Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents

What Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents does

Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents is the operational unit within the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) that runs Virginia's 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The service launched in 2022 as part of the federal 988 initiative and provides free, 24/7 mental health crisis intervention via the three-digit 988 dialing code and the national 988 chat interface. Trained crisis workers handle roughly 10,185 contacts per month on average in 2024, peaking at 12,958 Virginians in June 2024, with capability to connect callers to local mental health professionals and community resources and to support 911 diversion for mental health-related calls.

The organization operates as a Virginia state government entity rather than a commercial company. It does not generate revenue from the service—calls are free to end users—and is funded through state appropriations routed through DBHDS under the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its service portfolio is centered on the 988 line plus the specialized REACH Program serving individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities in crisis. Strategic partnerships with the National 988 Lifeline, SAMHSA, and the National Action Alliance embed the service in a broader national crisis-response network.

With approximately 89 employees, the entity operates from a single operational base in Staunton, Virginia, and serves Virginia residents only. The technology layer is the federally coordinated 988 routing and chat infrastructure; there are no proprietary AI/ML systems or commercial product surface. The business model is a publicly funded, public-good operating franchise with no commercial pricing, no customer contracts in the traditional sense, and no M&A or investor funding activity.

Name

Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents

Legal name

Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

Website

https://ccca.dbhds.virginia.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents operates Virginia's 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, delivering free, 24/7 mental health crisis intervention via phone and chat to Virginia residents in coordination with DBHDS, SAMHSA, and the National 988 Lifeline.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Crisis Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAEAHAK

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Health Insurance & Managed Care/Managed Behavioral Health (MBHO)

Keywords

• Mental health crisis services
• Suicide prevention hotline
• Behavioral health services
• Crisis intervention support
• Developmental disability services

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Virginia 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a free, 24/7 mental health crisis intervention service operated under the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Callers dial the 988 three-digit code or use online chat to reach trained crisis workers who provide emotional support, intervention for suicidal thoughts, and connections to local mental health professionals and community resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virginia 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Quantifiable outcome

• Average of 10,185 people helped per month in 2024

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National 988 LifelinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational coordination partnership providing the framework and support for Virginia's 988 implementation. Includes chat functionality integration (988lifeline.org/chat).
• National Action AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational strategic partnership supporting suicide prevention efforts and crisis intervention best practices.
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partnership providing national resources, guidance, and support for mental health crisis services.
• Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent state agency overseeing Virginia's 988 service. Manages the Crisis Continuum of Care including REACH Program for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Hope4NC Helpline: North Carolina's statewide mental health crisis and emotional support line. Operates as a regional state-level crisis hotline with the same 24/7 trained-counselor model as Virginia 988, serving as a direct comparable in a neighboring jurisdiction.
• Veterans Crisis Line: Federally-operated crisis line serving U.S. veterans and their families via 988 (press 1), text, and chat. Comparable crisis hotline infrastructure with a specialized population focus analogous to Virginia 988's REACH program for I/DD individuals.
• Texas 988 Suicide & Mental Health Crisis Line: Texas's designated 988 crisis line operated through the Health and Human Services Commission. Comparable state-level crisis hotline serving a different geography, with similar trained-counselor model and state agency oversight structure.
• California CalHOPE Crisis Line: California's statewide crisis and emotional support line operating under the state Department of Health Care Services. Directly comparable as a state-level crisis hotline model with similar mandate, funding structure, and population-focused mission.

Direct peers

• Trevor Project: National 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ young people via phone, text, and chat. Comparable crisis hotline operating model targeting a specialized population, with similar trained-counselor delivery and digital outreach channels.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (National): The national network that Virginia 988 operates within; provides the unified 988 framework, chat infrastructure, and routing logic that Virginia 988 leverages. Directly comparable as the parent crisis hotline system with identical mission and operating model.
• Crisis Text Line: National text-based crisis support service offering 24/7 text-based counseling. Directly comparable crisis intervention model delivered through an alternative channel; both rely on trained volunteers/counselors to de-escalate mental health crises.

Emerging players

• REACH Program (Virginia): Virginia's specialized crisis program for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, operated under DBHDS. Comparable as the I/DD-specialized crisis arm within the same parent agency, demonstrating the niche-population extension of the Virginia crisis continuum.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: National community-based nonprofit addressing mental health needs through screening, education, advocacy, and peer support. Comparable as a broader behavioral health services organization that complements crisis lines with screening tools and referral resources.
• SAMHSA National Helpline: Federal 24/7 treatment referral and information service for substance use and mental health. Operates at a broader national level and serves as a complementary resource to state-level 988 lines, with overlapping referral and crisis support functions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/commonwealth-center-for-children-&-adolescents

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 Commonwealth Center for Children & Adolescents