A Very Special Place

What A Very Special Place does

A Very Special Place, Inc. (AVSP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1974 and headquartered at 49 Cedar Grove Avenue in Staten Island, New York. The organization delivers a comprehensive continuum of programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD), serving more than 1,600 individuals across Staten Island and surrounding NYC boroughs with a workforce of over 650 qualified staff trained in specialty areas such as Approved Medication Administration, CPR/First Aid, SCIP crisis intervention, and the NYS DD course.

AVSP organizes its offering into four core service pillars: Day Services (day habilitation, life-skills training, and supported employment), Residential Services (24-hour supervised and supported living settings), Recreational Services (community center activities, after-school program, weekend respite for teens, and the Creative Arts Network), and Support Services (self-directed services with fiscal-intermediary support, family reimbursement, and in-home community habilitation). The organization also operates two participant-staffed social enterprises — the AVSP Gift Shop at Carmel Richmond Nursing Home and Harvest Café — that sell artwork, handmade clothing, baked goods, and everyday essentials while providing real-world vocational training in cashiering, customer service, inventory tracking, and food service.

The business model is a hybrid of government reimbursement and philanthropic support. Primary revenue comes from Medicaid waivers and NYS OPWDD-funded programs (Day Habilitation, Supported Employment, residential services), with secondary streams including individual donations via a DonorPerfect portal, special events such as the annual Golf Outing, Amazon Wish List contributions, retail sales at the Gift Shop and Harvest Café, and a Family Reimbursement program that issues periodic payments to caregivers for eligible uncovered goods and services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed because services are funded through government and philanthropic sources. The go-to-market motion is community-based intake — service requests are captured via online forms and routed through an intake team, with referrals sourced from families, healthcare providers, and social services agencies. The organization is HIPAA-compliant, led by Executive Director Jacqueline A. Scarcella with Brian Centrone as Deputy Executive Director, and governed by a Board of Directors chaired by President Daniel R. Wheeler.

Name

A Very Special Place

Legal name

A Very Special Place, Inc.

Website

https://avspny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A Very Special Place is a Staten Island-based nonprofit founded in 1974 that delivers comprehensive day, residential, recreational, and support services to over 1,600 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across NYC, funded primarily through Medicaid waivers, NYS OPWDD programs, donations, and participant-staffed social enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Services for People with Developmental Disabilities

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ), Respite Care for Adults with Disabilities / Special Needs (HSABAGAI), Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI)

Keywords

• Developmental disability services
• Adult day habilitation
• Supported employment services
• Residential support services
• Nonprofit human services

Headquarters

HQ city

Staten Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funded Services (Medicaid/NYS): Medicaid waiver-funded programs including Day Habilitation and Supported Employment. Services funded through NYS DD programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations via online portal (DonorPerfect), Amazon Wish List contributions, special events including annual Golf Outing, and general fundraising activities.
3. Gift Shop Sales: Retail sales at the AVSP Gift Shop located at Carmel Richmond Nursing Home. Staffed by program participants, selling original artwork, handmade clothing, decorated plants, greeting cards, baked goods from Harvest Cafe, and everyday essentials.
4. Family Reimbursement: Family Reimbursement program provides periodic reimbursement (every 18 months) to primary caregivers for eligible services and goods not covered by Medicaid or private insurance, including clothing, educational toys, camp fees, and non-covered therapies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

A Very Special Place, Inc. (AVSP) delivers comprehensive day, residential, recreational, and support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Staten Island and surrounding New York City boroughs. Service lines include Day Habilitation and Supported Employment, Supervised/Supported Living, Recreational programming (Community Center, After School, Weekend Respite, Creative Arts), and Support Services (Self-Directed Services, Family Reimbursement, Community Habilitation). Two social enterprises—the Gift Shop and Harvest Café—provide vocational training and employment for program participants.

Product overview

A Very Special Place (AVSP) is a nonprofit organization established in 1974 providing comprehensive services and programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Staten Island and surrounding boroughs. The organization operates a multi-service portfolio including Day Services (day habilitation, employment training, supported employment), Residential Services (supervised and supported living), Recreational Services (community center, after-school, respite, creative arts), and Support Services (self-directed services, family reimbursement, community habilitation). AVSP also operates two retail/social enterprises—the Gift Shop at Carmel Richmond Nursing Home and Harvest Café—both providing vocational training and employment opportunities for program participants. Services are coordinated through an intake team and offered to over 1,600 individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day Services Structured adult day programs providing life-skill training, community integration, employment preparation, and vocational services through The Network day habilitation program and Supported Employment job placement, for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Residential Services Supervised and supported living environments offering 24-hour staffing and tailored residential settings for adults with developmental disabilities to build independence and self-reliance.
• Recreational Services Leisure and social skill development programs including Community Center evening activities, After School Program, Weekend Respite for teens, and Creative Arts Network for artistic expression.
• Support Services Family support including Self-Directed Services with fiscal intermediary support, Family Reimbursement for eligible goods and services (provided every 18 months), and Community Habilitation for in-home daily living skills training.
• AVSP Gift Shop Retail gift shop staffed by program participants providing job training in cashier, greeter, and sales associate roles; offers original artwork, handmade clothing, decorated plants, greeting cards, baked goods from Harvest Café, and everyday essentials. Located at Carmel Richmond Nursing Home.
• Harvest Café Café operated by AVSP participants offering fresh baked goods, providing employment and creative expression opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,600 individuals currently utilizing services and programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• QSAC (Quality Services for the Autism Community): NYC-based nonprofit providing autism-specific day, residential, and community habilitation services — a focused, partial-overlap competitor addressing the ID/DD market AVSP serves.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey: Nonprofit operating retail thrift stores and workforce development programs for people with disabilities and other barriers — comparable social-enterprise/employment-training component to AVSP's Gift Shop and Supported Employment.
• The Arc of New York: Statewide umbrella for local Arc chapters supporting people with ID/DD through advocacy and service delivery including residential, day, and family supports — comparable mission with broader geographic footprint than AVSP.

Direct peers

• YAI / YAI NETWORK: A large NYC-area nonprofit supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, day, employment, and family services — a direct multi-program counterpart to AVSP's integrated service model.
• Services for the Underserved (SUS): NYC nonprofit providing residential, day habilitation, supported employment, and behavioral health services for ID/DD and other vulnerable populations — comparable service portfolio and government funding model.
• HeartShare Human Services of New York: Brooklyn-headquartered nonprofit serving people with ID/DD and children/adults with disabilities through residential, day, education, and family-support programs — comparable scale and funding mix to AVSP.
• Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State: Statewide nonprofit network funding and advocating for CP Alliance affiliate chapters providing ID/DD services in NYC, including residential and day programs — directly comparable to AVSP's OPWDD-funded service model.
• AHRC NYC: NYC-based nonprofit providing services for people with ID/DD including day habilitation, residential, supported employment, and case management — closely comparable program mix and funding model.
• ADAPT Community Network (formerly UCP of NYC): NYC-area nonprofit delivering residential, day, and community-based services to people with ID/DD and other disabilities — overlapping Medicaid-funded service lines with AVSP.
• Life's WORC: Long Island-based nonprofit providing residential, day, vocational, and family services to people with developmental disabilities — comparable program mix and NYC-area geographic adjacency to AVSP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/averyspecialplace
• Xx.com/avspsi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 A Very Special Place