PEER Services

What PEER Services does

PEER Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1975 and headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, with a second site at Turning Point Behavioral Health Center in Skokie. It delivers community-based substance use prevention and treatment services to residents of Evanston, Maine, New Trier, Niles, and Northfield Townships, the Village of Skokie, and the north side of Chicago. The portfolio spans outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment, a Medication-Assisted Recovery (MAR) program using methadone for opioid use disorder, a state-licensed DUI risk education and evaluation service, early intervention and family counseling, and school- and community-based prevention programming supplemented by a digital prevention content stack (The PEER Review blog, Parent and Teen Resource Hubs, webinars). Service delivery combines in-person care with a telehealth option across most therapeutic services.

The underlying technology layer is modest and primarily clinical-operational: a telehealth platform for remote service delivery, standard EHR-adjacent intake workflows, and outbound phone scheduling (847-492-1778). The differentiation sits in clinical methodology rather than software: a person-centered, trauma-informed, holistic treatment model delivered by Master's-licensed clinicians (LPC, LSW, LCSW, CADC, ATR-BC) with physician and nursing oversight in the MAR program. Recent capacity extensions include a Mobile MAR program bringing methadone treatment into the community and a STAR Loan Repayment Program site designation that aids clinical recruiting.

The revenue model blends four streams: (1) government and township grants from five townships plus the City of Evanston, Village of Skokie, Illinois DHS, Evanston Mental Health Board, and United Way; (2) insurance reimbursement from Medicaid, All Kids, FamilyCare, Medicare, and private insurers, with BlueCross BlueShield preferred-provider status; (3) program fees including a $250 ten-hour DUI Risk Education course; and (4) contributed income from individuals, corporate sponsors, and the Lightkeepers Circle ($1,000+ leadership donors), formalized through the Resilience Fund. A sliding-scale fee schedule and treatment scholarship program ensure no client is denied services for inability to pay. Distribution runs through direct outpatient centers, telehealth, school-based prevention, and a state-licensed DUI channel, with referral sources spanning the courts, schools, DCFS, employers, and physicians.

Name

PEER Services

Legal name

PEER Services, Inc.

Website

https://peerservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PEER Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1975 that provides community-based substance use prevention, outpatient treatment, intensive outpatient programming, medication-assisted recovery, and DUI services to adolescents, adults, and families across Northern Cook County, Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Substance Use Treatment and Prevention Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (62142), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL)

Keywords

• Substance use treatment
• Addiction recovery services
• Opioid treatment program
• Outpatient counseling services
• Substance use prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government and Township Funding: Grants from townships and municipalities (City of Evanston, Maine Township, New Trier Township, Niles Township, Northfield Township, Village of Skokie) supporting treatment for low-income residents
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Donations from individuals and organizations including leadership-level Lightkeepers Circle donors ($1,000+ annually)
3. Insurance Reimbursement: Revenue from Medicaid, All Kids, FamilyCare, Medicare, and private insurance plans. Preferred provider for BlueCross BlueShield
4. DUI Risk Education Fees: $250 fee for 10-hour Risk Education program for DUI clients
5. Sliding Scale and Scholarship Programs: Sliding-scale fees based on income and treatment scholarships funded by donor generosity; no one denied treatment due to inability to pay

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PEER Services delivers licensed community-based substance use prevention and treatment services for teens and adults in Northern Cook County, Illinois. Core offerings include individual and group counseling, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), medication-assisted recovery (MAR) using FDA-approved methadone, DUI evaluations and risk education, school and community prevention programming, and family/crisis support. Services are provided at outpatient clinics in Evanston and Skokie and via telehealth, with sliding-scale fees ensuring access regardless of ability to pay.

Product overview

PEER Services offers a comprehensive suite of substance use prevention and treatment services for adolescents and adults in Northern Cook County, Illinois. The portfolio includes Treatment Services (core product) combining Medication-Assisted Recovery (MAR) using FDA-approved methadone, Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), individual and group counseling, and DUI Risk Education; Prevention Programming (core product) delivering education in schools and communities including classroom presentations, the Teen Prevention Resource Hub, and the Parent & Caregiver Resource Hub; and specialized services including Early Intervention for at-risk youth, Family Support, and Alcohol/Drug Evaluations. The organization also maintains Sliding-Scale Fee programming ensuring access regardless of ability to pay. Services are provided from two locations in Evanston and Skokie, Illinois, as a licensed treatment provider since 1975.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The PEER Review: A prevention blog developed by the Prevention Team at PEER Services focusing on hot topics, data simplification, and teen trend alerts related to substance use prevention.
• Resilience Fund
• Lightkeepers Circle

Products and services

• Treatment Services Community-based substance use treatment services for adolescents and adults including individual and group counseling, intensive outpatient programs, and medication-assisted recovery, licensed by the State of Illinois.
• Medication-Assisted Recovery (MAR) Program FDA-approved medication treatment using methadone combined with professional counseling and case management for adults struggling with opioid dependence, addressing housing, employment, and 12-step recovery support.
• Prevention Programming Substance use prevention education and campaigns delivered in schools and communities across Northern Cook County, focusing on youth and families through classroom presentations, community programs, and resources.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) Structured outpatient treatment experience providing psychoeducation, mindfulness activities, and therapeutic discussions for individuals requiring support beyond standard outpatient services.
• Alcohol and Other Drug Evaluations Comprehensive substance use evaluations for adults and adolescents referred by the criminal justice system, DCFS, employers, physicians, and other organizations, including social history, drug history, and vocational assessment.
• DUI Risk Education & Aftercare State-licensed DUI Risk Education classes, including Level 1-3 risk education and treatment services, for adults and teens required by the Illinois Secretary of State as part of license reinstatement.
• Early Intervention Education & Counseling Short-term services for adolescents showing substance use risks who may not meet full criteria for substance abuse, including individual education sessions, group education, and brief counseling.
• Family Support & Crisis Services Family counseling and support services recognizing that family members benefit from assistance alongside adolescent treatment programs.
• Sliding-Scale Fee Program Sliding-scale fees based on income for uninsured and under-insured clients, ensuring no one is denied treatment due to inability to pay.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 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

18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• NorthShore University HealthSystemflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2023Partnership through Second Chances Program as part of NorthShore's Community Investment Fund, providing $4 million in grants to local community organizations
• TASCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2023Partnership with TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities) on Second Chances Program
• City of EvanstoncoreOthersTownship and municipal funding partner supporting treatment for low-income residents of the community
• Maine TownshipcoreOthersTownship funder supporting treatment for low-income residents of Maine Township
• New Trier TownshipcoreOthersTownship funder supporting treatment for low-income residents of New Trier Township
• Niles TownshipcoreOthersTownship funder supporting treatment for low-income residents of Niles Township
• Northfield TownshipcoreOthersTownship funder supporting treatment for low-income residents of Northfield Township
• Village of SkokiecoreOthersMunicipal funding partner supporting treatment for residents of Skokie
• Turning Point Behavioral Health CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for PEER at Turning Point office in Skokie
• KEY CoalitionminorOthersCommunity coalition for drug-free communities
• Glenview Northbrook Coalition for Youth (GNCY)minorOthersCommunity coalition working on youth substance use prevention
• Evanston Substance Use Prevention CoalitionminorOthersCoalition focused on substance use prevention in Evanston
• North Shore Coalition for Drug-Free CommunitiesminorOthersCoalition working to prevent substance use in North Shore communities
• American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD)minorOthersNational organization for opioid treatment providers; PEER staff participate in networks and committees
• Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association (IADDA)minorOthersState association for substance use treatment providers
• Hagerty ConsultingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Spread the Light signature event 2026
• Trilogy Behavioral HealthcareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Spread the Light signature event 2026
• Northwestern UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Spread the Light signature event 2026

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare: Chicago-area nonprofit providing outpatient and intensive substance use and mental health treatment across multiple Illinois sites. Directly comparable as a multi-site nonprofit SUD provider serving similar Medicaid and commercial populations; cited within PEER's own data as an event sponsor.
• Turning Point Behavioral Health Center: Skokie-based behavioral health center that hosts PEER's second site (PEER at Turning Point), serving the same Northern Cook County catchment. Closely aligned peer offering outpatient mental health and substance use services to overlapping patient populations.
• TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities): Illinois-based nonprofit that provides case management and treatment alternatives for individuals with substance use and co-occurring disorders involved in the justice system. PEER's named Second Chances Program partner; comparable on mission and court-referred populations.

Broad incumbents

• Gateway Foundation: Largest nonprofit substance use treatment provider in Illinois, with residential, outpatient, and recovery homes across Chicago and statewide. Comparable on treatment modalities and populations served, but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic reach than PEER.
• Haymarket Center: Chicago-based comprehensive substance use treatment provider offering residential, outpatient, and MAT services. Comparable on treatment modalities for Medicaid and criminal-justice-referred populations, but operates at significantly larger scale than PEER.
• Rosecrance: Rockford-headquartered nonprofit behavioral health provider serving Illinois and parts of Wisconsin with residential, outpatient, and prevention services for adolescents and adults. Overlaps with PEER's adolescent prevention/treatment portfolio but at considerably broader geographic and service scope.
• Heartland Alliance: Chicago-based nonprofit human services organization addressing poverty, housing, and health including behavioral health services. Comparable on regional nonprofit structure, multi-source public and donor funding, and service to vulnerable Chicago-area populations.

Regional players

• Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center: Chicago-based community mental health center serving primarily West Side and North Side residents with integrated mental health and substance use services. Comparable on community-based, sliding-scale SUD service delivery for similar Chicago populations.
• Tapestry 360 Health (formerly Heartland Health Centers): Chicago-area federally qualified health center network providing primary care, behavioral health, and substance use support. Connected to PEER via Board Member Nicole Willis; comparable on community-based integrated behavioral health for Medicaid populations.
• Anixter Center: Chicago-based nonprofit providing community-based services for individuals with mental health, developmental, or intellectual disabilities. Linked to PEER through Board Member Samantha Handley; comparable on regional nonprofit behavioral health service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PreventionPEER
• Facebookfacebook.com/peerservicesinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/preventionpeer
• Xx.com/peerservicesinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peerservices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 PEER Services