Adolescent Counseling Services

What Adolescent Counseling Services does

Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID# 51-0192551) headquartered in Redwood City, California, that delivers mental health and social-emotional support services to adolescents and their families across the greater Silicon Valley area, with an operational footprint concentrated in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The organization runs six core service lines: Community Counseling (affordable outpatient psychotherapy in afternoons and evenings), an On-Campus Counseling Program (free individual and group counseling during school hours at partner secondary schools), the Adolescent Substance Addiction Treatment (ASAT) program, the OUTLET program for LGBTQIA+ youth, Educational Workshops, and the ACS Institute of Psychotherapy & Training, a clinical internship pipeline. Therapeutic modalities are human-delivered and include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, trauma-informed care, art therapy, and family systems therapy; ACS is not a technology company and its digital footprint consists of a standard content-managed website, a Kindful donation platform, and Google Forms-based intake and referral workflows.

The business model is a hybrid of fee-for-service and philanthropic support. Community counseling is offered at affordable rates during afternoons and evenings, while on-campus counseling is provided free of charge at partner schools, with the cost gap underwritten by foundation grants (e.g., the John and Marcia Goldman Foundation funded a 2014 website redesign) and individual donations channeled through an annual Out to Eat fundraising gala and other community events. Customer segments span four primary groups: adolescents aged approximately 12–18, their families, partner school districts, and LGBTQIA+ youth, with school-based partnerships functioning as the core institutional distribution channel and a 11–50 person staff (including clinical interns) providing service delivery. ACS also maintains a Parent Resource Blog and '99 Tips' content asset, an active presence on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube, and an e-newsletter as part of a community- and content-led go-to-market motion.

The organization was founded circa 1984, celebrated its 40th anniversary around 2024 alongside a brand identity refresh, appointed a new Executive Director in 2021 amid rising community mental health needs, and has been recognized with a Nonprofit of the Year award. Strategic positioning centers on access (free school-based delivery, sliding-scale community services) and specialization (OUTLET for LGBTQIA+ youth, ASAT for substance use), with the clinical internship program functioning as a structural cost advantage and talent pipeline.

Name

Adolescent Counseling Services

Legal name

Adolescent Counseling Services

Website

https://acs-teens.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adolescent Counseling Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Redwood City, California, that delivers free school-based and affordable community-based mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, LGBTQIA+ youth support, and clinical training to adolescents and families across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adolescent Mental Health Counseling Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health for Children & Adolescents (Youth Services) (HLAFACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health Counseling & Psychotherapy Services (EDALAFAB), School Counseling & Guidance Services (Academic/Social-Emotional) (EDAJALAF), Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Adolescent mental health
• Youth counseling services
• Substance abuse treatment
• School-based counseling
• LGBTQIA+ youth support

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-Service Counseling: Community counseling services are provided at affordable rates for teens and families in the greater Silicon Valley area. On-campus counseling is provided free of charge at schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
2. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization (Tax ID#: 51-0192551), ACS relies on donations from individuals and grants from foundations such as the John and Marcia Goldman Foundation for operations, program development, and capital improvements like website redesign.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Adolescent Counseling Services provides outpatient psychotherapy, school-based counseling, substance abuse treatment, and LGBTQIA+ youth support programs to adolescents and their families in the greater Silicon Valley area. On-campus counseling is delivered free of charge at secondary schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, while community counseling and substance abuse treatment are offered at affordable rates, supported by donations and grants.

Product overview

Adolescent Counseling Services offers a portfolio of mental health programs for youth in the greater Silicon Valley area. The organization operates six core service lines: Community Counseling (outpatient psychotherapy), On-Campus Counseling Program (school-based services), Adolescent Substance Addiction Treatment (ASAT), OUTLET (LGBTQIA+ support), Educational Workshops, and the ACS Institute of Psychotherapy & Training (clinical internship program). Additionally, the organization maintains a Parent Resource Blog as an educational content resource. The programs are designed to serve teens and families across different settings and needs, from free school-based counseling to affordable outpatient services and specialized substance abuse treatment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OUTLET: LGBTQIA+ youth support program that empowers Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Agender+ youth through support, education, and advocacy.

Products and services

• Community Counseling Affordable outpatient counseling and psychotherapy offered during afternoons and evenings for teens and their families in and around the greater Silicon Valley community. Targeted at individual teen and family clients who need accessible, lower-cost mental health support.
• On-Campus Counseling Program Free individual and group counseling delivered during school hours to teens and their families at secondary schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Targeted at students at partner schools and accessed via school counselor referrals.
• Adolescent Substance Addiction Treatment (ASAT) Assessment and outpatient treatment services for teens struggling with substance use and/or addiction. Targeted at adolescents and families needing specialized substance abuse intervention, with intake coordinated through a dedicated ASAT Intake Coordinator.
• OUTLET (LGBTQIA+ Support) Program that empowers Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Agender+ (LGBTQIA+) youth and builds safe and accepting communities through support groups, education, and advocacy. Targeted at LGBTQIA+ teens and their families in the Silicon Valley area.
• Educational Workshops Educational workshops provided to the community on mental health and related topics. Targeted at schools, community groups, and parents seeking mental health literacy and prevention programming.
• ACS Institute of Psychotherapy & Training Clinical internship program providing training for future mental health professionals, also referenced as the Dr. Philippe Rey Institute of Psychotherapy & Training. Targeted at graduate-level trainees pursuing careers in psychotherapy, with interns delivering supervised clinical services across ACS programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Services provided at no cost to students through on-campus counseling program

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• StarVista: San Mateo County-based nonprofit providing youth and family counseling, substance use treatment, and crisis services. Directly comparable to ACS in geography, population served (adolescents and families), and outpatient mental-health delivery model.
• Caminar: Silicon Valley mental-health and social-services nonprofit serving youth, adults, and families across the Bay Area. Comparable to ACS on community-based outpatient behavioral-health service model and Bay Area footprint.
• Children's Health Council: Palo Alto-based nonprofit specializing in child and adolescent mental health, learning differences, and family therapy. Closely comparable to ACS on pediatric/adolescent therapy focus, school-adjacent referrals, and Silicon Valley service area.
• Uplift Family Services (now part of Caminar / Lincoln): Santa Clara County nonprofit providing outpatient mental-health, counseling, and family services to youth and families. Directly comparable to ACS on adolescent outpatient counseling, county-level contracting, and school-linked delivery.
• Edgewood Center for Children and Families: San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit delivering mental-health, behavioral, and educational services to children and adolescents. Comparable to ACS on child/adolescent outpatient therapy and Bay Area nonprofit structure.
• Stanford Sierra Youth & Families: Northern California nonprofit providing mental-health, wraparound, and outpatient services to at-risk youth and families. Comparable to ACS on adolescent mental-health outpatient programs and school/community referral pathways.

Broad incumbents

• Seneca Family of Agencies: One of California's largest youth-services nonprofits, providing intensive behavioral health, wraparound, and school-based services statewide. Comparable to ACS on adolescent behavioral-health services but with broader geographic and acuity scope.
• Pacific Clinics: Large California-wide behavioral-health nonprofit serving children, youth, and adults with outpatient mental-health, substance-use, and school-linked services. Overlaps with ACS on adolescent outpatient mental health but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Fred Finch Youth & Family Services: Bay Area nonprofit offering mental-health, special education, and residential services for children and adolescents with trauma and behavioral needs. Comparable to ACS on adolescent mental-health programming within the Bay Area, with broader service continuum.
• Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services: Southern California nonprofit providing mental-health, child welfare, and education services to children, youth, and families. Comparable to ACS on adolescent outpatient mental-health programming and nonprofit clinical-intern training pipelines, with broader geographic and residential scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acsteens
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/acsteens
• Facebookfacebook.com/acsteens
• Instagraminstagram.com/acsteens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Adolescent Counseling Services