Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon

What Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon does

Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (now operating as The Peer Company) is a 501(c)(3) peer-run nonprofit headquartered in Portland, Oregon, delivering free mental health and substance use recovery support to individuals in the greater Portland metropolitan area and training the peer support workforce statewide. The organization operates a multi-program portfolio rather than a single product: direct peer support services (EVOLVE, PeerZone, PeerLife), the Center for Addictions Triage and Treatment (CATT) walk-in center, the Recovery Campus, the Youth & Young Adult Peer Mentoring program, the Pathway Home reentry program for justice-involved adults, and an internal PS4PSS program supporting peer specialists themselves. Core technology consists of the PeerGalaxy Calendar — a 24/7/365 virtual portal hosting 6,400+ wellness activities and 4,650+ warmline hours — and the OPTIC Learning Hub, which delivers the 80-hour peer wellness specialist certification training via the LearnWorlds LMS. Telehealth is delivered through commodity tools (phone, Skype, Zoom, FaceTime).

The revenue model is mixed and grant-dependent: federal and state government grants (most notably a $3.96M U.S. Department of Labor Pathway Home award in 2020), individual and organizational donations (501(c)(3) charitable giving), and training program fees from the OPTIC certification pipeline. Services to individuals are free or sliding-scale; pricing for training programs is not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a board of directors, is peer-run by design, and serves 1,000+ clients annually with a staff of 47 across four physical locations. The customer base is bifurcated: end-user "peers" (individuals in recovery) and institutional funders/partners (Oregon Health Authority, U.S. Department of Labor, Oregon's U.S. Senators). On September 1, 2025, the organization rebranded to The Peer Company while preserving mission, programs, and staff.

Name

Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon

Legal name

Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon

Website

https://mhaoforegon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Peer Company (formerly Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon) is a 501(c)(3) peer-run nonprofit in Portland, Oregon providing free mental health and addiction recovery support to 1,000+ clients annually in the Portland metro area, plus statewide workforce training through its OPTIC certification program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer Recovery Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Peer support services
• Mental health recovery
• Addiction recovery services
• Peer wellness training
• Reentry employment support

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal & State Grants: Primary revenue stream from government grants including U.S. Department of Labor Pathway Home program ($3.96 million federal grant in 2020) supporting reentry services for justice-involved adults, and Oregon Health Authority funding.
2. Donations & Charitable Contributions: Individual and organizational donations supporting nonprofit operations and programs. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
3. Training Program Fees: Revenue from OPTIC training programs offering peer wellness specialist certification and other professional training for the peer support workforce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (now The Peer Company) is a peer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers no-cost, person-to-person peer support services for individuals experiencing mental health and/or substance use challenges in the greater Portland metropolitan area. The organization supplements direct recovery support with a portfolio of programs including EVOLVE peer-delivered services, the Pathway Home reentry employment program for justice-involved adults, the OPTIC peer support certification training program, and the PeerGalaxy Calendar virtual wellness portal offering 24/7 access to wellness activities and warmlines.

Product overview

The Peer Company (formerly Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon) is a nonprofit peer-run organization offering a comprehensive suite of peer support services focused on mental health and addiction recovery. The organization operates as a multi-program portfolio rather than a single unified product. Core offerings include direct Peer Support Services providing person-to-person recovery support at no cost; OPTIC (Oregon Peer Training & Innovation Center) delivering certification and continuing education through an online learning platform; EVOLVE Peer Delivered Services; Pathway Home for justice-involved employment support; and the annual Peerpocalypse national conference. Additional programs include PeerZone resources, PeerLife, the PeerGalaxy Calendar virtual support portal, Youth & Young Adult Peer Mentoring, Emerging Leaders development, Peer Pain Training, and DEI Initiative. The organization also facilitates recovery events (The Glow Up, Recovery Rush) and conducts housing/needs assessments. Services are primarily focused on the greater Portland metropolitan area with statewide training reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OPTIC (Oregon Peer Training & Innovation Center): Training program for individuals entering the peer support field, offering certification training and professional development.
• Peerpocalypse
• PeerGalaxy
• EVOLVE
• PeerZone
• Project PEER
• CATT (Center for Addictions Triage and Treatment)
• Recovery Campus

Products and services

• Peer Support Services

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 clients served annually through direct peer recovery support services in the greater Portland metropolitan area
• +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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff MerkleycoreOthers · 1 July 2020Oregon's U.S. Senators championed MHAAO's federal grant application and publicly announced the $3.96 million Pathway Home award, expressing support for employment as essential to successful reentry for justice-involved adults.
• PeerGalaxy Calendar EcosystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of peer-run organizations across Oregon providing virtual peer support offerings on the PeerGalaxy Calendar platform. Organizations include MHAAO and partners like IN IT Together: Pandemic Stress Support Community and Surviving Race Caring Community Peer Support Network (SRCCPSN).
• Trauma Informed OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for whom Laura Rose authored the original PeerGalaxy Calendar article 'An Incredible Galaxy of Peer Support Offerings' published June 9, 2020, showcasing collaborative knowledge sharing in Oregon's peer support ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Recovery International: Peer-run nonprofit providing self-help groups and peer-led training for people managing mental health conditions using cognitive-behavioral methods. Comparable mission and training-program architecture to MHAAO's peer support and OPTIC training model.
• SMART Recovery: Peer-led mutual-help organization supporting individuals with substance use and behavioral health challenges through self-empowering meetings and tools. Comparable in peer-delivered service delivery and recovery-support mission, with national reach versus MHAAO's regional concentration.
• Faces & Voices of Recovery: National nonprofit recovery community organization advancing the voice and visibility of the recovery community. Directly comparable to MHAAO as a peer-led recovery advocacy and support organization, though operating at the national rather than state level.
• The Phoenix: National nonprofit using community-based, peer-led fitness and sober-active engagement to support people in recovery from substance use. Closely comparable operating model: peer-run nonprofit, free services, lived-experience staff, and a recovery-support mission very similar to MHAAO's PeerZone/Glow Up events.
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: National peer-led organization providing support groups, education, and peer specialist training for people living with mood disorders. Directly comparable peer-delivered model and peer specialist training programs analogous to MHAAO's OPTIC offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: National nonprofit focused on mental health advocacy, peer-run programs, and community-based support. Comparable in mission and peer-delivered service orientation, but as a much larger, established incumbent with a broad portfolio spanning education, screening, and policy.

Regional players

• NAMI Oregon: Oregon affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness providing peer-led support groups, education, and advocacy for people with mental illness. Comparable peer-support model and shared Oregon geography, with similar reliance on lived-experience facilitators.
• Oregon Recovers: Oregon-based recovery advocacy coalition working on Measure 110 implementation and recovery funding. Highly comparable given overlapping geography (Oregon), focus on substance use recovery, and policy work directly tied to MHAAO's funding environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mhaoforegon
• Facebookfacebook.com/MHAofOregon

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 Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon