AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – Alta Care Group kicked off the celebration of its 50th anniversary Friday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4490 Norquest Blvd., by having employees line up to spell out “Alta 50.”

Vince Paolucci, Alta Care Group CEO, said 2026 marks 50 years from what started in a couple of offices in Youngstown and has expanded throughout the Mahoning Valley.

“The real growth has been the expansion of our services, going from traditional counseling services and case management and psychiatric … now we specialize more in early childhood mental health,” Paolucci said.

Services also include a first episode psychosis program for transitional age youths, 24-hour-a-day mobile response and stabilization services for youths in crisis and specialized treatment programs like art therapy.

Alta also offers transitioning programs and disability respite services for children and young adults ages 6 months to 21 years. Peer support groups, parent training programs and Camp Challenge at Mill Creek Park, as well as preventative programming, also are part of the organization’s offerings.

Formerly known as D&E Counseling, Alta was founded in 1976 by Gregory F. Svetkovic. It’s grown to serve 10,000 people annually with eight behavioral health care locations in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, as well as 21 Head Start locations in Mahoning and Trumbull.

Last year, Alta grew its number of employees to 340, adding about 100 when it acquired Trumbull County’s Head Start.

In the past few decades, children and teens have experienced a rise in anxiety and depression, Paolucci said, adding that period includes the evolution of cellphones and the related impacts on peer relationships and bullying. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns also took their toll on young people, isolating them and affecting their social skills, he said.

“It’s really been a struggle, and along the way we’ve always looked to intervene and be the best provider of what we can do related to what has happened,” Paolucci said. “Those kids in those formative years, it becomes a challenge because they’re missing that gap, and we’re helping families deal with their children and how they can rebuild those missing skills.”

Paolucci said Alta will continue to focus on children’s needs and partner with others to fill those gaps. The nonprofit partners with schools to develop after-school programming, for example.

“We have a really good reputation over the years, which has been the building block of how we’ve grown as an agency in 50 years,” he said.

Events planned to celebrate the organization’s milestone and benefit its mission include the second annual Chips for Kids: A Roaring 20s Casino Royale fundraiser March 27. 

Pictured at top: In this image captured from video, Alta Care Group’s 340 employees line up to spell out “Alta 50.” (Courtesy of Tony Marr)