Crisis Center

What Crisis Center does

Crisis Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization headquartered in Gary, Indiana, that has delivered crisis intervention and youth support services in Northwest Indiana since 1971. Its core offering is an integrated continuum of care including the Alternative House emergency residential shelter for at-risk youth ages 10-20, the Promises open residential long-term care program (designated QRTP) for ages 14-20, and a Safe Place / Safely Home outreach network that partners with local businesses and law enforcement to retrieve youth in crisis. The organization is one of only four designated call centers in Indiana for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, holding International Council for Helplines Accreditation and operating 24/7 with trained counselors. Additional programs include Teen Court (peer-based juvenile diversion at Highland PD and Portage City Court), the HOPE Initiative (grief support for survivors of suicide or homicide loss), ASIST suicide intervention training, and Community-Based Services expanding into Lake and Porter County covering family preservation, parent education, truancy termination, and homemaker/parent aid.

The organization's clinical technology is grounded in evidence-based therapeutic models — DBT, TF-CBT, and CPI behavior modification training — rather than software platforms. All services are provided free of charge to clients; the operating model is a public-sector and foundation-funded nonprofit with no consumer pricing. Revenue is assembled from Indiana Department of Child Services, Indiana Department of Education, Gary School Corporation, Lake County Division of Child Services, City of Gary grants (Emergency Solutions Grant, ARPA Fund, HOPE Initiative), Lilly Endowment ($313,561 capital grant in 2025), John W. Anderson Foundation, Legacy Foundation, and individual/corporate donors. The annual Wine Fest & Auction fundraiser (31st Annual raised over $230,000) plus an Amazon Wish List channel complete the diversified funding stack. Leadership transitioned in November 2023 with Marion Collins promoted from Crisis Contact Program Director to Executive Director; the management team spans 14+ directors across programs, finance, HR, compliance, and development.

Geographic reach is concentrated in Northwest Indiana (Lake and Porter Counties) with statewide responsibility for the 988 lifeline. The facility footprint includes a 20-bedroom emergency shelter, two family rooms, a dining room, and an emergency shelter lobby recently refreshed through Lilly Endowment capital funding. The organization employs 11-50 staff across its 50+ year operating history and is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Gary R. Johnson.

Name

Crisis Center

Legal name

Crisis Center, Inc.

Website

https://crisiscenterysb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Crisis Intervention & Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention services
• Youth emergency shelter
• Suicide prevention hotline
• Community mental health
• Family preservation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gary

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants & Contracts: Primary funding from government sources including Indiana Dept. of Child Services, Indiana Dept. of Education, Gary School Corporation, Lake County Division of Child Services, City of Gary Emergency Solutions Grant, and City of Gary ARPA Fund.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including John W Anderson Foundation, Legacy Foundation, and Lilly Endowment's Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana (SYPI).
3. Individual & Corporate Donations: Support from corporations, churches, service clubs, foundations and individuals through direct donations and in-kind gifts.
4. Special Events - Wine Fest: Annual Wine Fest & Auction fundraiser, with 31st Annual event raising over $230,000. 32nd Annual event scheduled for June 11, 2026.
5. In-Kind Donations: Accepting new clothing and hygiene items for youth, with Amazon Wish List for targeted giving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Crisis Center, Inc. provides free crisis intervention, emergency youth shelter, residential long-term care, suicide prevention hotline services, juvenile diversion, and grief support to youth, individuals, and families in Northwest Indiana. Programs include the Alternative House emergency shelter, Promises QRTP long-term care, Safe Place/Safely Home outreach, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Teen Court, HOPE Initiative grief support, Community-Based Services, ASIST training, and free grief support groups — all delivered at no cost to clients and funded through government contracts, foundation grants, donations, and annual fundraising events.

Product overview

Crisis Center, Inc. is a nonprofit social services organization providing a portfolio of interconnected crisis intervention and youth support programs. The core offerings include: emergency residential shelter (Alternative House) and long-term care (Promises); runaway and homeless youth outreach via Safe Place and Safely Home programs; the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline as a designated Indiana call center; Teen Court juvenile diversion; HOPE Initiative grief support for trauma survivors; Community-Based Services (launching); ASIST suicide intervention training; and grief support groups. These services work together to provide a continuum of care from crisis prevention and intervention through long-term support, with annual Wine Fest & Auction fundraising events supporting operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alternative House: Emergency shelter for boys and girls, ages 10 to 20, who are runaways, homeless, abused or neglected.
• Promises
• Safe Place
• Safely Home
• Teen Court
• HOPE Initiative
• Crisis Contact (988)

Products and services

• Alternative House

Quantifiable outcome

• Emergency shelter capacity for 20+ bedrooms with two family rooms and dining area
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Geminus Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in Safely Home prevention program working with Crisis Center, City of Gary, and NWI Police Safety Officers.
• Safe Place Business NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal businesses displaying Safe Place signs willing to assist youth in crisis. Crisis Center staff retrieve youth and transport to Alternative House shelter.
• Highland Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation for Teen Court sessions; referral partner for juvenile diversion program.
• Portage City CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation for Teen Court sessions; referral partner for juvenile diversion program.
• Indiana Youth Services Association (IYSA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association providing support and resources for youth-serving organizations in Indiana.
• NorixminorOthersLeading furniture provider of behavioral healthcare. Providing shelter furniture for twenty bedrooms, two family rooms, and dining room through Lilly Endowment grant.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Boys Town: National nonprofit operating a youth crisis hotline (1-800-448-3000), residential group homes, and family services. Larger, more established incumbent offering the same combination of crisis hotline, residential care, and family preservation services that Crisis Center delivers at a regional level.
• Childhelp: National nonprofit operating a child abuse hotline, residential group homes, and prevention programs. Closely parallels Crisis Center's child abuse/neglect intervention scope (Alternative House serves abused/neglected youth ages 10–20) at a national scale.
• Covenant House: National network of shelters and crisis services for homeless and trafficked youth ages 18–24. Comparable emergency residential model and youth-focused mission, though operating at much larger scale across multiple U.S. cities.

Direct peers

• Crisis Text Line: National text-based crisis intervention service providing 24/7 emotional support. Closely overlaps Crisis Center's 988 hotline and TXT 4 HELP Safe Place functions, both delivering crisis counseling to youth via phone/text channels.
• National Runaway Safeline: National 24/7 hotline for runaway and homeless youth, operating the TXT 4 HELP service that Crisis Center's Safe Place program also leverages. Directly comparable mission serving the same at-risk youth population via crisis hotline and shelter referral.

Others

• National Safe Place Network: The national umbrella organization that licenses and supports the Safe Place program Crisis Center operates locally. Functions as a network enabler/affiliate rather than a competitor — directly tied to Crisis Center's core Safe Place and TXT 4 HELP offerings.
• Indiana Youth Services Association: Indiana statewide association supporting youth-serving organizations. Listed as Crisis Center's state-level support partner; comparable ecosystem organization aggregating advocacy, training, and funding for similar Indiana youth service providers.

Regional players

• Firefly Children & Family Alliance: Indiana-based child welfare and family services organization (formerly Childplace) providing foster care, residential, and family preservation services across the state. Closest Indiana peer in mission and service mix, though operating in different regions of the state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crisiscenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/crisiscenternwi

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 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 Crisis Center