ISPS-US

What ISPS-US does

ISPS-US is the United States chapter of the International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1998 by David Feinsilver, MD, and headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. The organization exists to promote psychological and social approaches to psychosis as alternatives to medication-only treatment, with explicit attention to trauma, social determinants, lived experience, and rights-based care. It functions as the US arm of a 70-year international movement founded in 1956 by Swiss psychiatrists Christian Müller and Gaetano Benedetti that today spans 19 countries across five continents.

The organization's product surface is centered on continuing education and community. Core offerings include live and recorded webinars (35+ in the library), self-paced on-demand courses covering models such as Open Dialogue, Soteria, the Trieste Model, and Internal Family Systems, a hybrid annual conference (25th edition in 2026, hosted at John Jay College in Manhattan), and subscription access to the ISPS Journal 'Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches' published via Taylor & Francis and the ISPS Book Series via Routledge. Adjacent community products include member groups (ICOSS, Book Club, Research Interest Group, Family Support Group, Meditation, Community Chat), a Speakers Bureau, regional branches (New York, Southern California, Minnesota), and advocacy initiatives targeting state-level mental health policy. The underlying technology stack is conventional — NeonCRM for membership management, Zoom for webinars, YouTube for content distribution, and a website — with no proprietary platform.

ISPS-US serves a heterogeneous membership base: mental health service providers (67% of members), academics/researchers/students (38.3%), individuals with lived experience of psychosis (22%), and family members (20%). Revenue is generated through individual membership dues (starting at $6.67/month), institutional memberships, conference ticket sales ranging from $60 to $450, CE-accredited and non-CE webinar/course sales (starting at $10), corporate sponsorships ($500-$2,500 packages), and tax-deductible donations including a monthly giving circle. The organization is small (1-10 employees), active (9% membership growth and 22% event growth in 2025), and operates without external funding rounds or acquisitions.

Name

ISPS-US

Legal name

The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis - US Chapter

Website

https://isps-us.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ISPS-US is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1998 that educates mental health professionals, researchers, individuals with lived experience of psychosis, and families on psychological and social treatment alternatives through webinars, conferences, publications, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Individual and institutional membership fees. Individual membership starts at $6.67/month. Members receive free access to webinar library, journal subscription, access to member groups, conference discounts, and 20% discount on ISPS books from Routledge.
2. Conference Revenue: Annual conference ticket sales (in-person and virtual). 2026 Super-Early Bird pricing: In-Person $135-$450, Virtual $60-$180. Also includes sponsorship packages ranging from $500 to $2,500.
3. Educational Programs: Webinar library sales (prices start from $10 for recorded content without CEs). CE-accredited courses available for APA and New York Boards. Self-paced course access through CE and non-CE libraries.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN: 13-4037724). Monthly giving circle (Movement Makers) and one-time donations. Also receives donations through Donor-Advised Funds and matching gifts programs.
5. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for webinars and annual conferences. Sponsorship packages include visibility at live events and enduring recorded content, branding, mailing list access, and physical/virtual booths.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ISPS-US is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that delivers educational programs, advocacy, and community services promoting psychological and social approaches to psychosis. Its core offerings include live and recorded webinars, self-paced CE-accredited courses, an annual hybrid conference, the ISPS Journal, and a network of community groups and regional branches serving mental health professionals, individuals with lived experience of psychosis, family members, and academic researchers.

Product overview

ISPS-US is a nonprofit membership organization offering a portfolio of educational products and community services focused on psychological and social approaches to psychosis. The core offerings include live and recorded educational webinars, self-paced on-demand courses, annual hybrid conferences, and subscriptions to the ISPS Journal (Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches) and Routledge book series. Additional products include member groups (ICOSS, Book Club, Community Chat, Research Interest Group, Spiritual Wellness, Meditation, Family Support), a Speakers Bureau, regional branches (NY, SoCal, Minnesota), and advocacy initiatives. Membership is available at individual and institutional tiers, providing access to educational content, community groups, conference discounts, and publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educational Webinars Live and recorded webinars highlighting cutting-edge approaches, systemic insights, and fresh perspectives on psychosis, covering topics including psychoanalysis, peer support, homelessness, stigma, CBTp, and creative therapies. Available to members at no additional cost; CE accreditation available for APA and New York Boards.
• Self-Paced Courses On-demand, expert-led modules available 24/7 covering alternatives to hospitalization (Trieste Model, Soteria, Peer Respites), voice hearing approaches, human rights in care, systemic change, research, and treatments such as Open Dialogue and Internal Family Systems. CE-accredited and non-CE options available.
• Annual Conference Hybrid annual conferences bringing together mental health professionals, advocates, and allies for networking, brainstorming, and development opportunities, featuring interaction between members and sponsors. Held in rotating U.S. cities; 2024 conference featured 88 speakers.
• ISPS Journal (Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches) Quarterly peer-reviewed journal addressing psychological treatments of psychosis and psycho-social causes, published through Taylor & Francis and provided as part of ISPS-US membership.
• ISPS Book Series Book series published through Routledge providing a forum for authors with varied lived and professional experiences around psychological and social approaches to psychosis. Members receive 20% discount on all ISPS books.
• A Way Out of Madness (Book) Self-published book (2010) edited by Daniel Mackler and Matthew Morrisey offering guidance in resolving family conflict after psychiatric diagnosis, including personal accounts of family healing. Featured and sold via the ISPS-US website.
• Member Groups Community-building groups including ICOSS (Creative Online Sharing Space), Community Chat, Research Interest Group, Book Club, Spiritual Wellness, Meditation, and Family Support Group, fostering connection and shared learning among members.
• Speakers Bureau Platform connecting event organizers with diverse speakers including service providers, academics, clinicians, individuals with lived experience, and families for conferences, workshops, panel discussions, educational events, and media engagements.
• Regional Branches Localized grassroots efforts across the U.S. including New York, Southern California, and Minnesota branches that bring the ISPS-US mission and values to their communities through meetings, workshops, and presentations.
• Advocacy Initiatives Systemic change efforts within arenas such as the mental health system, education system, media, and public policy, including support for legislation like the Written Informed Consent Act and opposing forced psychiatric commitment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9% membership growth in 2025 with diverse membership composition (67% service providers, 38.3% academics/researchers/students, 22% lived experience, 20% family members)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• John Jay College of Criminal JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Host venue for the 25th Annual ISPS-US Conference 'Psychosis and the Social Link' in November 2026. Located in Manhattan, NYC.
• Windhorse Integrative Mental HealthminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Presenting Conference Sponsor for ISPS-US 2026 Annual Conference. Windhorse provides integrative mental health services using a therapeutic community approach.
• Chicago Center for PsychoanalysisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of monthly clinical consultation group for early-career clinicians working psychoanalytically/psychodynamically with individuals diagnosed with psychosis.
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative Fall Training Series exploring psychosis through an occupational lens, challenging traditional biomedical model.
• Taylor & FranciscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPublisher of the ISPS Journal 'Psychosis: Psychological, Social and Integrative Approaches'. Provides journal subscription as member benefit.
• RoutledgecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPublisher of ISPS International Book Series. Members receive 20% discount on all ISPS books published by Routledge.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Bring Change to Mind: Mental health awareness and education nonprofit with peer-led programming — comparable education/advocacy/community-engagement model, but focused on stigma reduction across all mental health conditions.
• Active Minds: Mental health education and advocacy nonprofit focused on young adults — comparable membership/community/advocacy model, but oriented to college-age populations and broader mental health.

Direct peers

• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: Legal advocacy organization focused on rights of people with mental illness including opposition to forced treatment — shares ISPS-US's policy-advocacy dimension and rights-based framing.
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): Peer-led mental health nonprofit offering support groups, education, and advocacy — directly comparable model (membership, peer support, educational programs) though focused on mood disorders rather than psychosis.
• Clubhouse International: Network of psychosocial rehabilitation communities for people with serious mental illness including psychosis — shares ISPS-US's commitment to community-based, non-coercive alternatives to hospitalization.
• International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry (ISEPP): Member-based organization critiquing mainstream psychiatric practice and promoting alternatives — closely aligned with ISPS-US's rights-based, alternatives-to-medication advocacy position.
• Hearing Voices Network (Intervoice): International network promoting lived-experience and non-medical approaches to hearing voices and psychosis — directly comparable to ISPS-US's peer-support, voice-hearing, and rights-based care orientation.

Broad incumbents

• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: Membership organization representing mental health and substance use treatment provider organizations — comparable as a provider-facing membership body, but much larger and serving a broader constituency.
• Mental Health America (MHA): Largest US community-based mental health nonprofit; comparable as a membership/advocacy organization but operates across all mental health conditions rather than specializing in psychosis.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Largest US grassroots mental health advocacy organization with affiliate/state structure — analogous to ISPS-US's regional branches, but with a much broader (non-psychosis-specific) scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ispsus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@isps_us
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISPSUS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/83976687
• Instagraminstagram.com/isps_us

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 ISPS-US