Youth Services System

What Youth Services System does

Youth Services System, Inc. (YSS) is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) human services organization founded in 1974 and headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia. Operating across a five-county service area in West Virginia's northern panhandle (Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, and Wetzel counties), YSS delivers a comprehensive continuum of residential and community-based services to youth, families, and adults. Residential offerings include emergency youth shelters (Samaritan House, a 12-bed facility for boys ages 8-17, and Helinski Shelter, an 18-bed co-ed facility for children 8-17), three recovery homes for adults in recovery (Lazarus House, Mark's House, Mary & Martha House totaling 19 beds), transitional living housing, the Ronald C. Mulholland Juvenile Center, and the seasonal Winter Freeze Shelter. Community-based services include therapy, peer recovery, mentoring, parenting and visitation, before-and-after care, and substance use prevention programming. YSS is designated as the Region 1 Prevention Lead Organization for the West Virginia DHHR Bureau for Behavioral Health and holds CARF three-year accreditation.

The organization's revenue model relies on a mix of federal, state, and local government contracts and grants, private donations, and fundraising events (such as the Wheeling SleepOut, Celebrate Youth Festival, Good Samaritan Tribute Dinner, and CampOut for a Cause). Confirmed funding includes $750K in federal support for the Transitional Living Program (2021) and inclusion in a $7.9M federal award package (2023). Services are provided at no cost to clients; the organization has no subsidiaries, no public equity, and no private equity or venture capital involvement. Its flagship digital touchpoint is the YSS Connect mobile application, which delivers news, event alerts, and resource updates. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via referrals through a Central Referral system (1-800-977-8918) and community-based outreach, with partnerships spanning schools, law enforcement, healthcare providers, county health departments, and state agencies, including United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley, CARF International, the West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences, and sub-grantee organizations across the service area. Leadership transitioned in 2022 when CEO John Moses retired after 42 years and was succeeded by Tammy Kruse.

Name

Youth Services System

Legal name

Youth Services System, Inc.

Website

https://youthservicessystem.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Youth Services System is a nonprofit founded in 1974 serving children, families, and adults across West Virginia's northern panhandle with emergency shelters, transitional living, recovery homes, juvenile detention, therapy, mentoring, and substance use prevention programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Temporary Shelters (624221), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Juvenile Detention & Youth Custody Services (BPAKANAC)

Keywords

• Youth crisis services
• Emergency youth shelter
• Substance use prevention
• Recovery residential services
• Transitional living programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wheeling

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through annual events including Wheeling SleepOut, Good Samaritan Tribute Dinner, Celebrate Youth Festival, and CampOut for a Cause. Individual and corporate donations support programs and services.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: YSS receives federal, state, and local government funding including grants from WV DHHR Bureau for Behavioral Health and the Office of Drug Control Policy. Received $750K federal funding for Transitional Living Program youth.
3. Program Services: Services provided include emergency youth shelters, transitional living, recovery homes, therapy services, mentoring, parenting services, and substance use prevention programming. Services are provided at no cost to clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Youth Services System provides direct, no-cost youth and family social services including 24/7 emergency youth shelters, transitional living housing for homeless youth ages 17-21, gender-specific recovery homes for adults in substance use recovery, juvenile detention, therapy, mentoring, parenting services, peer recovery support, before/after school childcare, and region-wide substance use prevention programming. All services are delivered directly to youth, families, and individuals across the northern panhandle of West Virginia.

Product overview

Youth Services System, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1974 that provides a comprehensive portfolio of youth and family services across the northern panhandle of West Virginia. The organization operates a unified service model centered on residential programs (Emergency Youth Shelters, Recovery Homes, Transitional Living, and the Mulholland Juvenile Center), community-based services (therapy, mentoring, peer recovery, parenting support), and prevention programming through Prevention North. The flagship digital product is the YSS Connect mobile application, which delivers real-time alerts, news, and resources. The service ecosystem includes seasonal programs like the Winter Freeze Shelter, community events such as the Celebrate Youth Festival and Wheeling SleepOut fundraiser, and the Sophie Moses Free Store. All programs are designed to serve youth in crisis, families, and individuals experiencing homelessness or substance use challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Recovery Homes: Residential gender-specific recovery homes including Lazarus House (men's 6 beds), Mary & Martha House (women's 5 beds), and Mark's House (men's 8 beds) for adults 18+ in recovery from substance use disorder
• Samaritan House
• Helinski Shelter
• Ronald C. Mulholland Juvenile Center
• Wheeling SleepOut
• Sophie Moses Free Store
• Celebrate Youth Festival
• Winter Freeze Shelter
• Youth Mentoring Network
• Prevention North

Products and services

• YSS Connect Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ years of continuous service to youth and families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• CARF InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARF accreditation demonstrates that YSS meets internationally recognized standards of quality and best practices in human services. This accreditation serves as validation of the organization's commitment to excellence and continuous improvement in serving youth and families.
• United Way of the Upper Ohio ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor community partner providing funding, resources, and collaborative support for youth and family services in the Ohio Valley region.
• West Virginia Alliance of Recovery Residences (WVARR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWVARR provides certification and support for recovery residences in West Virginia. YSS operates certified recovery homes as part of this statewide network.
• WV DHHR Bureau for Behavioral Health and Office of Drug Control PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partners designating YSS as Region 1 Prevention Lead Organization, providing funding and oversight for substance use prevention services across 5 northern panhandle counties.
• Brooke & Hancock Family Resource NetworksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-grantee organization pursuing prevention efforts in Brooke and Hancock counties as part of YSS Prevention Services Department network.
• Marshall County Health DepartmentsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-grantee partner providing prevention services in Marshall County as part of YSS Prevention Services network.
• Wetzel & Tyler County Center for Children and Families, Inc.secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSub-grantee partner pursuing prevention in Wetzel and Tyler counties as part of YSS Prevention Services Department.
• Wheeling Area Chamber of CommercesecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal chamber membership providing networking, business connections, and community support for YSS operations.
• Northwood Health SystemssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor providing mental health care, rehabilitation services, addiction services, and DUI training. Resources for intellectual disabilities.
• Hardy & Hardy Media MarketingsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner50th Anniversary sponsor assisting with media campaigns for First Episode Psychosis, mentoring, and prevention department services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YSSWheeling
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPcezVkwS3g0lpLNuAGUdWw
• Facebookfacebook.com/youthservicessystem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-services-system-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/ysswheeling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Youth Services System