House of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation

What House of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation does

House of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation ("HOME") is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2005–2006 by Dolores Mortimer and headquartered at 2030 Main Street, Dunedin, Florida, delivering outpatient mental health and educational services to children (as young as 3), adolescents, adults, and families in Pinellas County. Its service portfolio comprises individual counseling, group counseling, family counseling, and tele-health sessions, delivered through therapeutic modalities including play therapy, sand tray therapy, creative arts therapy, cognitive therapy, behavior modification, relationship therapy, psychoeducational therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. The organization also offers community-facing Presentations & Trainings on mental health topics to churches, schools, and organizations. Therapy is administered by Licensed Mental Health Counselors with a stated minimum of 7 years of experience, with the founder having held Registered Play Therapist/Supervisor credentials — a scarce specialization in the Tampa Bay area — and the Clinical Director holding 30+ years of LMHC experience.

The technical architecture of the offering is human-delivered and modality-based rather than platform-based; HOME operates a single physical facility (open Tues–Thurs 10AM–7PM, Fri 10AM–6PM) plus a tele-health delivery channel accessed via phone or online contact form, with a therapist-matching process based on an in-house client assessment. There is no proprietary software or AI component; digital touchpoints consist of a WordPress-based website (houseofmercy-fl.org), a HOMEtown newsletter, blog content, and the GreatNonreviews peer review profile.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining client fees (a self-pay rate of $150 per session), reimbursements from in-network insurers (Aetna, BayCare, Cigna, Health Advocate Solutions, Sunshine Health, Tricare), and tax-deductible donations and grants from a diversified base of community partners including Kiwanis clubs, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Pinellas Community Foundation, the City of Dunedin, and multiple private foundations. To preserve accessibility for economically disadvantaged families, HOME maintains sliding-scale fees and a scholarship program funded through donations, with stated rates held below 60% of the Pinellas County counseling average. The go-to-market motion is predominantly direct-to-consumer via in-center and tele-health appointments, supplemented by community outreach presentations and referral partnerships with faith and civic organizations.

Name

House of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation

Legal name

The House Of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation

Website

https://houseofmercy-fl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

House of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Dunedin, Florida, founded in 2005–2006 by Dolores Mortimer, delivering outpatient mental health and educational counseling to children, adolescents, adults, and families across Pinellas County through in-center and tele-health services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Emotional/Trauma-Informed Childcare (anxiety, PTSD) (HSAAAIAI), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Mental health counseling
• Play therapy services
• Family therapy
• Telehealth counseling
• Nonprofit counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dunedin

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Client Fees and Insurance Reimbursement: Fees collected from clients for therapeutic services, with reimbursement from accepted insurance providers including Aetna, BayCare, Cigna, Health Advocate Solutions, Sunshine Health, and Tricare.
2. Self-Pay and Sliding Scale Fees: Full self-pay rate of $150 per session, with sliding scale fees available based on financial assessment. Provides access for economically disadvantaged clients.
3. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, community organizations, and foundations. Sponsors include Kiwanis clubs, church organizations, community foundations, and corporate foundations.
4. Scholarships: Need-based scholarships funded through grants and donations, available depending on eligibility to help families who cannot afford services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

House of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation (HOME) is a 501(c)(3) faith-based non-profit that delivers diagnostic, therapeutic, and educational mental health services to children (ages 3+), adolescents, adults, and families in the Dunedin, Florida area. Service delivery combines in-center sessions at a dedicated facility with telehealth appointments, supported by a therapist matching process, sliding scale fees, scholarships, and insurance billing across multiple therapeutic modalities including play therapy, sand tray therapy, creative arts therapy, cognitive therapy, behavior modification, and psychodynamic approaches.

Product overview

House of Mercy & Encouragement (HOME) is a faith-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a unified suite of mental health and educational services. The core offerings include individual counseling, group counseling, family counseling, and tele-health services, all delivered by licensed mental health professionals. Therapeutic modalities include play therapy, sand tray therapy, creative arts therapy, cognitive therapy, behavior modification, and psychodynamic approaches. The organization also provides educational presentations and trainings for community organizations, along with tutoring and behavior management services. Services are available both in-center and online, with financial assistance options including sliding scale fees and scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Counseling One-on-one therapeutic counseling for children, adolescents, and adults using multiple modalities including creative arts, play therapy, sand tray therapy, traditional talk therapy, relationship therapy, cognitive therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.
• Group Counseling Social and emotional skill-building group sessions for children and teens using art, music, games, and stories in a nurturing environment to build friendships and emotional regulation.
• Tele-Health Services Remote online therapy and counseling sessions offered to children, adolescents, adults, and families who cannot attend in-person sessions at the Dunedin facility.
• Play Therapy Specialized therapeutic approach for children as young as three years old using play to help them express emotions, process experiences, and develop coping skills.
• Sand Tray Therapy Expressive therapy technique using a sandbox and miniature figures to help clients, particularly children, explore thoughts and feelings non-verbally.
• Creative Arts Therapy Art-based therapeutic interventions using painting and artistic expression to help children and teenagers express themselves and process emotions.
• Presentations & Trainings Professional presentations and trainings on mental health topics for churches, schools, and organizations covering depression, anxiety, ADHD, social-emotional learning, bullying prevention, and play therapy.
• Family Counseling Therapeutic services working with families as a whole unit to promote faster healing, better communication, and a healthier family environment.

Quantifiable outcome

• HOME rates are less than 60% of county average counseling fees, making mental health services accessible to economically disadvantaged families.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dunedin Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business organization that recognized HOME as Nonprofit of the Year 2017-18, providing visibility and community endorsement.
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored grief retreat with HOME in 2010. Faith community deeply connected to organization's founding. Hosted Pieta Memorial dedication.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lutheran Services Florida: Faith-based Florida nonprofit providing behavioral health, counseling, and family services statewide — comparable faith-rooted operating model, payer mix, and child/family focus.
• Boys Town: Faith-informed national nonprofit providing mental health, family services, and youth counseling — same value-based orientation and similar therapeutic service line.
• Camelot Community Care: Florida-based nonprofit providing counseling, behavioral health, and family services to children and adolescents — comparable clinical model and payer/funder mix.
• Directions for Living: Pinellas County-based nonprofit community mental health provider offering counseling, case management, and child/family services — directly comparable in geography, target population, and mission to HOME.
• Personal Enrichment through Mental Health Services (PEMHS): Pinellas County nonprofit providing mental health, psychiatric, and counseling services to children and adults — same geography, similar clinical modalities, overlapping referral sources.
• Chrysalis Health: Florida-focused community mental health and behavioral health nonprofit serving children, adolescents, and families with counseling and therapy — same mission and overlapping payer mix.
• Jewish Family & Children's Service of the Suncoast: Tampa Bay-area faith-rooted nonprofit offering counseling, mental health, and family services — comparable mission-aligned nonprofit model serving similar demographics in the same region.

Broad incumbents

• BayCare Behavioral Health: Regional health system's behavioral health arm offering outpatient mental health counseling across Tampa Bay — competing for the same Pinellas County referral pool and insurance contracts.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: Large nonprofit operating behavioral health programs for children, adolescents, and families across multiple states including Florida — overlapping clinical services but at much larger organizational scale.
• Children's Home Society of Florida: Large statewide nonprofit serving children and families with counseling, adoption, and behavioral health services across Florida — same target population but at much greater scale and geographic breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/houseofmercyfl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/house-of-mercy-and-encouragement-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about House of Mercy & Encouragement Foundation