Human Support Services

What Human Support Services does

Human Support Services (HSS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit behavioral health organization headquartered in Waterloo, Illinois, delivering integrated mental health, substance use, residential housing, and employment services to individuals across Monroe County and the broader Region Five area of Southern Illinois (Bond, Randolph, Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe counties). Founded in 1973 with a single counselor and a part-time medical director, HSS has grown over 50 years into a multi-service human services agency serving approximately 364 individuals annually, housing 64 residents across 14 facilities, and operating 5 Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) group homes for 27 adults with developmental disabilities. Core service lines include outpatient counseling with psychiatric medication management, substance use treatment (CBT-based, harm reduction, and court-ordered DUI services), 24/7 crisis response, youth transition services using the Person Centered Planning and Discovery Model, dementia caregiver training (Savvy Caregiver), supervised mental health housing, CILA residential services, and the Building Futures employment program — the first PAES Lab in Monroe County. The organization also operates the SeeMore Inn Bed and Breakfast as an owned social enterprise where individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities serve as primary staff.

The technology stack is modest and human-services-oriented rather than software-platform-driven. HSS adopted electronic clinical records in 2013 and delivers services through in-person counseling, school-based social workers, 24/7 crisis hotlines, mobile crisis response, and a Wednesday Same Day Access walk-in clinic. Core clinical methodologies are evidence-based therapeutic frameworks — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, and Person-Centered Planning — delivered by licensed clinical social workers, psychiatric prescribers, and trained support staff. HSS holds dual accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (since 1997) and CARF (since 1987), and is the required pre-screening entity for all Monroe County admissions to the Illinois state hospital system. There is no public-facing app, no API, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and no proprietary software product.

HSS's revenue model is characteristic of a community behavioral health nonprofit: approximately 70% of funding flows from Illinois state sources (Department of Human Services, Medicaid, state-funded mental health and developmental disability programs), with supplementary support from the Monroe County Mental Health Board (local tax support since 1978), the United Way of Greater St. Louis (~$236,000 annually since 1985), Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities grants, AgeSmart Community Resources, private insurance, sliding-scale self-pay fees, donations, and event-based fundraising (Shine Your Light Gala). Distribution is exclusively regional and channel-diverse: outpatient offices, residential facilities, school partnerships, law enforcement/court referrals, and the SeeMore Inn social enterprise. As of September 2025, HSS has announced a merger with Caritas Family Solutions effective October 1, 2025, with the combined entity operating under the Caritas name.

Name

Human Support Services

Legal name

Human Support Services

Website

https://hss1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Human Support Services is a 501(c)(3) behavioral health nonprofit in Waterloo, Illinois providing mental health counseling, substance use treatment, residential housing, and employment services to individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities across Monroe County and Southern Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health and Human Services

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Mental Health Treatment Centers (HLAFACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ), Behavioral Health–Capable Assisted Living (Mental Health/SUD Support) (HLADABAI)

Keywords

• Mental health counseling
• Behavioral health services
• Substance use treatment
• Developmental disability services
• Community mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterloo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding source - 70% of funds come from state sources. Includes Illinois Department of Human Services, Medicaid, and other state-funded programs for mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance use services
2. Insurance Payments: Public and private insurance accepted including Medicaid and Medicare for mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and other covered services. Sliding fee scale offered for self-pay clients
3. United Way Funding: United Way funding as member agency since 1985. Receives approximately $236,000 annually to support programs
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations through annual appeal, gala events, car donations, deferred giving, and in-kind donations. Major annual fundraiser includes Shine Your Light Gala and trivia night
5. Self-Pay and Program Fees: Sliding fee scale for self-pay fees. DUI services not billable to insurance - flat fees or state assistance for qualifying individuals. Children First program self-pay only
6. Social Enterprise - SeeMore Inn Bed & Breakfast: Owned and operated social enterprise where individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities learn, work and thrive as primary staff

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Human Support Services provides integrated outpatient mental health counseling, substance use prevention and recovery, youth transition programs, 24/7 crisis response, dementia caregiver education, residential housing (CILA and mental health housing), and vocational/employment services for individuals with mental health concerns, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders in Monroe County and the surrounding Southern Illinois region. Services are delivered by licensed clinicians and direct-support staff through outpatient offices, residential facilities, school-based sites, and community employment placements.

Product overview

Human Support Services (HSS) is a nonprofit human services organization offering a coordinated portfolio of mental health, housing, and employment services for individuals with developmental disabilities, mental health concerns, and substance use disorders. The organization operates as a single unified service provider rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include counseling and psychiatric services, substance use prevention and recovery, youth transition programs, 24/7 crisis response, dementia caregiver support, and residential housing options (CILA and mental health housing). Employment services are delivered through the Building Futures program which provides job training, community employment placement, and day services. HSS also operates The SeeMore Inn Bed and Breakfast as a social enterprise providing vocational training opportunities. Services are delivered primarily in Monroe County, Illinois with additional presence in Columbia, Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 364 individuals served through comprehensive mental health, substance use, and support services annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gateway FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016HSS partnered with Gateway Foundation to provide substance abuse treatment services. This partnership expanded HSS's ability to serve individuals with substance use disorders by leveraging Gateway Foundation's specialized treatment programs and expertise.
• Monroe County YMCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSS offers and facilitates Person Centered Planning and Discovery at the Monroe County YMCA with participants of the TEAMWORK program, providing employment and transition services for youth with disabilities.
• Local School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSS partners with local schools for counseling services, working alongside school social workers and counselors to meet students struggling with social and emotional issues. School-based mental health services reach youth where they spend most of their time.
• Farm Girl FindsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business partnership where HSS clients visit weekly to paint and restore furniture, learning entrepreneurial skills. Farm Girl Finds donates 100% of sales from these pieces back to HSS, while clients gain job training and creative skills.
• Local Employers (St. Louis Metro Area)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding Futures program contracts with mostly local businesses in the St. Louis Metro area for community employment opportunities. Employers provide job sites for supported employment, job coaching, and on-the-job training for individuals with disabilities.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Caritas Family Solutions: Southern Illinois nonprofit providing behavioral health, family, and developmental disability services. HSS is merging into Caritas effective October 1, 2025, and the two organizations serve overlapping populations (children, families, adults with I/DD or mental health needs) across similar Southern Illinois counties.
• Chestnut Health Systems: Illinois-based nonprofit providing outpatient behavioral health, substance use treatment, housing, and primary care across central and southern Illinois. Comparable in combining BH, SUD, and residential services under one nonprofit umbrella with state and Medicaid funding.
• Hoyleton Youth and Family Services: Southern Illinois nonprofit offering residential treatment, counseling, and family services for at-risk youth. HSS CEO Anne Riley previously served here as Director of Clinical Services and Chief Program Officer, and Hoyleton offers a directly comparable youth and family services portfolio.
• Clearbrook: Illinois nonprofit providing residential, vocational, and day services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including CILA-equivalent community-based housing. Closest functional peer for HSS's CILA program, sheltered workshop, and Building Futures employment services.
• Ray Graham Association: Illinois nonprofit supporting people with I/DD through residential, employment, and community living services. Operates CILA-equivalent group homes and vocational programs similar to HSS's I/DD portfolio.
• Bridgeway Behavioral Health: Illinois-licensed behavioral health center providing outpatient mental health, substance use treatment, and community-based services. Comparable in operating as a multi-county Illinois BH nonprofit funded through Medicaid, state grants, and sliding-fee self-pay.

Broad incumbents

• Centerstone: One of the largest U.S. nonprofit behavioral health providers, delivering mental health, substance use, and crisis services across multiple states including Illinois. Comparable in scope of BH/SUD services but operates at substantially greater scale and geographic breadth than HSS.

Regional players

• SPARC (St. Louis): St. Louis-area nonprofit providing behavioral health, developmental disability, and housing services to individuals and families. Operates across the river from HSS's catchment and serves a comparable mix of mental health, SUD, and I/DD populations in a similar Midwestern metro-adjacent region.

Others

• The Arc of Illinois: Statewide I/DD advocacy and service organization. Less direct operational overlap but highly relevant ecosystem peer given HSS's substantial I/DD residential, employment, and family support programming.
• United Way of Greater St. Louis: HSS's longest-standing funding partner since 1985, providing approximately $236,000 annually. Included as an ecosystem/funder peer rather than competitor, reflecting the community-foundation funding model that underpins HSS's nonprofit structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HumanSupportServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-support-services

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Human Support Services