First Choice Services

What First Choice Services does

First Choice Services is a West Virginia-based nonprofit behavioral health organization founded in 1995 as a collaborative of the state's comprehensive behavioral health care centers. It operates a portfolio of free, confidential 24/7 helplines and programs serving individuals in crisis, including Help4WV (addiction and mental health), the WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 1-800-GAMBLER (problem gambling), the Children's Crisis & Referral Line, First Choice Peers (peer recovery coaching), WV Navigator (ACA enrollment), and PA Get Help Now serving Pennsylvania. The organization also operates the WV Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program for first responders and the Connections Recovery Support mobile app.\n\nThe core technology is a contact center infrastructure supporting call, chat, and text across multiple programs, with the Connections app extending peer support into mobile channels. Funding is almost entirely from government contracts and grants, principally the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, with additional flows from SAMHSA (988) and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. The organization is accredited by the Council for Helplines and employs 200+ staff, including a substantial share of peer-support specialists with lived recovery experience, responding to 200,000+ calls for help annually.\n\nGo-to-market is community-driven: outreach via community training partnerships (safeTALK, ASIST, CIT, Mental Health First Aid, Naloxone Administration), events and summits, earned media coverage, and tight coordination with state agencies and law enforcement. All services are provided free to individuals; there is no revenue from end users. The organization is governed by a board composed of regional behavioral health providers (Genesis Youth Crisis Center, Healthways, Potomac Highlands Guild, Prestera, Valley Healthcare, Westbrook Health Services) plus an at-large member.

Name

First Choice Services

Legal name

First Choice Services

Website

https://firstchoiceservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

First Choice Services is a nonprofit founded in 1995 that operates free, confidential 24/7 behavioral health helplines and programs across West Virginia and Pennsylvania, including Help4WV, the WV 988 Lifeline, 1-800-GAMBLER, peer recovery, and crisis intervention training, funded primarily by state and federal government contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health Crisis Helpline Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI), Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Wraparound Student Support & Case Management Services (At-Risk K–12) (EDAJAEAJ)

Keywords

• Behavioral health helplines
• Crisis intervention services
• Peer recovery support
• Suicide prevention lifeline
• Problem gambling treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Primarily funded by government contracts, including the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, to operate statewide helplines and behavioral health programs
2. State Behavioral Health Contracts: Collaborative contracts with West Virginia comprehensive behavioral health care centers to manage statewide behavioral health contracts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First Choice Services operates free, 24/7 crisis and behavioral health helplines for individuals in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Its core programs include Help4WV (addiction and mental health helpline), WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 1-800-GAMBLER (problem gambling helpline), Children's Crisis & Referral Line, First Choice Peers (peer recovery coaching), WV Navigator (ACA health insurance enrollment), WV Crisis Intervention Team training for first responders, PA Get Help Now, and the Connections Recovery Support mobile app. All services are provided at no cost to individuals, staffed largely by peer-support specialists with lived recovery experience.

Product overview

First Choice Services operates as a multi-state behavioral health services organization rather than a traditional software product company. Its portfolio consists of multiple coordinated helpline programs and training services: the core Help4WV 24/7 helpline for addiction and mental health, the WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the 1-800-GAMBLER problem gambling helpline with treatment services, the Children's Crisis & Referral Line, the First Choice Peers recovery coaching program, the WV Navigator ACA enrollment program, the WV Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) first responder training, and PA Get Help Now serving Pennsylvania. Additionally, the Connections mobile app provides 24/7 peer support and recovery tracking. These programs are interconnected, sharing staff expertise, accreditation, and a unified mission to ensure no call for help goes unanswered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connections: A free recovery support app with 24/7 peer support, a supportive recovery community, and tools to help users track and celebrate milestones. Developed by the State of West Virginia.

Products and services

• Help4WV A 24/7 call, chat, and text helpline providing immediate assistance for West Virginians struggling with addiction or mental health issues. Staffed by peer-support specialists and recovery coaches with lived experience, offering confidential support and referrals to self-help groups, outpatient counseling, medication-assisted treatment, psychiatric care, emergency care, and residential treatment.
• WV 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline The West Virginia operation of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, providing 24/7 crisis support via call, text, and chat for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, operated in partnership with SAMHSA.
• 1-800-GAMBLER A problem gambling helpline and comprehensive treatment program for West Virginia offering trained counselors, treatment referrals, and up to 20 paid counseling sessions for those struggling with gambling addiction.
• Children's Crisis & Referral Line A statewide helpline connecting families and caregivers to mental health and support services for children in crisis, regardless of insurance status or location within West Virginia.
• First Choice Peers (Peer Recovery Coaches) Peer recovery coaching program staffed by individuals with personal recovery experience who connect with those struggling to provide support, hope, and pathways to treatment and wellness.
• WV Navigator ACA (Affordable Care Act) Navigator program helping West Virginians enroll in health insurance through the federal marketplace, providing guidance on plan options and subsidies.
• WV Crisis Intervention Team (WV CIT) Training Crisis Intervention Team training program for first responders (police, firefighters, EMS) teaching de-escalation skills and mental illness recognition to improve safety for responders and those in crisis.
• PA Get Help Now A helpline connecting Pennsylvanians to addiction and mental health treatment and support services, operated in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
• Connections Recovery Support App A free recovery support mobile application offering 24/7 peer support, a supportive recovery community, and tools to track and celebrate recovery milestones. Developed by the State of West Virginia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Responds to more than 200,000 calls for help every year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• West Virginia Department of Health and Human ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of the Connections recovery support app and Help4WV helpline services, providing state funding to support behavioral health initiatives statewide
• Board of Directors OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard members include behavioral health organizations: Genesis Youth Crisis Center, Healthways Inc., Potomac Highlands Guild Inc., Prestera Health Services, Valley Healthcare System, and Westbrook Health Services
• SAMHSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partnership for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, operating as part of the national crisis support network
• Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol ProgramsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to operate PA Get Help Now helpline connecting Pennsylvanians to addiction and mental health resources
• West Virginia State PolicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to expand the Angel Initiative and QR code program making addiction treatment more accessible through police contact
• Wheeling Police Department and Crisis Response UnitregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on crisis response unit providing mental health support in Wheeling area
• Schools and Child Care Agencies (Handle With Care Program)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with schools to provide 'Handle With Care' notifications when children experience traumatic events, allowing extra support without sharing incident details
• Behavioral Health Care CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative founding partners including West Virginia's comprehensive behavioral health care centers that combined resources in 1995 to improve statewide behavioral health contracts

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CONTACT USA: Network organization representing crisis helplines and contact centers nationwide. Relevant as the umbrella body under which many accredited helplines (including FCS) coordinate standards, accreditation, and benchmarking.
• 2-1-1 (United Way): National free, confidential helpline connecting people to local health and human services via call, text, and web. Comparable as a 24/7 nonprofit helpline operator funded by government and United Way contracts that competes for similar state-level resource-and-referral contracts.
• Network of Care for Behavioral Health: Provides web-based behavioral health resource directories and community-based service coordination used by many states. Comparable as an enabling technology/resource-navigation layer adjacent to FCS's helpline routing role.

Regional players

• Value Behavioral Health/Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania's Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs funds competing helplines and provider networks. Comparable as the contracting counterpart for PA Get Help Now and as a regional alternative crisis-services funder.

Direct peers

• Vibrant Emotional Health: National nonprofit that administers the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline backbone and operates NYC Well, one of the largest behavioral health helplines. Directly comparable as a 988-affiliated crisis-services operator running a similar helpline + case management model at national scale.
• Westbrook Health Services: Another WV behavioral health center represented on FCS's board. Comparable as a multi-county WV mental health and substance use provider that co-founded First Choice Services in 1995.
• Solari Crisis & Human Services: Nonprofit providing crisis line, 988, and behavioral health navigation services primarily in Nevada and Arizona. Similar operating model combining accredited helplines, peer support, and government-contract-funded crisis services.
• Crisis Text Line: National nonprofit providing 24/7 crisis support via text and chat with trained volunteer counselors. Comparable as a multi-channel (call/text/chat) behavioral health crisis provider operating on a similar nonprofit, accredited model.
• Prestera Health Services: WV-based comprehensive behavioral health provider represented on FCS's board. Comparable as a WV behavioral health services organization offering treatment, recovery, and crisis support within the same state contracting ecosystem.
• RI International: Nonprofit operating crisis hotlines and behavioral health crisis response services across multiple states including 988 centers. Closely comparable as a multi-state crisis call operator relying on government contracts and peer-support staffing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1stchoiceservices

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 First Choice Services