New Chance New Choice

From Crisis to Lasting Stability

A behavioral health organization built for outcomes, not episodes.

Phoenix, Arizona | 501(c)(3) | EIN: 99-3824890

The Problem

The Behavioral Health System Is Failing

The behavioral health system in America is failing the people who need it most.

Treatment Without Housing

Leads to homelessness.

Treatment Without Employment

Leads to relapse.

Treatment Without Long-Term Support

Leads to recidivism.

Most providers treat a single episode and discharge. There is no continuity. No structured pathway. No one tracking whether the person is housed, employed, or connected to support six months later.

Market Opportunity

Arizona: A Large, Growing, Underserved Market

Arizona faces particularly acute challenges in behavioral health access and outcomes.

The Crisis in Arizona

  • Consistently ranks among the lowest in the nation for access to adult mental health care
  • Significant gaps between crisis discharge and outpatient follow-up
  • Overdose deaths remain well above the national average
  • Long wait times for residential and outpatient placement leave individuals vulnerable during the most critical recovery window

Demand Drivers

  • Expansion of Medicaid behavioral health coverage through AHCCCS
  • Increased court and corrections referral volume
  • Federal funding growth for substance use and workforce reentry programming
  • Growing employer demand for recovery-friendly hiring pipelines

The market is large, growing, and underserved by providers who can deliver integrated, long-term care with measurable outcomes.

Our Solution

The Renewal System

NCNC's core operating model — a six-stage program continuum designed for up to three years of engagement.

Arrival

Intake, assessment, and the Choice Framework. A structured conversation that respects autonomy and maps a personalized pathway.

Reset

Stabilization and early recovery. Detox coordination, crisis de-escalation, and immediate barrier removal.

Restore

Evidence-based therapy, care coordination, and treatment planning with measurable milestones.

Harbor

Transitional housing. Structured, supportive living environments bridging treatment and independence.

Forge

Workforce development. Trade training, certifications, employer partnerships, and job placement with retention tracking.

Next Chapter

Long-term aftercare. Alumni support, family reintegration, peer networks, and sustained community connection.

The Choice Framework

What Makes Arrival Different

The Choice Framework is designed to increase engagement from the first interaction, reduce early dropout, and build trust before clinical treatment begins.

The Choice Conversation

A structured, respectful dialogue where clients are heard, not processed. Staff are trained to listen first and assess second.

Choice Mapping

A visual tool that helps each client see where they are, what barriers exist, and what pathways are available. It turns an overwhelming moment into a clear picture.

Choice Plan

A personalized action plan built with the client, not for the client. It defines the first 30 days and creates the foundation for every phase that follows.

Service Delivery

Four Centers of Care

The Renewal System is delivered through four integrated centers, each responsible for a core dimension of recovery.

Access and Navigation Center

Intake, eligibility verification, crisis response, barrier removal, insurance navigation, and care routing.

Clinical Care Center

Comprehensive assessments, individualized treatment planning, evidence-based therapy (CBT, DBT, MI, trauma-informed care), medication management coordination, and clinical quality oversight.

Recovery Support Center

Case management, peer support services, family education and counseling, relapse prevention programming, and transitional housing coordination through Harbor.

Community Integration Center

Life skills development, job readiness training, trade pathways through Forge, employer coordination, reentry support services, and long-term alumni programming through Next Chapter.

NCNC Works

Forge: Workforce Development

Employment is a clinical outcome, not an afterthought. Forge provides real trade training, employer-connected placement, and retention tracking so that stability becomes self-sustaining.

Trade Pathways

HVAC, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, welding, CDL/commercial driving, culinary arts, solar installation, facilities maintenance, roofing, and warehouse/logistics.

How Forge Works

Clients are assessed for aptitude and interest during Restore. Training begins during Harbor. Job placement is coordinated with recovery-friendly employer partners. Retention is tracked at 90, 180, and 365 days.

Funding Model

Designed to be funded through WIOA-eligible grants, employer cost-sharing, and training partnerships. Forge produces the employment data that satisfies funders, courts, and referral partners.

Competitive Landscape

A Fragmented Market With a Clear Gap

NCNC operates in a fragmented market where most providers specialize in one piece of the recovery puzzle.

Compliance

Institutional-Grade Compliance Standards

NCNC is building a compliance posture that meets institutional expectations from day one and scales toward certification.

Operational From Launch

  • HIPAA Privacy and Security Program (written policies, workforce training, BAAs, security risk analysis, incident response)
  • 42 CFR Part 2 protections for substance use records
  • OSHA and fire safety compliance
  • State behavioral health licensing
  • ADA accessibility

Target Certifications (Year 2–3)

  • HITRUST CSF Certification — the institutional-grade data security standard increasingly required by large payers and health systems
  • SOC 2 Type II Audit — independent validation of security controls
  • National accreditation through CARF or Joint Commission
  • LegitScript certification for advertising compliance
Leadership

Leadership Team

Gino Cruse

Founder and Executive Director

Direct experience in recovery, housing operations, and community service. Drives vision, stakeholder relationships, and capital strategy.

Darol Lucas

VP, Operations and Technology

24 years in IT, infrastructure, and operational systems. Builds compliance frameworks, technology architecture, KPI dashboards, and multi-site systems.

Darryl Johnson

VP, Staff and Finance

Northwest Missouri State University, Business Administration. President of Business Credit Works. Leads capital planning, financial controls, and cross-departmental alignment.

James Sesay

VP, Marketing (B2C)

Arizona State University, AS in Information Technology. Leads brand development, demand generation, community awareness, and conversion systems.

Darren Thompson

VP, Business Development (B2B)

University of Arizona, BA Communication. University of the Potomac, MBA in Marketing and Finance. Leads referral partnerships, employer pipeline, and institutional relationships.

Kylie Elizabeth

VP, Administration

Alverno College, MEd in Curriculum and Administrative Leadership. Provides administrative backbone, operating rhythm, documentation discipline, and governance readiness.

Entity Structure

Target Entity Architecture

NCNC is building toward a multi-entity architecture designed to protect the nonprofit, separate management from mission delivery, and create governance that institutional partners can trust.

NCNC Holdings, Inc. (C Corporation)

Parent company. Capital coordination, asset ownership, and investment-level governance. Status: to be formed.

Common Good Management Group, LLC (MSO)

Execution arm. Operations, marketing, business development, technology, and back-office services delivered to NCNC under formal management agreements at fair-market rates. Status: to be formed.

New Chance New Choice (501(c)(3))

Mission delivery. Recovery support, housing, workforce development, grants, and philanthropy. Status: active.

For-Profit Clinic LLC

Revenue-generating clinical services and wraparound care where permitted. Compliant handoffs to and from NCNC. Status: to be formed.

Cruse Consulting LLC

Gino Cruse's personal brand (speaking, books, media). Legally separate for liability protection. Status: active.

Revenue Model

Multiple Revenue Streams Across Service Lines

NCNC generates revenue through multiple service lines that activate as operations scale.

Outpatient Clinical Services

Insurance billing at blended rates of $400 to $550 per day per client, 30 to 40 daily clients per site, 5 days per week.

Residential / Housing (Harbor)

Recurring revenue from room and board plus program fees, 6 to 10 residents per home.

Workforce Development (Forge)

Grant-funded, WIOA-eligible, and employer cost-sharing. Revenue tied to training completion and placement outcomes.

Support Services

Ancillary revenue tied to clinical operations and census.

55–60%

Clinical Payroll

As a share of clinic revenue

8–12%

Central Overhead

Of consolidated revenue at scale

20–25%

Target Margin

Operating margin once stabilized

Revenue Sustainability

Diversified Revenue Base

NCNC is building toward a diversified revenue base that does not depend on any single funding stream.

Government Contracts

SAM.gov registration in progress. Arizona's AHCCCS managed care system, ADCRR reentry programming, and WIOA-eligible workforce funding align directly with The Renewal System.

Grants and Philanthropy

Foundation funding, community development grants, and individual donor support for mission-driven programming.

Employer-Sponsored Partnerships

Employer contributions for the Forge workforce pipeline, training cost-sharing, and retention support.

Payer Diversification

Commercial insurance, Medicaid, Medicare (where applicable), and self-pay options to reduce concentration risk.

Strategic Analysis

SWOT Summary

Strengths

  • Lifecycle model with up to 3 years of engagement
  • Integrated housing and workforce development
  • Leadership team with operational, financial, and technology depth
  • Institutional-grade compliance targets (HITRUST, SOC 2)
  • Replicable model designed for multi-site growth

Weaknesses

  • Pre-revenue organization
  • No clinical operating history yet
  • Key hires (clinical leadership, compliance officer, finance director) still to be made
  • Brand awareness is early stage

Opportunities

  • Arizona behavioral health market is underserved and growing
  • Medicaid expansion increasing covered lives
  • Federal reentry and workforce funding expanding
  • Few competitors pursuing HITRUST or SOC 2
  • Employer demand for recovery-friendly hiring pipelines increasing

Threats

  • Regulatory changes to Medicaid or state behavioral health policy
  • Workforce shortages in clinical roles
  • Established competitors with head starts in payer relationships
  • Economic conditions affecting housing and employment access for clients
Milestones

Three-Year Milestones

1

Year 1: Foundation and First Revenue

  • Entity formation and compliance infrastructure
  • First location operational, first clients enrolled, first revenue generated
  • KPI dashboards live and referral partner network activated
  • Forge program designed
2

Year 2: Stabilization and Certification Pursuit

  • All Renewal System stages operational
  • HITRUST validated assessment initiated
  • SOC 2 Type II audit period begins
  • National accreditation survey completed
  • Workforce retention data available
  • Second location evaluated based on financial performance
3

Year 3: Profitability and Market Positioning

  • Operating margin targets achieved, material principal reduction
  • HITRUST certification achieved or on final path
  • Published outcome data across all program stages
  • Capital partner relationship positioned for expanded access based on three years of demonstrated performance
Partnership

What We Are Looking For

NCNC is not seeking a one-time funding request.

We are seeking a long-term banking relationship with an institution that understands the behavioral health market, can support phased growth tied to operational milestones, and benefits from a growing, compliant, revenue-generating client across deposits, credit, and potentially real estate lending over time.

1

Prove the Model

Demonstrate financial discipline and consistent outcomes at the first location.

2

Scale With Confidence

Expand with the evidence that comes from demonstrated performance — not projections alone.

3

Build Together

Grow the relationship across deposits, credit, and real estate lending as milestones are achieved.


Gino Cruse, Founder and Executive Director
New Chance New Choice | Phoenix, AZ | EIN: 99-3824890