Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V.

What Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V. does

Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V. is a registered charitable association (eingetragener Verein, gemeinnützig) founded in 1982 and headquartered in Kassel, Germany, delivering the full continuum of addiction services across the North Hesse region — encompassing prevention, outpatient counseling, inpatient rehabilitation, medication-assisted treatment, harm reduction, supported housing, and aftercare. It operates approximately 30 programs at 20 locations spanning Stadt and Landkreis Kassel, Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, and Landkreis Hersfeld-Rotenburg, employing roughly 175–195 staff across roles such as social pedagogy, addiction counseling, clinical medicine (Fachklinik Böddiger Berg), and psychosocial support. The organization is a member of the Diakonie Hessen confederation, anchoring it within the Protestant church's welfare network.

The service portfolio includes flagship facilities such as Café Nautilus (low-threshold harm-reduction contact center, est. 1989), Fachklinik Böddiger Berg (residential rehab with adult, parent-child, and youth departments), the Jugend- und Suchtberatung (JuS, est. 1975) youth center, substitution clinics (SAM/SAM 2), the KIDS program for substance-dependent pregnant women, and supported housing schemes (Betreutes Einzelwohnen, LINIE 1). Specialist programs include HaLT, FreD, FriDA, FRESH, Strichpunkt, and the MPU-Beratung driving-license reintegration service. A new DigiSucht digital counseling channel, launched in early 2026 with Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung backing and certified staff, extends delivery to anonymous text and video sessions.

The business model is a publicly funded non-profit: revenues derive from public subsidies, social insurance reimbursements (Sozialversicherung), and private donations, with services free at the point of use. Distribution is via fixed facilities, mobile streetwork, prison-based counseling (four JVA sites), institutional referrals (hospitals, courts, employers, schools), and the digital DigiSucht channel. Governance is via a managing director (Christiane Diez) and a six-member board chaired by Dr. Klaus Brehm. The organization has 31 association members and has no parent entity or subsidiaries.

Name

Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V.

Legal name

Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V.

Website

https://drogenhilfe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V. is a German charitable association founded in 1982 that delivers the full continuum of addiction services — prevention, counseling, rehabilitation, harm reduction, and supported housing — for at-risk youth, substance-dependent adults, families, and incarcerated individuals across approximately 20 locations in North Hesse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Treatment and Social Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (623220), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Outpatient Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Programs (HLAFABAD), Substance Use Detoxification Centers (Medical Detox) (HLAFACAD)

Keywords

• Addiction counseling services
• Substance abuse treatment
• Harm reduction services
• Rehabilitation programs
• Addiction prevention education

Headquarters

HQ city

Kassel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: Funded by public funds (öffentliche Geldern) from government sources for social services provision.
2. Social Insurance: Revenue from social insurance providers (Sozialversicherung) covering rehabilitation and healthcare costs.
3. Donations: Donations from engaged citizens, foundations, and corporate sponsors supporting special projects and ongoing operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V. provides a continuum of addiction services spanning prevention, counseling, treatment, harm reduction, and aftercare across 30 programs at 20 locations in North Hesse, Germany. Services are delivered through outpatient counseling centers, a specialized rehabilitation clinic (Fachklinik Böddiger Berg), low-threshold contact facilities (Café Nautilus), supported housing, and the DigiSucht digital counseling platform. All services are provided free of charge to individuals and families affected by substance dependency.

Product overview

Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V. operates as a comprehensive social services organization offering a coordinated portfolio of addiction counseling, treatment, and prevention services across 30 programs at 20 locations. The organization provides a continuum of care including low-threshold contact services (Café Nautilus Kontaktladen), outpatient and inpatient counseling, medication-assisted treatment (Substitutionsfachambulanzen SAM), residential rehabilitation (Fachklinik Böddiger Berg), youth services (Jugend- und Suchtberatung JuS), family support programs (KIDS, Eltern-Kind-Bereich), and prevention services (Fachstellen für Suchtprävention). The DigiSucht platform enables digital counseling as a modern delivery channel. Services are structured as a modular system allowing individuals to move between levels of care from harm reduction through residential treatment to aftercare and independent living.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Café Nautilus: Contact center providing low-threshold services for drug users, including needle exchange, wound care, and social counseling
• Fachklinik Böddiger Berg
• Jugend- und Suchtberatung (JuS)
• Kleiner Bärenberg
• LINIE 1
• Strichpunkt
• KIDS
• DigiSucht
• FRESH
• FriDA

Products and services

• DigiSucht digital counseling Anonymous digital counseling service for addiction support, available via web or QR code registration, with text chat and video consultation for residents of Stadt und Landkreis Kassel. Combines online sessions with in-person follow-up (Blended Counseling).
• Café Nautilus (Kontaktladen) Low-threshold drop-in center for active drug users offering sterile syringe exchange, wound care, meals, showers, social counseling, and overdose prevention services. Established in 1989 as part of a federal model program.
• Drogenberatung im Landkreis Kassel Outpatient drug counseling providing information, crisis intervention, and referral services for drug users, families, and young people in the Kassel district.
• Jugend- und Suchtberatung (JuS) Youth and addiction counseling offering therapy, crisis support, and family services for adolescents and young adults. Operating in Kassel since 1975.
• Fachstellen für Suchtprävention Addiction prevention offices providing workshops, training, and educational programs for children, parents, and professionals in schools and workplaces across Stadt Kassel and Landkreis Kassel.
• Fachklinik Böddiger Berg Inpatient addiction rehabilitation clinic with specialized departments for adults (Rehabilitationsbereich), parents with children (Eltern-Kind-Bereich), and youth (Jugendhilfebereich). Located in Felsberg.
• MPU-Beratung Medical-psychological examination (MPU) preparation service helping individuals regain driver's licenses through 5-7 individual counseling sessions.
• HaLT (Hart am Limit) Early intervention program for young people hospitalized with alcohol intoxication, providing bedside counseling at hospitals (Kinderklinik Kassel) and developing municipal prevention strategies. Active since July 2010.
• FreD (Frühintervention bei Drogenkonsumenten) Early intervention program for young people aged 14-21 caught using illegal drugs (primarily cannabis), offered as court-ordered or voluntary counseling.
• FriDA (Frühintervention Drogenmissbrauch Adoleszenz) Systemic family-oriented approach for early identification and intervention for drug problems in adolescents, targeting 12-21 year olds and their families.
• KIDS (Frühintervention für Schwangere) Early intervention program for pregnant women with substance abuse, providing counseling, outreach support, and coordination with healthcare providers.
• FRESH (Frühintervention Streetwork) Youth counseling and streetwork program providing information about alcohol and drugs, crisis support, and mobile outreach at youth meeting points.
• Betreutes Einzelwohnen (BEW) Assisted individual living for acutely drug-dependent adults, providing case management, housing support, and harm reduction services. Established in 1993 and affiliated with the Nautilusverbund.
• Betreutes Wohnen LINIE 1 Abstinence-based supported housing with 10 places in three shared apartments and 12 places for individual supported living for adults with addiction in Kassel.
• Psychosoziale Betreuung Substituierter (PSB) Psychosocial support for patients in opioid substitution treatment, offering counseling, daily structure support, and coordination with prescribing physicians.
• Substitutionsfachambulanzen SAM/SAM 2 Outpatient substitution clinics providing methadone and buprenorphine treatment, drug screening, medical examinations, and coordination with psychosocial support.
• Strichpunkt Low-threshold café combined with outreach streetwork for women and girls financing drug addiction through prostitution, offering education and referral services.
• Externe Suchtberatung im Justizvollzug External addiction counseling provided in prisons (JVA Kassel, Kaufungen, Fulda, Schwalmstadt) to support inmates with substance use disorders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving entire spectrum from prevention to rehabilitation across 30 programs

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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Diakonie Hessen – Diakonisches Werk in Hessen und Nassau und Kurhessen-Waldeck e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1982Organizational membership in the Diakonie Hessen confederation, which provides institutional support, funding access, and represents the organization within the Protestant church's social services network in Hesse.
• DigiSucht Platform (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung)coreTechnology or IntegrationDigital counseling platform provider enabling Drogenhilfe Nordhessen to offer online addiction counseling services. Four staff members received certification in June 2025 to deliver digital services.
• DRK Kreisverband Hofgeismar e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on annual rescue service training programs. Drogenhilfe provides addiction awareness education for rescue personnel as part of their professional development.
• ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for school-based prevention events. ZDF collaborated with Drogenhilfe Nordhessen for 'ZDF goes Schule' program at Heinrich-Grupe-Schule Grebenstein in June 2026.
• Freundeskreis Waldeck e.V.minorOthersSelf-help association supporting people with addiction and their families, providing clothing donations and community support through Café Nautilus.
• Frühe Hilfen (Early Help Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with the 'Frühe Hilfen' and 'Willkommen von Anfang an' networks as part of the KIDS project for early intervention with pregnant women with substance abuse issues.
• Arbeitsförderung Stadt Kassel (AfK)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmployment agency partnership providing counseling vouchers for job seekers with addiction issues, enabling access to diagnostic services and treatment referrals.
• Justizvollzugsanstalten (Prisons) - Kassel I, Kaufungen, Fulda, SchwalmstadtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal addiction counseling services provided within four regional prisons, helping inmates access treatment and plan reintegration.
• Heinrich-Grupe-Schule GrebensteinminorOthersSchool partnership hosting ZDF school prevention program, providing venue for addiction education discussions with students.
• Kinderklinik KasselminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaLT (Hart am Limit) program partnership providing bedside counseling for children and adolescents hospitalized with alcohol intoxication since July 2010.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Sucht- und Drogenhilfe Wien: Vienna's municipal-affiliated addiction services operator providing counseling, low-threshold contact work, substitution, and housing — a near-perfect functional twin of Drogenhilfe Nordhessen, but operating under the Austrian statutory framework in Vienna.

Broad incumbents

• Diakonie Hessen: The direct confederation parent of Drogenhilfe Nordhessen; broad-incumbent social services umbrella organization across Hesse operating dozens of member organizations spanning youth, disability, addiction, and welfare services, providing institutional backing, funding access, and policy advocacy.
• Deutscher Caritasverband e.V. The Catholic-Confederation counterpart to Diakonie, operating the largest network of social services in Germany including addiction counseling, housing, and healthcare, often a competing bidder for the same municipal and insurance contracts.
• MEDIAN Kliniken Deutschland: Germany's largest operator of inpatient rehabilitation clinics including a sizable addiction/medical rehab portfolio. Comparable in the residential treatment arm (Fachklinik Böddiger Berg) but operates at much larger scale, primarily for-profit, and serves national not regional catchments.

Direct peers

• Condrobs e.V. Large Munich-based addiction help nonprofit operating counseling centers, housing, harm reduction, and youth services across Bavaria. Directly comparable model (registered association, public + insurance + donation funding, multi-site addiction continuum) to Drogenhilfe Nordhessen, just at a larger regional scale.
• Notdienst Berlin gGmbH: Berlin-based drug and addiction services nonprofit operating a contact center, substitution clinics, counseling, and prison services — essentially the Berlin equivalent of Drogenhilfe Nordhessen's full addiction continuum, including harm reduction and institutional counseling.
• Therapiehilfe gGmbH: Hamburg-headquartered nonprofit operator of substitution clinics, assisted living, and social therapy for addiction — highly comparable in clinical-plus-social service mix, MAT focus, and nonprofit status to Drogenhilfe Nordhessen.
• Mudra Suchtberatung Nürnberg e.V. Nuremberg-based drug help nonprofit offering outpatient counseling, harm reduction, low-threshold services and prison outreach. Comparable in scale and service mix to a single-site or multi-site German addiction help eingetragener Verein serving a defined region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drogenhilfe-nordhessen-e-v-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Drogenhilfe Nordhessen e.V.