Youth Services of Tulsa

What Youth Services of Tulsa does

Youth Services of Tulsa (YST) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1969 that delivers a comprehensive portfolio of direct-service programs to at-risk and homeless youth ages 12-24 in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metropolitan area. The organization operates four core program verticals: Runaway and Homeless Services (24-hour emergency shelter, The Station drop-in center, Safe Place network, housing assistance, Rapid Re-Housing), Counseling (individual, family, community-based, substance abuse, LGBTQ+, Medicaid-billable), Delinquency Prevention (Youth Court, Re-Entry, MAP court diversion), and Youth Development (Coffee House, Youth Advisory Board, Sexual Health Awareness, social enterprise). YST reports serving nearly 17,000-20,000 youth annually and cumulatively over 300,000 youth since its founding.

Name

Youth Services of Tulsa

Legal name

Youth Services of Tulsa, Inc.

Website

https://yst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Youth Services of Tulsa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 that provides shelter, counseling, housing, and youth development programs to at-risk and homeless youth ages 12-24 in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Community Social Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Youth social services
• Homeless youth shelter
• Community mental health
• Juvenile justice diversion
• Youth development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual and corporate donations from donors supporting homeless and at-risk youth services. Includes monthly giving program (Team YST) and one-time gifts.
2. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Bequests, wills, trusts, life insurance, and IRA designations through the CatalYST Circle planned giving society.
3. Team YST Monthly Giving: Monthly recurring donations from 311 members at $3.11/month generating approximately $11,606 annually.
4. Program Service Fees: Income-based sliding scale fees for counseling services. No one turned away for inability to pay.
5. T-Town Tacos Social Enterprise: Catering revenue from breakfast and lunch tacos, employing youth ages 18-24 in YST programs. 20 taco minimum, 48 hour advance notice required.
6. Government Grants and Contracts: Federal and state funding for runaway and homeless youth programs, delinquency prevention, and counseling services.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Youth Services of Tulsa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides emergency shelter, individual and family counseling, street outreach, housing assistance, juvenile justice diversion, and youth development programs to at-risk youth ages 12-24 in the Tulsa, Oklahoma metropolitan area. Services are delivered primarily free of charge or on an income-based sliding scale across four program pillars: runaway and homeless youth services, counseling, delinquency prevention, and youth development. The organization also operates T-Town Tacos, a social enterprise catering business that employs program participants ages 18-24.

Product overview

Youth Services of Tulsa (YST) offers a multi-service nonprofit platform focused on serving at-risk and homeless youth ages 12-24 through four core program areas: Runaway and Homeless Services, Counseling, Delinquency Prevention, and Youth Development. The portfolio includes core service products (Individual and Family Counseling, SAFE PLACE, Adolescent Emergency Shelter, Housing Services, Rapid Re-Housing), community support programs (Street Outreach & The Station, Coffee House, Youth Advisory Board), justice intervention programs (Youth Court, Re-Entry, MAP), health services (Substance Abuse Counseling, Sexual Health Awareness, LGBTQ+ Services, Adolescent Health Clinic), a social enterprise (T-Town Tacos), and annual fundraising events (2nd Chance Prom, Taste of Brookside, Gifts of Hope). The organization operates from its main campus in downtown Tulsa with counseling offices in Broken Arrow and Owasso.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• T-Town Tacos: Youth Services of Tulsa's social enterprise that employs youth ages 18-24 participating in YST programs. Provides breakfast and lunch tacos, available for delivery/catering. Teaches employment skills to help youth transition toward independence.

Products and services

• Individual and Family Counseling Licensed professionals offer office-based counseling services to help youth and families navigate adolescence by improving communication skills, eliminating symptoms of distress, and developing short-term solutions. Fees are determined on an income-based sliding scale.
• Street Outreach Services and The Station Drop-In Center Drop-in center at 219 South Madison Avenue offering hot meals, showers, laundry, hygiene, and WiFi for youth ages 16-24 experiencing homelessness, with staff support to connect them to additional programming. Open Monday-Friday 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Safe Place Network Network of 300+ sites across Tulsa providing safe places for youth in crisis, with trained volunteers transporting youth to the shelter. Sites include QuikTrip stores, fire stations, Tulsa Transit buses, EMSA ambulances, and Tulsa City-County Libraries.
• Adolescent Emergency Shelter 24-hour emergency shelter for youth ages 12-17 without a safe place to go, providing warm beds, hot meals, showers, clean clothes, counseling, and support to help youth return safely home or to stable living situations.
• Housing Services Housing assistance and support services for youth ages 16-24 experiencing homelessness, with intensive case management focusing on life skills, employment, and education to achieve self-sufficiency.
• Rapid Re-Housing Program Program connecting property managers to tenants through short-term rental assistance paired with supportive services, including case management, life skills development, career services, and dedicated housing support. Documents a 92% tenant retention rate.
• T-Town Tacos Social Enterprise Social enterprise providing breakfast and lunch tacos, employing youth ages 18-24 participating in YST programs to teach employment skills and support transition toward independence. Operates as a catering service with a 20-taco minimum and 48-hour advance order notice.
• Coffee House Saturday night program for youth ages 12-18 offering a safe hangout space with live music, WiFi, and free hot beverages courtesy of QuikTrip. Open every Saturday from 7-11 PM with admission always free.
• Youth Court Court diversion program allowing first-time juvenile offenders to be tried by peers, with sentencing including restitution and community service. Volunteer attorneys train youth to serve as officers in trials. Funded by the Oklahoma Bar Foundation.
• Re-Entry Program Partnership with the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs helping juvenile offenders return to homes, schools, and communities from out-of-home placement through counseling and case management services.
• Substance Abuse Counseling Licensed professionals assist youth on the path to recovery through prevention, education, and outpatient counseling. Fees are on an income-based sliding scale.
• Sexual Health Awareness Services Program empowering youth to avoid high-risk behaviors, prevent pregnancy and STDs, and focus on positive life goals using evidence-based curricula in group settings throughout the community.
• LGBTQ+ Services Support and education for youth exploring sexual identity, gender identity, and self-expression while building confidence and leadership skills through Gay/Straight Alliances in schools.
• Community-Based Counseling Services provided in the community, primarily at home or school, removing transportation barriers. Eligibility requires Medicaid insurance or juvenile justice system referral.
• MAP (Misdemeanor Accountability Program) Court diversion program helping youth navigate and successfully exit juvenile justice for misdemeanor offenses through classes focusing on communication skills and emotional regulation.
• Youth Advisory Board (YAB) Program giving teens and young adults ages 14-22 an active role in informing and improving YST's programs, developing leadership skills and serving as program ambassadors.
• Adolescent Health Clinic On-site medical clinic operated by Community Health Connection at YST to assist at-risk youth in gaining access to medical care.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% tenant retention rate - clients take over rent payments and maintain housing after completing Rapid Re-Housing Program
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Tulsa Area United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor community partner and charitable organization supporting YST's mission. YST is a member agency of Tulsa Area United Way.
• QuikTripcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner providing Coffee House supplies (free hot beverages for youth), Safe Place locations at all QT stores (300+ sites), and ongoing food donations. Corporate sponsor for multiple YST events and programs.
• Community Health ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates the on-site Adolescent Medical Clinic at YST, providing medical care access for at-risk youth.
• Community Food Bank of Eastern OklahomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with T-Town Tacos social enterprise, providing food supplies for the catering program that employs homeless youth.
• Office of Juvenile AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnered with YST for the Re-Entry program, helping juvenile offenders return to homes, schools, and communities from placement.
• Brookside Business AssociationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresents the annual Taste of Brookside fundraising event, bringing together 20+ Brookside restaurants to support YST's programs.
• Various Restaurants (Biga, Cafe Ole, Elmers BBQ, etc.)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipating establishments at Taste of Brookside event, offering food samples to event attendees.
• Property Managers (Rapid Rehousing Program)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperty managers partner with YST's Rapid Rehousing Program to provide housing for homeless youth ages 17-24, with 92% tenant retention rate.
• Tulsa Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw enforcement partner supporting Safe Place program and other youth services; Naresh Persaud from Tulsa PD serves on YST Board.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Covenant House: National nonprofit serving homeless and trafficked youth ages 16-24 with emergency shelter, housing, and wraparound services, directly comparable to YST's runaway/homeless youth programs and Safe Place network model.
• National Runaway Safeline: National crisis line and resource network for runaway and homeless youth and their families, directly aligned with YST's runaway/homeless services, Safe Place, and 24-hour shelter mission.
• Tulsa Boys' Home: Tulsa-area residential program for at-risk and justice-involved boys/teens operating a 24/7 campus, comparable to YST's emergency shelter, counseling, and juvenile justice diversion offerings in the same geography.
• Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP) Tulsa: Faith-based 12-step recovery program for adolescents and adults serving substance abuse needs, comparable to YST's substance abuse counseling service in the Tulsa market.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Tulsa: Local youth development nonprofit in the same Tulsa funding pool offering after-school programs, leadership development, and youth services to overlapping age demographics, including counseling and youth development programming.

Broad incumbents

• Youth Villages: Large national nonprofit serving emotionally and behaviorally troubled youth through residential, counseling, and community-based programs, comparable to YST's counseling, shelter, and intensive case management services at greater scale.
• Children's Home Society of Oklahoma: Statewide nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, counseling, and family preservation services across Oklahoma, comparable to YST's child welfare, counseling, and family support services statewide.

Regional players

• Salvation Army Tulsa Area Command: Regional social services provider offering emergency shelter, food, and youth programs in Tulsa, competing for overlapping funding and serving a similar homeless/at-risk population.
• Florence Crittenton Services of Oklahoma: Oklahoma nonprofit providing housing, counseling, and pregnancy prevention services to at-risk adolescent girls and young women, comparable in mission and program mix to several YST offerings including counseling and sexual health awareness.

Emerging players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma: Statewide mentoring nonprofit for at-risk youth, comparable to portions of YST's youth development programming and Youth Advisory Board leadership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHCpI4S3IejmDTlPpeo9WxA
• Facebookfacebook.com/youthservicesoftulsa
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthservicesoftulsa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-services-of-tulsa

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Youth Services of Tulsa