First Choice Services

What First Choice Services does

First Choice Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit behavioral health organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia. It operates a portfolio of crisis intervention and behavioral health programs across the state, including Help4WV (the state's general behavioral health helpline), the WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (the federally-mandated suicide and crisis backup for West Virginia), 1-800-GAMBLER (problem gambling helpline), the Children's Crisis & Referral Line, Peer Recovery Coaching, Jobs & Hope WV (a second-chance employment program), the ACA Navigator program, and the WV CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) initiative.

The underlying service delivery is human-staffed: trained crisis counselors, peer recovery specialists, and law-enforcement liaison staff answer calls, texts, and web-based contacts and route individuals to clinical, recovery, or social-service resources. Technology is limited to standard telephony, SMS gateways, and web intake forms; there is no evidence of proprietary software, AI/ML systems, or differentiated platform architecture. The organization is essentially a workforce- and partnership-intensive service provider rather than a software product company.

The business model is government grants and contracts. All services are free to end users at the point of delivery. Revenue is sourced from state and federal contracts (e.g., West Virginia Department of Health, federal SAMHSA 988 funding, and other grant-making agencies), with no fees, insurance billing, or consumer-side revenue. The customer is effectively the state government and its sub-grantors, while the beneficiary population is West Virginia residents in crisis. The organization is expanding its footprint with a new Fairmont, WV office planned for fall 2026, supported by approximately 30 new hires.

Name

First Choice Services

Legal name

First Choice Services

Website

https://1stchs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Choice Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 in Charleston, WV that operates multiple free state crisis hotlines, including the WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Help4WV, 1-800-GAMBLER, and children's crisis services, serving West Virginia residents in crisis through government-funded programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health and Crisis Intervention Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention services
• Behavioral health helpline
• Suicide prevention lifeline
• Addiction recovery support
• Mental health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit behavioral health organization, First Choice Services operates primarily through government-funded contracts and grants, including state and federal funding for crisis hotline operations such as the WV 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

First Choice Services operates a network of free, confidential behavioral health helplines and support programs for West Virginia residents. Core offerings include the WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the Help4WV addiction and crisis line, the 1-800-GAMBLER problem gambling helpline, a Children's Crisis & Referral Line, Peer Recovery Coaching, ACA Navigator health coverage enrollment, the Jobs & Hope WV second-chance employment program, and the WV Crisis Intervention Team law enforcement training program. All services are provided at no cost to individuals in crisis.

Product overview

First Choice Services operates a coordinated network of behavioral health helplines and support programs serving West Virginia residents. The organization functions as a single unified service platform offering multiple interconnected crisis lines and referral services. The core programs include the WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for suicide prevention, Help4WV for addiction and crisis support, 1-800-GAMBLER for problem gambling assistance, ACA Navigator for healthcare enrollment, Children's Crisis & Referral Line for youth mental health, Peer Recovery Coaches for addiction mentorship, Jobs & Hope WV for second-chance employment, and WV CIT for law enforcement crisis training. Together these programs provide continuous coverage for addiction, mental health, suicidal crisis, problem gambling, healthcare access, and employment barriers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Help4WV: Addiction and crisis support hotline and resources
• WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
• 1-800-GAMBLER
• Jobs & Hope WV

Products and services

• Help4WV 24/7 crisis line providing immediate support for addiction, mental health crises, and substance use disorders; connects callers to treatment resources and includes a children's crisis and referral line. Targeted at West Virginia residents and their families.
• WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Statewide crisis hotline routing 988 calls within West Virginia; provides free, confidential emotional support for people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
• 1-800-GAMBLER Problem gambling helpline providing confidential support, resources, and referrals for individuals and families affected by gambling addiction.
• ACA Navigator Healthcare coverage enrollment assistance helping individuals and families understand and sign up for Affordable Care Act insurance plans.
• Children's Crisis & Referral Line Dedicated crisis line for children and youth experiencing mental health crises; connects families to appropriate care and resources.
• Peer Recovery Coaches Trained individuals with lived experience in recovery who provide mentorship, support, and guidance to those seeking addiction recovery.
• Jobs & Hope WV Employment assistance program designed for individuals with criminal records and other employment barriers; provides job training, placement support, and career development services.
• WV Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Law enforcement training program for responding to mental health crises; aims to divert individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system to treatment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 25,000 calls and 13,000 texts fielded from West Virginia residents in the past year

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Virginia State Police (WVSP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 July 2026WVSP expanded initiative connecting people to addiction help. Police vehicles carry QR codes that link directly to addiction treatment services, enabling immediate access for individuals encountered by law enforcement.
• Local Police Departments (Police Angel Initiative)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with local law enforcement to provide accessible addiction treatment through the Police Angel Initiative, allowing police to connect individuals directly to Help4WV services.
• Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinks to PA Get Help Now program (pennsylvania.gov) for substance use disorder treatment and support in Pennsylvania, extending geographic reach beyond West Virginia.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Health Resources in Action: Operates state-funded public health helplines and crisis lines (including the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline). Comparable as a nonprofit operating crisis hotline infrastructure with government contract funding.
• RI International: Operates crisis lines, mobile crisis response, and behavioral health crisis stabilization programs across multiple U.S. states. Comparable to First Choice Services in operating 24/7 crisis hotlines (including for 988 in some regions) and providing community-based crisis interventions.
• Vibrant Emotional Health: Operates the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline backup center and a portfolio of crisis helplines including NYC Well. Most directly comparable as a 988/crisis-line operating peer to First Choice Services, with similar reliance on government contracts and hotline infrastructure.
• Crisis Text Line: National, text-based crisis support service operating 24/7 across the U.S. Directly comparable to First Choice Services' text and chat crisis channels, and competes for the same federal and state crisis-services funding.
• Resolve Crisis Services: Pittsburgh-based crisis services program offering 24/7 crisis intervention, mobile crisis response, and residential stabilization. Comparable to First Choice Services as a multi-channel crisis services operator in a specific region.
• Allegheny County Department of Human Services — Crisis Services: County-administered crisis and behavioral health hotline services. Comparable as a government-funded crisis-line operator with similar mission, funding model, and 24/7 hotline infrastructure.
• Behavioral Health Link (now Connect 211): Georgia-based nonprofit operating crisis and access-to-care lines serving as a regional crisis hub. Comparable to First Choice Services in operating state-affiliated crisis lines and behavioral health referrals under government contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Magellan Health: Large managed behavioral health organization that operates crisis lines as part of a broader portfolio including managed care, EAP, and integrated behavioral health. Comparable to First Choice Services through overlapping crisis-line capabilities, but at much larger scale and as part of a broader MBHO business.
• Centene Corporation: Major managed care company with significant behavioral health exposure and crisis services contracts with state Medicaid programs. Comparable as a state-government contractor delivering behavioral health crisis services, though at vastly greater scale and through insurance rather than direct nonprofit channels.

Regional players

• Volunteers of America Mid-Atlantic: Regional nonprofit providing behavioral health, reentry, and supportive services including crisis intervention and employment programs. Comparable to First Choice Services through overlapping nonprofit social services, reentry employment (Jobs & Hope WV analog), and crisis support offerings in a defined geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-choice-health-systems

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 First Choice Services