Southern California Counseling Center

What Southern California Counseling Center does

Southern California Counseling Center (SCCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1966 by psychologist Hans Hoffman and psychiatrist Ben Weininger, headquartered in Los Angeles with two physical sites (Mid-City at 5615 W Pico Blvd and Watts at 10950 S. Central Ave on the WLCAC Campus). The organization delivers sliding-scale mental health counseling to individuals, couples, families, and teens who face financial barriers to care, accepting L.A. Care Medi-Cal and Covered California members in parallel. The clinical core consists of human-delivered therapy services — individual, couples/family, group, and court-mandated counseling — supplemented by trauma-informed modalities including Community Resiliency Model (CRM), Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), and EMDR. Annually, SCCC serves approximately 2,300 clients across 30,000 counseling hours at an average client fee of $25 per session.

The business runs an integrated service-and-training portfolio: alongside direct counseling, SCCC operates a Counselor Training Program for pre-licensed MFTs and Social Workers (130 trained annually), a Community Counselor Course graduating ~100 students per year, a state-approved 80-hour Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification (~200 peers trained annually), and Continuing Education courses priced at $99 (alumni) and $199 (outside professionals). Twenty licensed therapists provide weekly group supervision, creating an internal pipeline that feeds both the clinical workforce and a downstream private-practice partnership with Pacific Wellness Collective. The tech stack is operational rather than clinical — Stripe and Blackbaud for payment processing, Google Analytics for web analytics, FreeWill for legacy giving, and Candid for nonprofit transparency reporting.

Revenue is structured as a $3.1M annual operating budget with no equity funding and no parent company. Approximately 57% derives from charitable gifts (foundations and individuals), ~30% from sliding-scale client fees, and the remainder from health-plan contracts and training program fees. Distribution is direct: website-driven intake, community outreach, and payer partnerships with L.A. Care and Covered California. The organization holds the Candid Gold Seal of Transparency 2026 and is recognized as a Training Center of Excellence.

Name

Southern California Counseling Center

Legal name

Southern California Counseling Center

Website

https://sccc-la.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Southern California Counseling Center is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1966 that provides sliding-scale mental health counseling and operates counselor training and peer support specialist certification programs for underserved communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Counseling Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Mental Health Clinics & Counseling Centers (HLAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outpatient Mental Health & Counseling Clinics (HLAFABAC)

Keywords

• Community mental health services
• Sliding-scale counseling
• Clinical counselor training
• Peer support certification
• Affordable therapy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Client Fees: Sliding-scale counseling fees from clients. Average fee of $25 per session. Approximately 30% of total budget.
2. Donations and Charitable Gifts: Contributions from foundations and individuals. Approximately 57% of total budget ($3.1 million annual budget).
3. Insurance Contracts: Revenue from L.A. Care Medi-Cal and Covered California health plan members receiving covered mental health services.
4. Training Program Fees: Continuing education courses for licensed therapists, counselor training, and peer support specialist certification programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Southern California Counseling Center provides affordable, sliding-scale mental health counseling to individuals, couples, families, teens, and court-mandated clients in Los Angeles, with an average client fee of $25 per session. The center also operates professional training programs including a Counselor Training Program, Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification, Community Counselor Course, and Continuing Education for licensed therapists. Services are delivered through two physical office locations and via partnerships with L.A. Care and Covered California health plans.

Product overview

Southern California Counseling Center (SCCC) offers a comprehensive portfolio of mental health services and professional training programs. The organization provides clinical counseling services (individual, couples, family, group, and court-mandated therapy) on a sliding-scale fee model, accepting L.A. Care Medi-Cal and Covered California plans. Complementing clinical services, SCCC operates multiple training programs including the Counselor Training Program (with trauma-informed training components like CRM, TRM, and EMDR), the Community Counselor Course (CCC) focused on social justice and high-risk populations, the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification (80-hour state-approved program), and Continuing Education courses for licensed professionals. The organization serves the Mid-City (Los Angeles) and Watts communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Counseling
• Couples and Family Counseling
• Group Therapy
• Court Mandated Counseling
• L.A. Care Medi-Cal Services
• Counselor Training Program
• Medi-Cal Associate Training Program
• Community Counselor Course (CCC)
• Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification
• Continuing Education

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,300 individuals, couples, teens, and families receive counseling services annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• L.A. Care Health PlancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSCCC accepts L.A. Care Medi-Cal members for mental health services covered by their insurance plan. This partnership allows members to access affordable counseling services.
• Covered CaliforniacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSCCC accepts Covered California health plan members for mental health services covered under their plans.
• WLCAC (Watts Labor Community Action Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCCC-Watts operates on the WLCAC Campus at 10950 S. Central Ave, providing community-based mental health services in the Watts neighborhood.
• Pacific Wellness CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing counselors the opportunity to build a thriving private practice after training at SCCC.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing outpatient mental health counseling, crisis services, and suicide prevention across LA County. Directly comparable as a multi-site community mental health provider serving similar sliding-scale and Medi-Cal populations.
• Pacific Clinics: Large California nonprofit operating outpatient mental health, counseling, and behavioral health workforce training programs across LA and other counties. Comparable in service mix (counseling + training) and Medi-Cal contract structure.
• Jewish Family Service LA (JFS): LA-based nonprofit social services agency providing sliding-scale mental health counseling, case management, and family services. Comparable client base, mission orientation, and fee structure.
• Hathaway-Sycamores Child & Family Services: Southern California nonprofit providing outpatient counseling, family therapy, and training programs. Directly comparable as a multi-modality counseling and training provider serving LA County.
• Child & Family Center: LA County nonprofit offering outpatient mental health counseling, training, and Medi-Cal-billable services. Comparable in service portfolio, county-level Medi-Cal contracts, and therapist training programs.
• The Help Group: LA nonprofit providing mental health counseling, family therapy, and professional training with a focus on underserved populations. Comparable in mission, LA footprint, and combined clinical + training model.
• Exodus Recovery: California-based behavioral health nonprofit operating outpatient mental health and substance use programs with Medi-Cal contracts. Comparable as a community mental health provider serving Medi-Cal populations in LA County.

Others

• CalMHSA (California Mental Health Services Authority): Joint powers authority that administers statewide mental health initiatives including the peer support specialist workforce pipeline and suicide prevention. Comparable as an ecosystem partner funding peer support training programs, and a co-investor in California's peer support workforce strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Thriveworks: National outpatient mental health and counseling provider with online and in-person services including in California. Comparable as a multi-state outpatient counseling operator, though serves insured/private-pay clients rather than sliding-scale populations.

Emerging players

• Charlie Health: Virtual outpatient mental health provider offering intensive counseling and family therapy, including insurance-covered services for teens and families. Comparable as a tech-enabled outpatient mental health provider targeting Medi-Cal/commercial populations with virtual delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SoCalCounselingCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/sccclosangeles

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Southern California Counseling Center