NKS Veiledningssenter for pårørende

What NKS Veiledningssenter for pårørende does

NKS Veiledningssenter for pårørende is a Norwegian non-profit guidance center, established in 1974 as part of the Sanitetskvinnene (NKS) network — a women's health organization dating to 1896 — to support caregivers (pårørende) of individuals with mental illness or substance abuse disorders. The organization delivers free, anonymous, low-threshold counseling services with no referral required, no session cap, and no journal records, delivered across nine regional centers (Alta, Bodø, Haugesund, Oslo, Sandnes, Skien, Stjørdal, Trondheim, Verdal) plus phone (22 92 00 00), video, Microsoft Teams–based webinars and digital courses, and a free YouTube-hosted video library. Services include individual counseling, family guidance, group sessions (group guidance and informal "kaffeprat"), employer-facing presentations, and a youth panel providing caregiver peer perspectives.

The service portfolio is human-delivered at its core, with no proprietary technology platform beyond standard web and video delivery infrastructure. Specialized offerings include sessions for children and youth as caregivers, supported by dedicated child-counseling staff. Two published books authored by staff ("Til deg" by Susanne F. Nymark and "Barn som pårørende" by Solveig Fjermestad) extend the educational product surface and, in the latter case, target professionals working with vulnerable children.

The revenue model is non-transactional: end-user services are entirely free, and the funding base is led by subsidies from Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health) — explicitly described as insufficient to operate the centers alone. The gap is filled by donations (Vipps) and corporate sponsorships through the Fadderordning program (multi-year commitments), with marginal revenue from book sales. Customer segments span adult caregivers (primary), children/youth as caregivers (primary), families (secondary), and employers as a corporate outreach channel. Marketing is content-led (website, video library, webinars, Facebook, PR/media commentary on caregiver policy) rather than paid, and partnerships — including with Finnmarks sykehuset, LEVE Vestfinnmark, and Mental Helse Alta — extend referral and co-delivery capacity.

Name

NKS Veiledningssenter for pårørende

Legal name

Sanitetskvinnenes Veiledningssenter for pårørende

Website

https://veiledningssenter.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NKS Veiledningssenter for pårørende is a Norwegian non-profit, founded 1974, providing free, anonymous guidance services to caregivers of individuals with mental illness or substance abuse disorders across nine regional centers and digital channels nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Caregiver Counseling Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Mental Health & Counseling Clinics (HLAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Caregiver counseling services
• Family guidance programs
• Mental health support
• Substance abuse caregiver support
• Relatives resource center

Headquarters

HQ city

Alta

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health) subsidies. However, these subsidies alone are not sufficient to operate the centers, requiring additional fundraising.
2. Donations and Sponsor Support: Fadderordning (sponsorship program) where organizations can become ongoing sponsors over a 3-year period or longer to provide financial predictability for regional centers. Also accepts general donations via Vipps.
3. Book Sales: Sale of educational books authored by staff, including 'Til deg' (250 NOK) and 'Barn som pårørende' (219 NOK).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NKS Veiledningssenter for pårørende provides free, low-threshold (lavterskel) counseling and guidance services for relatives (pårørende) of people with mental illness or substance abuse disorders. The organization delivers individual counseling, family guidance, group courses, webinars, lectures, and a video resource library across nine regional centers in Norway plus digital channels (phone, video calls, Microsoft Teams). All services are free, anonymous, and confidential with no referral required.

Product overview

NKS Veiledningssenter for pårørende operates as a single unified guidance center offering free, low-threshold counseling services for relatives of people with mental illness or substance abuse. The organization provides a portfolio of interconnected services including individual counseling sessions, specialized services for children/youth/families, group courses and guidance sessions, presentations for businesses, and a digital video archive. The center conducts webinars and courses both in-person at nine regional offices across Norway and digitally via Microsoft Teams. Two published books authored by staff members ('Til deg' and 'Barn som pårørende') extend the organization's educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individuelle samtaler (Individual Counseling)

Quantifiable outcome

• All services provided free of charge to users
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 minor and core.

• LEVE VestfinnmarkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2026Collaboration on public events in Northern Norway. LEVE Vestfinnmark and Veiledningssenter for pårørende in Nord Norge co-organized an event at Nordlyskatedralen in Alta featuring speakers Maud Angelica Behn and Per Anders Nordengen.
• Mental Helse AltaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2026Collaboration with Mental Helse Alta as a supporter for events in Northern Norway, specifically for the event at Nordlyskatedralen in Alta.
• Finnmarks sykehusetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Ongoing collaboration with Finnmarks sykehuset (Finnmark Hospital) to provide courses for caregivers in the northern region. Courses are held at the center's facilities in Alta.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pårørendealliansen: Norwegian alliance of caregiver organizations advocating for caregiver rights and services. Comparable in caregiver-advocacy positioning and overlaps with NKS Veiledningssenter's policy engagement around expanded caregiver rights.
• LPP (Landsforeningen for pårørende til psykisk syke): National Norwegian association specifically for relatives of people with mental illness. Highly comparable in target population (pårørende to mentally ill) and advocacy-driven mission, with overlapping fundraising and policy engagement.
• Mental Helse: Norwegian mental-health user and relative organization providing peer support and counseling across Norway. Comparable in mental-health caregiver focus and operates local chapters (e.g., Mental Helse Alta) that partner with NKS Veiledningssenter on caregiver events.
• LEVE: Norwegian NGO supporting relatives of people with mental health challenges. Directly comparable in mission (caregiver support for mental illness) and is an active operational partner of NKS Veiledningssenter on local events in Northern Norway.

Broad incumbents

• Blå Kors Norge: Norwegian NGO providing treatment, housing, and family support around substance abuse. Comparable on the substance-abuse caregiver side and competes for the same Helsedirektoratet and donation funding pool.
• Røde Kors Norge: Norwegian Red Cross, large humanitarian organization with national presence and multiple care-adjacent programs. Comparable as a national social-support incumbent and potential alternative source of caregiver services and funding.
• Kirkens Bymisjon: Major Norwegian social-services NGO providing counseling, support groups, and family services nationwide. Comparable as a broader Norwegian social-services incumbent delivering caregiver-adjacent support through physical and digital channels.
• Sanitetskvinnene (NKS): Parent organization of NKS Veiledningssenter, founded in 1896. Comparable as the broader Norwegian women's health and social-services NGO umbrella that provides institutional, brand, and funding backbone to the guidance center.

Regional players

• Carers UK: UK national charity supporting unpaid family caregivers with information, advice, and advocacy. Comparable in caregiver-support mission and hybrid service model but serves the UK market rather than Norway.
• Anhörigas Riksförbund (Sverige): Swedish national association for relatives and family caregivers. Directly comparable in mission (relative/caregiver advocacy and support) but operates in Sweden rather than Norway, making it a regional rather than domestic peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@veiledningssenteret
• Facebookfacebook.com/veiledningssenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 NKS Veiledningssenter for pårørende