chat Online chat-based emotional support service available 24/7 through the VIA LINK website.
• Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Data management system tracking homeless individuals in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, monitoring services and housing inventory for UNITY of Greater New Orleans and Northlake Homeless Coalition. Ranked #1 nationally for three consecutive years (2019-2021).
• Care Coordination Services One-on-one care coordination helping clients address housing, food insecurity, financial problems and enroll in services.
• PREA Hotline Prison Rape Elimination Act hotline service for correctional facilities (prisons, juvenile detention, immigration detention), providing external confidential reporting for inmates to report sexual assault or harassment 24/7.
• Louisiana Data Collaborative (LDC) Data initiative helping nonprofits across Louisiana strengthen collaboration, improve data-sharing, and access resources through shared standards.
• Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana (PCAL) Statewide program providing 24/7 emotional support for families, parenting resources, advocacy, and education on child abuse prevention including Stewards of Children training.
• Opioid Text Program Texting tool providing 24/7 information, resources, and live support for opioid misuse, including overdose reversal medication, treatment options, and needle exchange information. Users text 'Opioid' to 898211.
• Louisiana Parent Line Statewide 24/7 support line for parents providing emotional support, de-escalation, crisis intervention, and information and referral services.
• Kinship Foster Care Support 24/7 support services for grandparents, aunts, siblings and other kinship caregivers helping raise children not their biological own, working with Louisiana DCFS.
• Resource Database Searchable database of over 4,000 organizations providing health and human services across Louisiana, including food, housing, healthcare, utilities, employment, veteran services, childcare, crisis counseling, and disaster assistance.
• Community Training Programs Evidence-based educational trainings for professionals and community groups covering crisis intervention, suicide prevention, trauma, grief, ACEs, and child abuse prevention. Social Work CEUs and NBCC Credit Hours available. Fee-based.
• Custom Dashboards Award-winning customized data dashboards for organizations incorporating their data, VIA LINK data, or publicly available information with training on use and modification. Contracted B2B service.
• Baton Rouge Crisis Line 24/7 crisis line serving 11 parishes in the Baton Rouge area at 844-452-2133.
• Southwest Louisiana Crisis Line Crisis line serving parishes of Vernon, Rapides, Beauregard, Allen, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, and Cameron.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,984 Medicaid members screened for renewal support, 7,536 individuals helped understand required actions, 3,592 received specialized navigation assistance
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• AirbnbcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2024Partnership for Hurricane Francine recovery where Airbnb provided 20 homes to house families who lost use of their homes. Families qualified and chose homes via the Airbnb app for 30-day stays. The partnership served as a test case for working with 211 agencies in disaster response and Airbnb is planning nationwide expansion. VIA LINK has also connected Florida 211 counterparts with Airbnb for Hurricane Helene recovery.
• UNITY of Greater New Orleans Continuum of CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVIA LINK serves as the HMIS Lead Agency for the UNITY of Greater New Orleans Continuum of Care, managing the Homeless Management Information System and ensuring data accuracy, security, and availability for HUD compliance.
• Northlake Homeless CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVIA LINK serves as the HMIS Lead Agency for the Northlake Homeless Coalition, managing HMIS data for the region supporting informed decision-making and compliance with HUD data collection standards.
• Louisiana Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Medicaid renewal awareness campaign and support services. VIA LINK screened individuals and helped Medicaid members understand renewal actions needed.
• Orleans Parish Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted PREA hotline services for Orleans Parish Prison, providing inmates with an external, confidential hotline for reporting sexual assault or harassment 24/7.
• St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizational partnership for contact center and crisis intervention services.
• Bureau of Family Health, LDHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Louisiana Department of Health Bureau of Family Health for family health services coordination.
• Office of Behavioral Health, LDHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Louisiana Department of Health Office of Behavioral Health for behavioral health services coordination.
• Tulane UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for research, webinars, and collaboration on community needs assessment.
• HumanamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for care coordination and support services.
• Louisiana State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for education and research collaboration.
• Southeast Louisiana Area Health Education CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for health education and workforce development.
• United Way of Lake CharlesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnited Way affiliate partnership for 2-1-1 services in the Lake Charles area.
• United Way of Southeast LouisianamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnited Way affiliate partnership for 2-1-1 services in Southeast Louisiana.
• United Way WorldwidemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational United Way affiliation for 2-1-1 network participation.
• Capital Area United WaymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnited Way affiliate partnership for the Capital Area region.
• Capital Area Human Services AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman services authority partnership for coordinated care services.
• Florida Parishes Human Services AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman services authority partnership for the Florida Parishes region.
• AgriSafeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural health partnership providing Farm Response Certified services.
• AmeriHealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for Medicaid member support and care coordination.
• 22nd JDC District, Attorney Warren Montgomery's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict attorney office partnership for legal services coordination.
• Appalachian State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for $1 million grant on climate-induced factors and youth mental health outcomes.
• University of North Carolina State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for $1 million grant on climate-induced factors and youth mental health outcomes.
• YouthForce NOLAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVIA LINK hosted high school senior interns through YouthForce NOLA's internship program, providing career exposure and work experience in social media, website analysis, graphic design, and HMIS data projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Behavioral Health Response (BHR): St. Louis-based nonprofit operating 24/7 crisis hotline and 988 services for Missouri. Closest direct peer in scope: regional nonprofit running 988, mobile crisis, and disaster response contact center operations.
• Findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha): Technology-driven social care network connecting people to community resources (food, housing, healthcare) with a searchable database and referral APIs. Closely mirrors VIA LINK's Resource Database plus referral mission, scaled nationally and sold to enterprise customers.
• United Way 211: National 211 network operated by United Way Worldwide. VIA LINK is a regional 211 provider within this network; 211.org sets the standards, branding, and routing for 2-1-1 services nationwide.
• Crisis Text Line: National 24/7 text-based crisis support nonprofit serving all 50 states. Directly comparable to VIA LINK's Teen Crisis Textline and Opioid Text Program in modality, target population, and crisis-intervention mission.

Emerging players

• Health Leads: National nonprofit operating social needs screening, resource referral, and dashboards for health systems. Comparable to VIA LINK's care coordination and SDOH dashboard products but with a national footprint and health-system funding model.
• NowPow (acquired by Unite Us): Closed-loop social care referral and analytics platform acquired by Unite Us. Comparable to VIA LINK's Resource Database + Custom Dashboards offering, but with a paid SaaS model targeting health systems and payers.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: National nonprofit focused on mental health advocacy, screening, and resource referral. Comparable to VIA LINK's 988, screening, and information/referral mission at a national scale.
• Pecan Haven (Louisiana Department of Health Office of Behavioral Health partners): Louisiana Department of Health's behavioral health arm and its contracted provider network. VIA LINK already contracts with the Office of Behavioral Health; comparable as a state-level behavioral health crisis-services buyer and partner.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (Vibrant Emotional Health): National administrator and backbone of the 988 lifeline, coordinating call routing, standards, and funding. VIA LINK is a participating sub-network answering 988 calls for 225/504/985 area codes.

Regional players

• Contact Lifeline: Western New York regional crisis and 988 provider. Directly comparable mission and service mix to VIA LINK but operating in a different geographic market, useful for benchmarking scale and funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VIALINK211
• Instagraminstagram.com/vialink211
• Xx.com/vialink211
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/via-link-inc-

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 VIA LINK