Jewish Family Service

What Jewish Family Service does

Joan and Stanford Alexander Jewish Family Service (Alexander JFS) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) social service agency founded in 1913, delivering integrated clinical and community services across five core lines: behavioral and mental health (counseling, therapy groups, music therapy, grief support), coaching and case management (senior services, disaster response, financial stability, Holocaust survivor assistance), disability services (Celebration Company, Alexander Institute for Inclusion, ReelAbilities Film & Arts Festival), career and employment, and Jewish chaplaincy. It serves approximately 20,000 individuals and families annually across Greater Houston — both the Jewish community and residents of all faiths and backgrounds — through two physical locations (4131 S Braeswood Blvd and 1120 Dairy Ashford), a secure Client Portal, and a telehealth option, spanning 15 United Way Region 3 zip codes.

The organization is not a technology company; its underlying 'platform' consists of licensed clinical staff delivering evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions, supported by specialized programs such as EMDR, JFS Play Institute training, music therapy, and the Velva G. and H. Fred Levine Jewish Chaplaincy Program. Its principal technology surface is the Client Portal, which facilitates appointment requests, client-staff communication, and payment or insurance management.

Revenue mechanics are mixed and characteristic of a community-based nonprofit: philanthropic donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors (including flagship benefactors Joan and Stanford Alexander and underwriter May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust); United Way of Greater Houston partner-agency funding tied to a defined zip-code catchment; a Jewish Federation of Greater Houston partner-agency relationship; insurance-based and sliding-scale fee revenue from behavioral health services; and product sales from the Celebration Company's Center for Art & Photography. Distribution occurs through direct client intake (online forms, phone, email), healthcare professional referrals, the United Way 211 help line, in-person sites, and virtual services. Customer base is highly distributed at the individual level, while donor concentration represents the principal funding-side risk.

Name

Jewish Family Service

Legal name

Alexander Jewish Family Service

Website

https://jfshouston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jewish Family Service (Alexander JFS) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) social service agency founded in 1913 that delivers behavioral health, case management, disability, career, and Jewish chaplaincy services to approximately 20,000 individuals and families annually across Greater Houston.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human and Social Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAG

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAEAC

Family & Parenting Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Mental health counseling
• Social services
• Case management
• Disability employment
• Pastoral care

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

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. Donations and Philanthropic Support: Relies on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors to fund services. Underwriters and partners include Joan and Stanford Alexander, May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, and others.
2. United Way Funding: As a United Way agency, receives funding through United Way of Greater Houston for designated service areas in Region 3.
3. Jewish Federation Support: Partner Agency of Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, receiving operational and programmatic support.
4. Insurance and Fee-Based Services: Behavioral and mental health services accept insurance and offer fee-based counseling. Sliding scale fees may be available.
5. Celebration Company Sales: Art products and photography sold through the Celebration Company's Center for Art & Photography, an entrepreneurial program for adults with disabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Jewish Family Service (Alexander JFS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social service agency founded in 1913 that delivers an integrated family of services across five core areas: behavioral and mental health counseling, coaching and case management, disability services (including the Celebration Company employment program), career and employment center, and Jewish chaplaincy. Services are delivered through two Houston locations and virtually, serving more than 20,000 individuals annually across Greater Houston.

Product overview

Alexander Jewish Family Service (Alexander JFS) is a social service agency offering an integrated family of services organized into five core service areas: Behavioral & Mental Health Services (counseling, therapy, music therapy, grief support, play therapy training), Coaching & Case Management (senior services, disaster response, financial stability, family support), Disability Services (Celebration Company employment program, Alexander Institute for Inclusion, ReelAbilities Festival), Career & Employment Center (job counseling, employer partnerships, specialized employment services), and Jewish Chaplaincy (hospital spiritual care, Shabbat Box Program). The organization serves approximately 20,000 individuals annually across Greater Houston through its central location and West Houston location, offering both in-person and virtual services. The portfolio includes both direct client services and digital platforms such as the Client Portal for secure client communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Celebration Company: An entrepreneurial employment program for adults with disabilities providing vocational skills and meaningful work experience.
• Alexander Institute for Inclusion
• Velva G. and H. Fred Levine Jewish Chaplaincy Program

Products and services

• Behavioral & Mental Health Services Licensed mental health professionals deliver counseling for adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families, including therapy groups, music therapy, grief and loss support, and crisis services. Insurance accepted; sliding scale fees available.
• Coaching & Case Management Provides individuals and families with information, coaching, referrals and planning related to senior services, disaster response, financial stability, family support, and Holocaust survivor assistance; free to residents in the United Way service area.
• Disability Services Programs enriching and empowering individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers, including the Celebration Company entrepreneurial employment program, Alexander Institute for Inclusion advocacy, and the ReelAbilities Film & Arts Festival.
• Career & Employment Center Vocational rehabilitation services including career coaching, job counseling, assessment, placement and support, employer partnerships, and specialized services for individuals facing employment barriers.
• Jewish Chaplaincy Spiritual care services including hospital visits, Shabbat Box Program, and community resources for Jewish patients and families in the Texas Medical Center, delivered through the Velva G. and H. Fred Levine Jewish Chaplaincy Program.
• Education & Community Outreach Resources, education and programs to raise awareness and build more inclusive communities, including the Open Hearts Open Doors LGBTQ+ inclusion initiative, Disability Etiquette Workshops, and ReelEducation programming for schools.
• Celebration Company Entrepreneurial employment program for adults with disabilities providing vocational skills training, meaningful work experience, and artistic opportunities through the Center for Art & Photography, with art and photography products sold via an online store.
• Client Portal Secure digital platform enabling clients to request appointments, communicate with JFS staff, and view payments and insurance information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ lives touched each year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• United Way of Greater HoustoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlexander JFS is a United Way Partner Agency serving as a responder to 211 help line inquiries and providing social services to residents in United Way Region 3 catchment area zip codes.
• Jewish Federation of Greater HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner Agency of Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. Joint program with Jewish Federation for Velva G. and H. Fred Levine Jewish Chaplaincy Program.
• Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA)supportingOthersMember of national network of Jewish human service agencies, sharing best practices and professional development.
• Mayor's Office for People with DisabilitiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on disability services, advocacy initiatives, and community inclusion programs.
• Texas Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized by Texas Medical Center as the official provider of comprehensive services addressing the spiritual needs of Jewish patients in Houston's medical district.
• Houston Area HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChaplaincy services provided through partnerships with Houston area hospitals and Houston Hospice.
• Network of Behavioral Health ProviderssupportingOthersMembership in behavioral health provider network for professional collaboration and referrals.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jewish Family Service of Chicago: Chicago-area JFS delivering behavioral health, older adult services, and refugee/immigrant support to a metropolitan Jewish community plus broader clientele, mirroring Alexander JFS's structure and mix of clinical + social services.
• Jewish Family Service of San Diego: San Diego JFS offering mental health counseling, senior services, refugee resettlement, and case management with sliding-scale fees — same five-pillar service architecture and donor-funded operating model.
• Jewish Family Service Los Angeles: Operates the same integrated Jewish-affiliated social service model (behavioral health, case management, disability, careers, elder services) in another major US metro, serving a comparable multi-faith clientele with a similar donor + federation funding mix.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston: Largest faith-based social service provider in Greater Houston delivering case management, behavioral health, immigration, and disaster relief — most direct local competitor for client referrals and United Way funding.
• Jewish Family and Children's Services (Bay Area): Bay Area JFS agency delivering counseling, case management, refugee services, and senior support under a Jewish-affiliated umbrella with sliding-scale fees — directly analogous service portfolio and funding structure.
• Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services (NYC): One of the largest Jewish-affiliated human service agencies in the US, providing mental health, housing, disability, and case management services in NYC — a like-for-like model at materially larger scale.
• BakerRipley: Major Houston-area community development nonprofit providing case management, immigration, senior, and family services across the same catchment — competes for United Way funding and shared client base in Region 3.
• NAMI Greater Houston: Houston affiliate of National Alliance on Mental Illness offering mental health support groups, education, and advocacy — directly comparable behavioral-health programming that competes for similar grant dollars and clinical referrals.

Broad incumbents

• Jewish Federation of Greater Houston: Funder and strategic partner agency of Alexander JFS in Greater Houston; operates overlapping community programs (education, identity-based services) and channels philanthropic dollars into JFS operations.
• United Way of Greater Houston: Funder and referral channel for Alexander JFS across Region 3; coordinates 211 help line and distributes donor dollars across a broader portfolio of Houston-area social service agencies competing for the same funds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JFSHouston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jewish-family-service-of-houston
• Instagraminstagram.com/alexanderjfshouston
• Xx.com/jfshouston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Jewish Family Service