Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma

What Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma does

Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma (CYS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Ardmore, Oklahoma, founded in 1969 to provide refuge and healing for youth and families across Carter and Love counties in southern Oklahoma. Its service portfolio comprises an integrated continuum of care: a 24-hour residential emergency shelter with capacity for up to ten children from birth through age 18; outpatient mental health services including individual, family, and group counseling (with delivery on-site, in schools, and in community settings); prevention services such as first-time offender programs and parenting classes; and the Embark Independent Living Program, launched in 2024 on a two-acre campus to serve homeless and at-risk young adults aged 18-23 with housing support, financial assistance, case management at a 1:4 ratio, education, and vocational training. CYS is positioned as one of the few Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) providers in Southern Oklahoma and the executive director holds Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) certification, anchoring the organization's clinical approach in established trauma-informed frameworks rather than proprietary technology.

CYS operates under an 11-member Board of Directors and a small leadership team including Executive Director Kaylyn Weldon-Gary, Operations Manager Anthony Marquez, Residential Services Director Brandi Pierce, Clinical Administrator Jodi Woydziak, and Clinical Supervisor Alicia Chastain. The organization is recognized regionally, having received the Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence Award for Youth Programs from the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits in 2022. All services are provided at no cost to clients, and the organization is USDA civil-rights compliant, broadening its eligibility for federally funded programs. Technology is limited to standard nonprofit tools—PayPal and Givelively for donations, Constant Contact for email outreach, Google Analytics for web analytics, and reCAPTCHA for form protection—with no public API, mobile app, or AI/ML capabilities.

The business model is a philanthropic nonprofit: CYS is funded through individual and community donations (tax-deductible under 501(c)(3)), government grants and contracts, and in-kind contributions including an Amazon Wishlist channel. Distribution is direct, regional, and referral-driven—schools, social services, law enforcement, healthcare providers, and community members funnel clients into the shelter, outpatient, prevention, and Embark programs. 2024 outcome metrics reported by the organization included 72 children sheltered, 245 children and young adults receiving counseling (ages 2-24), and 130 participants completing parenting and life-skills classes, with 2023 data showing an average shelter stay of 22 days and an average resident age of 14.

Name

Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma

Legal name

Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma, Inc.

Website

https://youthservicesok.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Ardmore, Oklahoma, providing a 24-hour youth shelter, outpatient counseling, prevention services, and the Embark independent living program for at-risk youth and families across Carter and Love counties since 1969.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

Keywords

• Youth shelter services
• Residential child care
• Outpatient mental health
• Trauma informed care
• Independent living program

Headquarters

HQ city

Ardmore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Community Donations: CYS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on monetary donations from individuals, organizations, and community members. All monetary donations are tax-deductible.
2. Government Grants and Contracts:

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma operates a 24-hour residential shelter for up to ten at-risk children ages birth through 18, outpatient mental health counseling (individual, family, and group) using Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), prevention services (parenting classes and first-time offender program), and the Embark Independent Living Program providing housing, case management, and vocational training for homeless youth aged 18-23 in Carter and Love counties. All services are delivered free of charge to clients, with the organization funded by donations and grants.

Product overview

Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma operates as a unified social services organization offering an integrated continuum of care. The core portfolio includes Emergency Shelter Services (24-hour residential care for up to 10 children ages 0-18), Outpatient Mental Health Services (counseling with TBRI specialization), Prevention Services (first-time offender program and parenting classes), and the Embark Independent Living Program (housing and support for youth ages 18-23). These services work together to provide refuge, healing, and independence—from crisis shelter through outpatient counseling to transitional housing—serving youth and families across Southern Oklahoma since 1969.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Embark Independent Living: Independent living program for homeless youth aged 18-23 from Carter and Love counties, providing housing support, financial assistance, case management, and vocational training.

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 245 children received counseling services in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon Wishlist allows donors to purchase items needed for the organization's campus and youth programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Baptist Children's Homes of Oklahoma: Oklahoma-based faith-affiliated nonprofit providing residential care and family services for at-risk youth — geographically and operationally comparable to CYS' shelter and counseling model.
• Children's Home Society of California: Statewide California nonprofit offering adoption, foster care, and youth/family counseling services — comparable nonprofit youth-and-family services model to CYS in a different geography.
• Maryvale: Los Angeles-area nonprofit providing residential care, mental health services, and wraparound support for at-risk youth — comparable integrated residential + counseling model to CYS.
• The Children's Shelter: San Antonio-based nonprofit offering emergency shelter, residential treatment, and family services for at-risk children — comparable shelter + counseling model but serving a different region than CYS.

Direct peers

• Childhelp: National nonprofit focused on child abuse prevention and treatment, including residential programs and counseling — comparable nonprofit mission and trauma-informed service mix to CYS.
• Boys Town: National nonprofit operating residential youth shelters, behavioral health services, and family support — directly comparable to CYS' integrated shelter + counseling + transition model, but at significantly larger scale.
• Youth Villages: Nonprofit providing residential programs, in-home counseling, and transition services for at-risk youth and families — closely comparable to CYS' shelter, outpatient mental health, and Embark independent living offerings.
• National Youth Advocate Program: Nonprofit providing residential, community-based, and behavioral health services for at-risk youth and families — overlaps with CYS' shelter, counseling, and wraparound service delivery.
• Lighthouse Youth Services: Cincinnati-based nonprofit offering shelter, residential treatment, and independent living programs for at-risk youth — directly comparable model to CYS' shelter + Embark continuum.
• Covenant House: National nonprofit operating shelters and supportive housing for homeless and at-risk youth — directly comparable to CYS' 24-hour shelter and Embark program for ages 18–23.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Community Youth Services of Southern Oklahoma