What HeadsUp does

HeadsUp operates on a community-led nonprofit model with approximately 10 employees. It does not charge for any of its services; all programs, training, and educational materials are provided free of charge. The organization is funded through the SAMHSA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (Grant Award Number: SM063411-01) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is governed through a partnership with Penn Medicine and academic affiliations with EPINET/Connection LHS, OnTrackNY, PEPPNET, EASA, and NAMI. Leadership comprises Co-Directors Monica Calkins, PhD, and Christian Kohler, MD (both University of Pennsylvania faculty), Manager Catherine (Cat) Conroy, M.Ed, Telehealth Director Daniel Wolf, MD PhD, and Education/Tele-Health Manager Crystal Vatza, MS, LPC. Treatment outcomes reported include a 91% reduction in hospitalizations, 126% increase in employment, 85% increase in school enrollment, 82% reduction in suicide attempts, and 76% reduction in homelessness at 24-month follow-up among PA FEP program participants.

Name

HeadsUp

Legal name

HeadsUp

Website

https://headsup-pa.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HeadsUp is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that coordinates Pennsylvania's statewide network of First Episode Psychosis centers, providing education, screening tools, telehealth consultation for clinicians, and free training resources to reduce stigma around psychosis. Funded by SAMHSA, all services are free.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Coordination Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Early psychosis intervention
• Coordinated specialty care
• Mental health education
• Psychosis advocacy services
• First episode psychosis

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: HeadsUp is funded through the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Grant Award Number: SM063411-01.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HeadsUp is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit mental health coordination organization that promotes early intervention for psychosis through education, advocacy, and support. It coordinates a statewide network of First Episode Psychosis (FEP) centers that deliver the evidence-based Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) model, connecting individuals, families, clinicians, and community partners to resources, screening tools, telehealth consultation, and training programs. All services are provided free of charge, funded through a SAMHSA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (Grant Award Number: SM063411-01).

Product overview

HeadsUp is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization (collaborating organization) whose mission is to end the stigma around psychosis through education, advocacy, and support. The organization operates a unified platform connecting individuals experiencing early psychosis to First Episode Psychosis (FEP) centers across Pennsylvania using the Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) model. The core offerings include a web-based Find a Center locator, the PA Referral Tool for connecting people to mental health professionals, and the HeadsUp Early Psychosis Mentor telehealth consultation platform for clinicians. These are supported by educational materials including animated videos, tip sheets, screening tools (PRIME-5 screener, Early Psychosis Screening Flowcharts), and crisis navigation resources. The organization also provides professional training through the Grand Rounds Series and Annual PA Early Psychosis Conference, along with various pamphlets and inserts for different audiences (school professionals, families, friends, law enforcement, religious leaders). HeadsUp does not offer clinical services but serves as an educational and referral resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PA Referral Tool

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% decrease in number of participant hospitalizations at 24-month follow-up
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Penn Medicine / University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadsUp is a collaborating organization affiliated with Penn Medicine's Department of Psychiatry. The organization operates from the Neurodevelopment and Psychosis Section at the Perelman School of Medicine. Key personnel including Co-Directors Monica Calkins, PhD and Christian Kohler, MD hold faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania. HeadsUp receives administrative support and academic infrastructure through this partnership.
• Connection Learning Healthcare System (Connection LHS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadsUp is part of the Connection LHS, an EPINET Regional Hub housed at the University of Maryland. Connection LHS represents a collaboration of investigators in early psychosis services across 20 programs. As an EPINET Regional Hub, Connection LHS uses data to improve early psychosis services and promote collaborative learning and continuous quality improvement.
• Pennsylvania First Episode Psychosis (PA FEP) CenterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeadsUp coordinates a statewide network of PA FEP centers that provide Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) treatment. These centers include programs such as PERC (Penn Psychosis Evaluation and Recovery Center), UPMC STEP, ENGAGE, and others throughout Pennsylvania. HeadsUp provides education, training, and program evaluation support to these centers.
• OnTrackNYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnTrackNY is an innovative treatment program for adolescents and young adults with early psychosis, based in New York State. HeadsUp shares success stories from OnTrackNY participants and collaborates on educational content about recovery-oriented care.
• PEPPNETminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEPPNET (Early Psychosis Education and Training Network) supports the national network of programs providing services to those at risk for or experiencing early psychosis by promoting communication, collaboration, and best practices.
• Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEASA provides information and support to young people experiencing symptoms of psychosis for the first time. HeadsUp references EASA resources for families and links to their sibling support materials.
• Penn MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadsUp operates under Penn Medicine's administrative structure. The organization's headquarters is located at Penn Medicine's Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania campus.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadsUp partners with NAMI by sharing educational resources and connecting individuals to NAMI's support programs and advocacy initiatives. NAMI resources are featured on the HeadsUp resources page.
• 988 Suicide and Crisis LifelineminorOthersHeadsUp directs individuals in crisis to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and Crisis Text Line (text PA to 741741) for emergency mental health support.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): Federal funder and policy body whose Community Mental Health Services Block Grant underwrites HeadsUp's operations. Relevant as a strategic funder/regulator rather than a direct competitor; comparable in setting the agenda for the early psychosis field.
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: National 24/7 crisis intervention service to which HeadsUp explicitly directs individuals in crisis. Adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor — comparable in serving the same at-risk population.

Broad incumbents

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Largest U.S. grassroots mental health advocacy organization. HeadsUp partners with NAMI to share resources and connect individuals to support programs; both serve overlapping patient/family audiences in mental health education and advocacy.
• Mental Health America (MHA): National nonprofit addressing the full spectrum of mental health conditions through screening, advocacy, and education. Operates at broader category overlap with HeadsUp's education, screening (PRIME-5), and stigma-reduction work.

Direct peers

• RAISE-ETP (Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode — Early Treatment Program): NIMH-funded early psychosis treatment study that informed much of the Coordinated Specialty Care approach. Operates CSC programs at multiple sites, comparable to HeadsUp's PA FEP centers.
• Connection Learning Healthcare System (Connection LHS): EPINET Regional Hub at the University of Maryland linking 20 early psychosis programs for collaborative learning and quality improvement. HeadsUp is itself an EPINET partner via Connection LHS, making it a peer/affiliate in the same national network.
• PEPPNET (Early Psychosis Education and Training Network): National network supporting programs serving those at risk for or experiencing early psychosis. HeadsUp is a participating program, making PEPPNET a peer hub for communication, collaboration, and best-practices dissemination.
• NAVIGATE (NIMH): The NIMH-developed Coordinated Specialty Care program for first episode psychosis. HeadsUp's CSC model is built on this evidence base, making NAVIGATE a foundational peer in the same clinical category.
• Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA): Oregon-based program providing information, screening, and support for young people experiencing first-episode psychosis. Directly comparable to HeadsUp in mission, audience, and CSC-aligned model — HeadsUp itself links to EASA sibling support resources.
• OnTrackNY: New York State-funded early psychosis treatment program for adolescents and young adults. Operates a coordinated specialty care model highly comparable to HeadsUp's PA FEP network; both organizations even share success stories and educational content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HeadsUpPAorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxqqq5NWJRbXiy6dH4aZ8mg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/headsup-pa
• Instagraminstagram.com/headsuppa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 HeadsUp