Centinela Youth Services

What Centinela Youth Services does

Centinela Youth Services, Inc. (CYS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1975 in Inglewood, California, delivering restorative justice and youth diversion services across Los Angeles County. Its core programming comprises six pillars: Victim-Offender Restitution Services (VORS) mediating between youth offenders and harmed parties; Families Able to Resolve Situations (FARS) for family conflict resolution; Prevention & Diversion Case Management for at-risk youth; Mediation Office Hours (MOH) embedded in schools; the Community Healing Collaborative (CHC) for acute violence intervention in South Los Angeles; and a Systems Transformation team that conducts data-driven policy advocacy, training, and consultation. Underlying delivery rests on a trauma-informed restorative justice framework facilitated by nearly 100 volunteer mediators each completing over 35 hours of certification training through the Community Mediator Institute.

CYS serves four primary customer segments: system-impacted youth referred by probation and law enforcement, families in conflict, crime victims and harmed parties, and school districts seeking alternatives to suspension. All direct services are delivered free of charge to end clients, eliminating any pricing model for the user side of the market. Revenue is generated entirely on the institutional side through government grants (LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, California Dispute Resolution Programs Act, the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections), foundation grants (notably a disclosed $1,000,000 Everychild Foundation grant in 2011 for California's first juvenile pre-booking diversion program), individual and organizational donations, and a small merchandise program. Annual throughput is reported at 600+ youth diverted, and VORS has conducted more than 5,000 mediations since 1992.

Distribution relies on referral channels from the LA County Probation Department, the Department of Youth Development, local law enforcement, and school district partners, supplemented by direct walk-in contact and faith-based/community organization referrals. The organization has accumulated measurable evidence of effectiveness — 98% VORS mediation agreement rates, an 8-11% recidivism rate against 23-61% for traditional approaches, $700,000+ in restitution to harmed parties, and inclusion of VORS in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Registry of Evidenced-based Programs and Practices in 2014 — which underpins both its grant funding competitiveness and its 2025 positioning on the State of California's Office of Youth and Community Restoration State Advisory Committee Restorative Justice Sub-Committee.

Name

Centinela Youth Services

Legal name

Centinela Youth Services, Inc.

Website

https://cys-la.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centinela Youth Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1975 in Inglewood, California, delivering restorative justice, youth diversion, and family mediation services to system-impacted youth, victims, and schools across Los Angeles County through grant and donation funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Restorative Justice Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ), Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention) (BPAIAFAF), Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL)

Keywords

• Restorative justice services
• Youth diversion programs
• Victim offender mediation
• Family conflict mediation
• Juvenile crime prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Inglewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary funding from government grants including Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, California Dispute Resolution Programs Act, California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program (CalVIP)
2. Donations: Individual and organizational donations through PayPal and direct mail
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise (t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies) where 100% of proceeds support CYS programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Centinela Youth Services provides free restorative justice and youth diversion services to system-impacted youth, families, and crime victims in Los Angeles County. Core offerings include victim-offender mediation (VORS), family conflict mediation (FARS), school-based restorative circles (MOH), prevention and diversion case management, community violence prevention (CHC), and systems transformation policy advocacy. All services are delivered at no cost to clients and funded through government grants, foundation support, and donations.

Product overview

Centinela Youth Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community-based organization that provides a portfolio of restorative justice and youth diversion programs. The organization operates a core service model centered on six main programs: VORS (Victim-Offender Restitution Services) for mediating between youth offenders and victims; FARS (Families Able to Resolve Situations) for family conflict resolution; Prevention & Diversion Case Management for at-risk youth; Mediation Office Hours (MOH) for school-based conflict resolution; the Community Healing Collaborative (CHC) for violence prevention; and Systems Transformation for policy advocacy. Additionally, CYS operates volunteer training programs including the Community Mediator Institute, Volunteer Mediator Program, Translator/Interpreter Program, and Surrogate Victim Advocate Program. The organization has been serving youth and families since 1975, providing free direct services to youth, families, and community members in Los Angeles County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VORS (Victim-Offender Restitution Services): Mediation and restitution facilitation between youth who have committed a criminal offense and the victim of their offense.
• FARS (Families Able to Resolve Situations)
• CHC (Community Healing Collaborative)
• MOH (Mediation Office Hours)

Products and services

• Victim-Offender Restitution Services (VORS) Mediation and restitution facilitation between youth who have committed a criminal offense and the victim of their offense. Provides responsible youth the opportunity to learn the harm they have caused, make right their wrongs, and become accountable for their actions through face-to-face dialogue with harmed parties.
• Families Able to Resolve Situations (FARS) Family mediation program for youth who are in severe conflict with their family. Trained mediators help families craft written agreements to resolve conflicts around curfew, chores, grades, trust, and communication through enhanced communication skills and new behavior patterns.
• Prevention & Diversion Case Management Proactive, individualized support to youth at risk of or already involved in the justice system using restorative practices, targeted service linkage, and family collaboration to address root causes of behavior.
• Mediation Office Hours (MOH) School-based restorative circles and mediation addressing fighting, bullying, and other behavioral issues by mediating disputes and introducing conflict resolution, anger management, and effective communication skills to students.
• Community Healing Collaborative (CHC) A violence prevention initiative in partnership with community-based organizations designed to reduce youth violence in South Los Angeles by providing critical supports to youth at highest risk for imminent engagement in violence, addressing underlying needs through community-led intervention.
• Systems Transformation The Transformation Team works to identify and transform the policies and practices that lead to inequitable outcomes for youth through data-driven advocacy, training, and specialized consultation rooted in conflict resolution and restorative practices.
• Community Mediator Institute Certification-level mediation training that returns the power for conflict resolution and community building to community members most affected by providing training and continuing support to local volunteers to become certified community mediators.
• Volunteer Mediator Program 30-hour Volunteer Mediation Training with emphasis on restorative justice principles preparing volunteers to become certified community mediators delivering VORS and FARS program mediations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of VORS mediations reach agreements
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Los Angeles County Probation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Long-standing partnership with LA County Probation Department and Presiding Judge of Juvenile Courts to establish VORS Collaboration Team and provide countywide restorative justice services
• 2nd CallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Healing Collaborative focused on violence prevention and intervention in South Los Angeles
• Experience Christian Ministries (ECM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Healing Collaborative providing community-led violence prevention services
• Promise EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Healing Collaborative providing community healing and peacebuilding services
• Revelation Church of God in ChristcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Healing Collaborative providing faith-based community support
• Inner-City Visions (ICV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Healing Collaborative providing community outreach and intervention services
• Centinela Valley Union High School District Student Wellness CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to transition therapeutic trauma support groups to online delivery and develop additional student and family programming
• Annie E. Casey FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation selected CYS Executive Director to provide workshops nationally to promote replication of restorative justice youth diversion programming since 2019
• CSI:STOPsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for Safety Starts With Us community event on restorative justice in Compton
• LA Youth Uprising CoalitionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of community-based organizations committed to principles of black equity achieving juvenile justice reforms in LA

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Council on Crime and Delinquency: A national nonprofit focused on juvenile and criminal justice reform research, policy advocacy, and practice improvement. Comparable to CYS as a juvenile-justice reform organization, but operating at national scope through research and policy rather than direct restorative-justice service delivery.
• The Sentencing Project: A national research and advocacy organization working to reduce use of incarceration, including in juvenile justice. Comparable to CYS in juvenile-justice reform focus and state-level policy engagement, but operating primarily through research and advocacy rather than direct restorative-justice service delivery.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: A national youth-development nonprofit with thousands of club locations serving at-risk youth through after-school programming, mentorship, and case management. Comparable to CYS as a youth-development nonprofit serving at-risk populations, but with a broader recreational and educational mandate rather than restorative-justice specialization.
• National Juvenile Justice Network: A national network of state-based juvenile-justice reform coalitions advancing policy reform at the state and local level. Comparable to CYS in juvenile-justice reform focus and policy engagement, but operating as a coordinating/funding network rather than a direct restorative-justice service provider.

Direct peers

• Centre for Justice Innovation: An international nonprofit advancing restorative and problem-solving justice through direct program delivery, training, and policy consultancy. Comparable to CYS as a practitioner-led organization that designs and runs restorative-justice and diversion models and disseminates them through training and technical assistance.
• International Institute for Restorative Practices: A global leader in restorative-practices training, certification, and program implementation across schools, criminal justice, and social services. Comparable to CYS in emphasizing community-led restorative-justice training and practice, though IIRP operates primarily through a paid training and credentialing model.
• Delancey Street Foundation: A San Francisco-based nonprofit residential program that provides training, education, and reentry support for people transitioning out of the justice system. Comparable to CYS as a nonprofit providing alternatives to incarceration and rehabilitation for system-impacted individuals, though Delancey operates a residential self-sustaining model rather than community-based restorative justice.

Regional players

• Communities In Schools of Los Angeles: A Los Angeles affiliate of the national Communities In Schools network placing site coordinators inside schools to deliver wraparound services for at-risk students. Comparable to CYS as a school-anchored, LA-based nonprofit serving at-risk youth with case management and restorative supports.
• Anti-Recidivism Coalition: A California-based nonprofit advocating for and providing reentry and diversion services to system-impacted young people. Comparable to CYS as a California nonprofit working on juvenile-system reform and youth diversion, with overlapping policy engagement in Sacramento.

Peers

• Children's Defense Fund: A national child advocacy organization working on child welfare, juvenile justice, and youth poverty issues. Comparable to CYS as a child- and youth-focused nonprofit engaging in juvenile-justice policy and direct service, though CDF operates at significantly larger scale and broader advocacy scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-j2zamn_UWzCyIKQNkNKtA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CentinelaYouthServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centinela-youth-services-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/cys_la

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Centinela Youth Services