What STEPS does

STEPS (Specialized Treatment, Education, and Prevention Services, Inc.) is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit, community-based behavioral health organization founded in 1983 and headquartered at 1033 N. Pine Hills Road in Orlando, Florida. The organization operates a continuum of substance use, mental health, and co-occurring disorder services spanning four Central Florida counties (Orange, Brevard, Seminole, and Osceola) through ten-plus brick-and-mortar sites, a Mobile Outreach Vehicle, and 24/7 Living Room peer recovery centers. It prioritizes indigent, pregnant, postpartum, parenting, and IV drug-using populations and serves clients regardless of ability to pay, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

The core product set is structured around a treatment intensity gradient from outpatient through women's residential care, supplemented by Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) using Naltrexone, Buprenorphine, and Methadone; the Rapid Evaluation and Appropriate Placement (REAP) 24/7 case management program; an Opioid Use Disorder navigator service; The Living Room peer recovery support; mental health services including telehealth; free HIV/STI testing with PrEP and PEP; Care Coordination; and the Orange County Jail Inmate Treatment Program. The underlying technology stack is light on proprietary IP and heavy on care delivery, with one notable AI capability: AI-assisted clinical decision support that analyzes patient health data to surface insights and recommendations to the care team, all reviewed and approved by qualified providers under HIPAA and HITECH controls with a patient opt-out.

The business model blends (a) government sponsorship and grants — Central Florida Cares Health System, the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program — (b) third-party reimbursement across Medicaid and at least seven commercial/managed care payors (Sunshine Health, United Healthcare, Cigna Behavioral Health, Optum, Aetna, UMR, Oscar), and (c) tax-deductible donations supporting the Women's Residential Program. Services are priced on a sliding or no-fee basis with no publicly disclosed price list, consistent with the organization's mission-driven, indigent-prioritized service charter.

Name

STEPS

Legal name

Specialized Treatment, Education and Prevention Services, Inc.

Website

https://flsteps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STEPS is a 501(c)(3) community behavioral health non-profit founded in 1983 in Orlando that delivers substance use, mental health, MAT, HIV, and reentry services across four Central Florida counties with priority access for indigent and pregnant populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Substance Use Treatment Programs (IOP/PHP/OP) (HLAFACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Substance Use Rehabilitation (Inpatient Rehab) (HLAFACAE), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Substance Use Prevention & Recovery Services (EDALAFAE)

Keywords

• Substance use treatment
• Mental health services
• Medication assisted treatment
• HIV STI testing
• Behavioral health care

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: STEPS receives funding from Central Florida Cares Health System and the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families. The organization also receives funding through the Ryan White program for HIV/AIDS services and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program for inmate treatment services.
2. Insurance Reimbursement: STEPS accepts multiple insurance providers including Medicaid, Sunshine Health, United Healthcare, Cigna Behavioral Health, Optum, Aetna, UMR, and Oscar for mental health and substance use treatment services.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, STEPS accepts monetary donations and item donations for the Women's Residential Program. All donations are 100% tax deductible.
4. Free/Low-Cost Services: STEPS provides services regardless of ability to pay, prioritizing those who are indigent, pregnant, postpartum, have children and/or IV drug users. Insurance is not required for MAT services, and transportation assistance is available.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

STEPS provides a community-based continuum of behavioral health treatment, primarily substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health services, delivered through outpatient, intensive outpatient, day treatment, women's residential, and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs. Offerings are complemented by mental health counseling, HIV/STI testing and prevention, care coordination, peer recovery support via 24/7 Living Room centers, a mobile treatment unit, and an Orange County Jail inmate treatment program, serving Central Florida regardless of ability to pay.

Product overview

STEPS (Specialized Treatment, Education, and Prevention Services, Inc.) operates as a private not-for-profit community-based organization providing a comprehensive continuum of behavioral health treatment services. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs including Adult Outpatient, Adult Intensive Outpatient, Day Treatment, and Women's Residential treatment programs that form the core treatment services. These are complemented by specialized programs including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) using Naltrexone, Buprenorphine, and Methadone; Opioid Use Disorder Navigator services; the Rapid Evaluation and Appropriate Placement (REAP) 24/7 case management program; The Living Room peer recovery support; Mental Health Services; HIV & STI Testing; Care Coordination; and Mobile Treatment Units. The organization also serves inmates through the Orange County Jail Inmate Treatment Program. Services are available across multiple Florida counties (Orange, Brevard, Seminole, Osceola) with a person-centered, evidence-based approach to treatment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Outpatient Program

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Central Florida Cares Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Florida Cares Health System is a primary sponsor of STEPS programs. As the managing entity for behavioral health services in the region, Central Florida Cares provides funding and strategic oversight for substance use and mental health treatment programs.
• State of Florida, Department of Children and FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe State of Florida, Department of Children and Families is a primary sponsor of STEPS programs, providing state funding and regulatory oversight for behavioral health services including substance use treatment and prevention programs.
• Ryan White HIV/AIDS ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEPS participates in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program which provides funding for HIV care and treatment services, primary medical care, and support services for individuals with HIV in Orange and Seminole Counties.
• Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program funds the Orange County Jail Inmate Treatment Program, providing evidence-based substance use treatment to adult inmates through a modified therapeutic community model.
• Insurance Providers (Medicaid, Sunshine Health, United Healthcare, Cigna, Optum, Aetna, UMR, Oscar)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSTEPS is an in-network provider for multiple insurance plans including Medicaid and various commercial insurers, allowing for reimbursement of mental health and substance use treatment services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Centerstone: One of the largest U.S. nonprofit behavioral health providers with a broad portfolio of SUD, mental health, and case management programs — overlaps STEPS on clinical offerings but operates at national scale across many states.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large national nonprofit with a significant Florida behavioral health footprint — competes for state contracts and offers comparable community-based mental health and SUD services.

Direct peers

• LSF Health Systems: Florida nonprofit managing entity and direct service provider for behavioral health, substance use, and primary care services — competes with STEPS for Central Florida Cares funding and Medicaid contracts in overlapping counties.
• Aspire Health Partners: Central Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing outpatient substance use, mental health, MAT, and case management across Orange, Seminole, Osceola and surrounding counties — directly overlapping STEPS' service area and program mix.
• Camelot Community Care: Florida-focused nonprofit delivering behavioral health, substance use, and family services through state-contracted programs — comparable in mission, funding model, and target populations to STEPS.
• Chrysalis Health: Florida behavioral health nonprofit delivering outpatient, residential, and community-based SUD and mental health services with state-contract funding — parallels STEPS' hybrid grant/insurance reimbursement model.
• SMA Healthcare: Florida-based nonprofit offering substance use treatment, mental health, MAT and residential programs across multiple counties — comparable in mission, funding model, and clinical service mix to STEPS.

Regional players

• Coastal Behavioral Healthcare: Sarasota-based nonprofit offering outpatient and residential behavioral health with MAT and crisis services — similar continuum-of-care focus, but serves a different Florida region than STEPS.
• David Lawrence Center: Southwest Florida nonprofit providing integrated substance use, mental health, and primary care services — comparable clinical model and funding mix, but operates in Collier County rather than the Central Florida market.
• Gracepoint Wellness: Tampa Bay-area behavioral health nonprofit providing mental health, substance use, and primary care — comparable integrated service model, but competes in a different Florida geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61553633708634

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 STEPS