Community Alternatives Unlimited

What Community Alternatives Unlimited does

Community Alternatives Unlimited (CAU) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services agency headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1980 as the first Independent Service Coordination (ISC) agency in Illinois. CAU provides conflict-free, person-centered case management and service coordination for individuals of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), as well as maternal and child health navigation for pregnant individuals and families with infants up to six months old. Core service lines include ISC Service Coordination, Pre-Admission Screening (PAS), PUNS database enrollment, Individual Service and Support Advocacy (ISSA), Housing Navigation, the Better Birth Outcomes Navigation (BBO-N) program, and the bilingual Bridges to Access / Proyecto Puente De Acceso program serving Latino/Hispanic families across 33 Illinois counties.

CAU's technology footprint is limited to standard case management practices and state database interfaces (such as PUNS); the organization does not operate proprietary software platforms or AI-driven systems. Service delivery is conducted in person, by phone, email, and video chat through a team of approximately 140 multilingual staff speaking over 13 languages and including licensed social workers, certified rehabilitation counselors, registered nurses, licensed clinical psychologists, and ASL interpreters. CAU serves more than 11,000 individuals with I/DD annually in its core Chicago, Northwest Cook County, Hanover Township, and Lake County service area, with expanded statewide reach through Bridges to Access and a defined set of 27 Chicago ZIP codes for BBO-N.

CAU's business model is government-contract funded: Illinois Department of Human Services and Division of Developmental Disabilities contracts underwrite the bulk of operations, supplemented by private contracts and charitable donations to funds including the General Fund, CAU Family Fund, FCM Family Fund, Ginsberg Memorial Scholarship Fund, and Pierce/Davis Fund. All services are provided free of charge to eligible individuals and families. The organization is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors, holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating, and is a member of industry associations including the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF).

Name

Community Alternatives Unlimited

Legal name

Community Alternatives Unlimited

Website

https://cau.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Community Alternatives Unlimited is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that provides free, conflict-free Independent Service Coordination and case management for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, plus maternal/child health navigation, across Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual and Developmental Disability Case Management

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Therapy-Integrated Childcare Support (coordination with OT/PT/SLP/ABA) (HSAAAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parent/Caregiver Training & Family Consultation (ABA) (EDAKAHAG), Autism (ASD) Support Childcare (HSAAAIAA)

Keywords

• Disability case management
• Service coordination
• Medicaid waiver services
• Maternal child health
• Developmental disability services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: CAU is funded by public contracts, primarily from the State of Illinois through the Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities. As an ISC agency, they receive government funding to provide case management and service coordination services.
2. Private Donations: CAU receives funding from private donations and charitable contributions. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Donations support various funds including the General Fund, CAU Family Fund, FCM Family Fund, Ginsberg Memorial Scholarship Fund, and Pierce/Davis Fund.
3. Private Contracts: CAU is also funded by private contracts alongside public funding, enabling them to provide free services to eligible individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Alternatives Unlimited (CAU) provides free, person-centered Independent Service Coordination (ISC), case management, and advocacy for individuals of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), as well as maternal and child health navigation services for pregnant and postpartum individuals. Core offerings include ISC Service Coordination, PUNS enrollment, Pre-Admission Screening (PAS), Individual Service and Support Advocacy (ISSA), Housing Navigation, and the Better Birth Outcomes Navigation (BBO-N) program, supplemented by the bilingual Bridges to Access / Proyecto Puente De Acceso program for Latino/Hispanic families.

Product overview

Community Alternatives Unlimited (CAU) is a private non-profit social services agency that operates as an Independent Service Coordination (ISC) organization rather than a technology product company. The organization provides a suite of person-centered service coordination and advocacy programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and maternal/child health services. The core offerings include ISC Service Coordination, PUNS Waiting List management, Pre-Admission Screening (PAS), Individual Service and Support Advocacy (ISSA), Housing Navigation, and the Better Birth Outcomes Navigation (BBO-N) program. CAU also operates the Bridges to Access Project / Proyecto Puente De Acceso, a bilingual program specifically supporting Latino/Hispanic individuals with I/DD and their families across 33 Illinois counties. All services are provided at no cost to eligible individuals and families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bridges to Access / Proyecto Puente De Acceso: A free initiative designed to support Latino/Hispanic individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. Provides bilingual education, training, and community resource connection services.
• Better Birth Outcomes Navigation (BBO-N)
• Pre-Admission Screening (PAS)
• PUNS Waiting List
• Individual Service and Support Advocacy (ISSA)
• ISC Service Coordination

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over 11,000 individuals with I/DD annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, foundational and minor.

• Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)coreOthersCAU interfaces with IDHS as a designated ISC agency, Pre-Admission Screening agency, and service coordinator for Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities programs. CAU collaborates with IDHS on PUNS database enrollment, Medicaid waiver services, and Family Case Management programs. This is a core regulatory and funding relationship.
• Illinois Planning Council on Developmental DisabilitiesfoundationalOthersCAU was originally partly funded by the Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities and the State of Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. This foundational funding enabled the creation of the first conflict-free case management agency in Illinois.
• The Institute (membership)minorOthersCAU displays The Institute membership graphic on their website, indicating membership in an organization of service providers or similar industry association.
• Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF)minorOthersCAU is a proud member of IARF, Illinois's leading association of community-based providers serving children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and serious mental illnesses.
• Hanover TownshipminorOthersHanover Township provided donations toward the CAU.org website development. This represents a minor community partnership supporting CAU's digital presence.
• Family Connects ChicagominorOthersCAU's BBO-N program shares information about Family Connects, a universal nurse home visiting service available in Chicago, as a resource for families they serve. This is a referral/resource partnership for maternal health services.
• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) ProgramminorOthersCAU's BBO-N program connects clients to WIC nutrition support services through CEDA WIC and CDPH WIC. These are referral partnerships for maternal and infant nutrition support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Clearbrook: Illinois-based nonprofit serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable in providing case management, residential services, day programs, and family support throughout Illinois.
• Access Living: Chicago-based disability services and advocacy organization serving individuals with disabilities. Directly comparable as a Chicago-area independent living/social services nonprofit providing case management, advocacy, and service coordination for people with I/DD.
• The Arc of Illinois: State chapter of The Arc, providing advocacy, case management, and family support for individuals with I/DD in Illinois. Comparable as a sibling ISC-style and advocacy organization serving overlapping I/DD populations in the same geography.
• Envision Unlimited: Illinois-based nonprofit serving individuals with I/DD and mental health needs across the state. Directly comparable in offering ISC-like case management, residential, day programs, and community-based services for the I/DD population.
• Anixter Center: Chicago-based nonprofit providing services for individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. Comparable as a multi-service disability services agency in the Chicago region offering case management, residential, and community-based supports.
• Family Connects Chicago: Chicago-based maternal and infant home visiting program providing nurse visits and support to new parents. Comparable specifically to CAU's BBO-N maternal/child health navigation program in serving pregnant individuals and infants in Chicago.
• Ada S. McKinley Community Services: Chicago-based human services nonprofit serving individuals with developmental disabilities and other vulnerable populations. Comparable in operating case management and community-based service programs in the Chicago region.

Broad incumbents

• Jewish Child & Family Services: Chicago-area social services agency offering case management, counseling, and disability services. Comparable as a broader human services organization in the same geography serving individuals and families with disabilities and other needs.
• Easterseals: National disability services nonprofit network providing case management, therapy, and community programs for individuals with disabilities. Comparable as a larger, broader-scope player in the I/DD and disability services space, though not conflict-free case management specialized.
• Help at Home: National provider of home and community-based services, including case management for Medicaid waiver populations. Comparable as a larger I/DD HCBS services provider operating across multiple states versus CAU's Illinois-only footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/caufcm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-alternatives-unltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Alternatives Unlimited