Hope Lives ­ - Vive La Esperanza

What Hope Lives ­ - Vive La Esperanza does

Hope Lives - Vive La Esperanza is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that provides behavioral health and forensic peer support services to justice-involved individuals and individuals with behavioral health needs across Arizona. The organization operates three physical centers in Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Kingman, and delivers services across six Arizona counties. Its core service model centers on peer support delivered by staff with lived experience in the criminal justice and behavioral health systems, and the organization holds AHCCCS approval to deliver Forensic Peer Support training, a credentialed program that positions it within the state's Medicaid-funded behavioral health infrastructure.

The organization has built referral pipelines through partnerships with mental health courts across multiple Arizona counties, serving as a bridge between the judicial system and community-based behavioral health support. Its core "products" are direct peer support services and its AHCCCS-approved training curriculum, both of which are human-delivered and relationship-based rather than technology-mediated. There is no indication of proprietary technology platforms, software products, or digital service delivery infrastructure.

Hope Lives generates revenue through three primary channels: individual and institutional donations, government contracts (notably through AHCCCS, Arizona's Medicaid agency), and fees from its Forensic Peer Support training program. It is led by CEO Debra A. Kurkoski, CPA, and operates with a staff of 11-50 employees. As a community-based nonprofit, its go-to-market is driven by court referrals, county-level service contracts, and community outreach rather than commercial sales motion.

Name

Hope Lives ­ - Vive La Esperanza

Legal name

Hope Lives - Vive La Esperanza

Website

https://hopelivesaz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hope Lives - Vive La Esperanza is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing behavioral health and forensic peer support services to justice-involved individuals across six Arizona counties, operating three centers in Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Kingman.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health and Forensic Peer Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Reentry Programs (Justice-Involved) (EDAAAOAG), Behavioral Health & MTSS/RTI Tiered SEL Supports (EDAKAMAE)

Keywords

• Forensic peer support
• Behavioral health services
• Reentry support programs
• Peer support training
• Community mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Arizona Qualified Charitable Organization (QCO). Donations are accepted via Arizona Gives platform, PayPal, check, and in-kind donations of food, clothing, and other essentials. QCO donations provide Arizona state tax credits to donors.
2. Government Contracts and AHCCCS Funding: Services are covered through partnerships with AHCCCS (Arizona's Medicaid agency) and managed care providers. The organization provides AHCCCS-approved Forensic Peer Support Training programs.
3. Training Program Fees: The organization offers an 8-week Forensic Peer Support Specialist training program that prepares participants for certification. Participants become Hope Lives members and have access to employment and job placement services upon completion.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hope Lives - Vive La Esperanza is an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides peer-led behavioral health, forensic peer support, and reentry services to justice-involved individuals and their families. Its core offerings are Forensic Peer Support Services embedded in courts and community settings, supported by Personal Development, Well-Being, and Pre-vocational & Skill Development programs, and an AHCCCS-approved Forensic Peer Support Training program that certifies peer specialists.

Product overview

Hope Lives - Vive La Esperanza is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit peer-and community-led organization offering a coordinated portfolio of behavioral health and reentry support services. The core offering is Forensic Peer Support Services, which integrates trained specialists into justice system settings across Arizona courts. This is complemented by Personal Development Programs (suicide intervention training, cultural competency, family support, financial coaching, substance use treatment), Well-Being Programs (creative arts, nutrition, fitness, equine therapy, biofeedback), and Pre-vocational & Skill Development (GED prep, jewelry making, employment readiness). The organization also operates an AHCCCS-approved Forensic Peer Support Specialist certification program. A member jewelry program allows artisans to create and sell hand-crafted pieces. Services are delivered at three Arizona centers in Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Kingman, with activity calendars specific to each location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forensic Peer Support Services (FPSS) Peer-led support delivered by specialists with lived justice-involvement experience to individuals navigating the criminal justice system; includes Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), Thinking for a Change (T4C), Anger Management, and Domestic Violence programming for justice-involved participants and their families.
• Jail In-Reach

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Chrysalis: Los Angeles nonprofit providing employment and reentry services to formerly incarcerated and other disadvantaged populations, including vocational training and transitional work. Service model and population overlap closely with Hope Lives' Pre-vocational Workshop and Skills Development offering.
• The Fortune Society: New York-based nonprofit providing holistic reentry and justice-involved support services including alternatives-to-incarceration programs, behavioral health, peer support, and housing — directly comparable to Hope Lives in mission and service mix (mental-health-and-justice population, peer-led model).
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing employment-focused reentry services to people returning from incarceration — operates a transitional-work model highly comparable to Hope Lives' Pre-vocational Workshop and Workforce Reentry Programs. Targets a similar justice-involved population using paid transitional employment and retention support.
• The Doe Fund: New York-based nonprofit that runs reentry programs featuring transitional work, workforce development, and supportive services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Comparable in operating employment-readiness programs for justice-involved adults alongside housing and behavioral supports.
• Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR): Community-based reentry nonprofit (originating in Virginia and operating in multiple states) providing case management, employment support, and behavioral health services to justice-involved individuals — a mission-direct match for Hope Lives' Forensic Peer Support and community reentry programs.

Broad incumbents

• Magellan Health: National managed-care company administering behavioral health and Medicaid managed-care contracts, including in Arizona via contracts with AHCCCS. Comparable at the funding/contract layer rather than direct service, and a key counterpart that drives Hope Lives' reimbursement.
• Turning Point Recovery Centers (RI International): Behaviorally-focused nonprofit network providing peer-run programs, recovery support, and reentry services across multiple states — operates peer support models and recovery infrastructure comparable to Hope Lives' Forensic Peer Support and substance use recovery offerings.
• Volunteers of America: Large national nonprofit delivering behavioral health, reentry, housing, and human services across many states. Operates parallel correctional and behavioral health programs including forensic and peer support services — a broad incumbent in the same social-services space where Hope Lives specializes.

Regional players

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Arizona: Arizona affiliate of a national mental health peer-support and education organization, delivering peer-led programs, family education, and advocacy. Operates within the same Arizona mental health ecosystem as Hope Lives and serves overlapping SMI consumer populations.
• Goodwill of Northern Arizona: Regional Goodwill serving northern Arizona with workforce development, vocational training, and reentry programs. Overlaps with Hope Lives on Pre-vocational/Skills Development and could be a same-region competitor for vocational referrals in Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Yavapai, and Mohave counties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Hope Lives ­ - Vive La Esperanza