The Summit Counseling Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Summit Counseling Center, Inc, known as The Summit, provides professional counseling, psychological testing, school-based therapy, mental health awareness & suicide prevention education using an integrative approach to treat the whole person body, mind, spirit, and relationships. The Summit provides services for all family members including adults, teens, and children to address a wide variety of mental health and substance use concerns and to promote awareness and wellness within communities in North Metro Atlanta. The Summit is committed to providing a therapeutic relationship, an integrative approach to healing, high-quality services provided by state licensed providers, multiple areas of specialization, evidence-based practices, partnerships with community stakeholders, community service, and accountability to our Board of Directors and to our accrediting agency, The Solihten Institute. (continued on Sch O)
- Income
- $5.7 million
- Spending
- $6.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 2.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 54%
- Employees
- 60
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $169,054, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.6 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 27% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 24 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (7)
- $3.0 million spent. The primary program of The Summit Counseling Center is the Outpatient Office-based and Telehealth Counseling and Psychological Services Program. This program provides individual, couples, family and group counseling services to adults, children, and adolescents. Our professional state licensed clinical staff utilizes evidence-based therapies to treat a wide range of clinical issues including (but not limited to) anxiety, depression, complicated grief, trauma, substance use/abuse, parenting, and relationship difficulties. The Summit provided 23,156 hours of therapy and served 2,881 unduplicated clients in 2024-25. Specialized programs include suicide risk assessments, play therapy for children, dialectical behavioral therapy, and skills groups. Additionally, associate licensed clinicians are provided clinical supervision from certified mental health clinical supervisors at no charge for clinical quality assurance. Specialized Child and Play Therapy Program for children aged 3-12: Mental health is a crucial aspect of children's overall well-being. It encompasses their mental, emotional, and behavioral health, influencing how they think, feel, and act. Additionally, it plays a role in how children handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Nearly 1 in 5 children experience mental health challenges each year. These issues can impact their daily lives, relationships, and overall well-being. Recognizing and addressing these concerns early is essential. Children with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or disruptive behavior disorder, benefit significantly from early diagnosis and treatment. Access to mental health care during this critical developmental period can help address issues promptly and improve long-term outcomes. Play therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy & counseling designed to harness the power of play to help children express feelings, learn coping skills, gain interpersonal skills, and resolve blockages to achieve optimal growth and development. The Summit's certified clinical supervisors and trained play therapists incorporate evidence-based practices and techniques. The Summit provided 5514 sessions of Specialized Child and Play Therapy Services in Office-based settings and served 450 unduplicated clients. Client assistance pro bono discounts and fee subsidies ensure that those in need receive the help they need. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Program: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a structured program of psychotherapy with a strong educational component. It equips individuals with skills for managing intense emotions and navigating social relationships. Originally developed to address self-destructive impulses in chronically suicidal patients, DBT is also effective for treating borderline personality disorder, emotion dysregulation, and various psychiatric conditions. When appropriate, DBT can be administered in an outpatient setting, allowing individuals to attend therapy sessions and skills groups while continuing to live at home, attend school, and continue to work. The Summit utilizes therapists and clinical supervisors who have received Advanced Training to provide DBT therapy and DBT education groups that train clients in mindfulness practices, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Educational groups are provided for adults, teens (and family members of teens). The Summit provided 1,218 hours of outpatient DBT programming and served 219 adults, adolescents, and family members. Client assistance pro bono discounts and fee subsidies ensure that those in need receive the help they need. Psychological Testing Program: The Summit also provides psychological and psycho-educational testing, screenings and assessments for adults, children, and adolescents. The Summit developed cost-effective, early intervention screenings for mental health, learning disabilities and attention problems. When screenings indicate a need for more extensive testing, The Summit provides the full battery of psycho-educational or neuro-psychological testing. Nationally, the health, well-being and academic performance of children and adolescents is significantly hampered by undiagnosed mental health disorders, learning disabilities (and differences), and behavioral conditions. The Summit worked with area pediatricians to develop a screening protocol to provide more cost-effective mental health and neuropsychological screening tools to provide physicians and parents with effective means to identify these conditions. Early, cost-effective identification of mental health disorders allows physicians to ethically proceed with any needed pharmacological treatment without unnecessary additional testing. When screening tools detect the likelihood of a more significant underlying condition, additional testing can be administered while obtaining financial credit for the previous screening. Complete psycho-educational assessments allow parents, physicians and educators to more effectively address student challenges and create a plan for academic success and greater overall well-being. In 2024-25, The Summit's neuropsychologist and psychometrist provided over 1,208 billable hours of screenings and assessments to 219 clients and their families. Suicide Risk Assessments: The first step in effective suicide prevention is to identify anyone who is in need of help. By educating our community on the risk factors and warning signs of suicidal ideation and offering suicide risk assessments at no charge, we are removing the barriers that prevent those at risk from receiving the services they so desperately need. The Summit provides free suicide risk assessments in our community when a person has been identified experiencing suicidal ideation. Our team of clinicians have completed AMSR (Assisting and Managing Suicide Risk) and use the Columbia Protocol to address the full range of s
- $2.7 million spent. Since 2015, The Summit has provided the "Summit On-Site" School-Based Mental Health Services Program. The Summit has partnered with both private and public schools to offer confidential mental health therapy, conveniently located in the school so that students have the option to see their therapists at school during the day. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is the largest national survey related to Youth Risk Behavior and is managed by the CDC. According to the most recent data publicly available (from 2023), the mental well-being of high school students across the United States faced significant challenges. 1. Mental Health and Suicidality: - 39.7% of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness - 28.5% of students experienced poor mental health - 20.4% of students seriously considered attempting suicide - 9.5% of students attempted suicide 2. Gender Differences: Female students, LGBQ+ students, and students who had any same-sex partners were more likely than their peers to experience poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. - Nearly 53% of female students and nearly 65% of LGBQ+ students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. - 13% of female students and more than 20% of LGBQ+ students attempted suicide. 3. Substance Use Behavior: High school students reported engaging in substance use: - 22% of students consumed alcohol during the same period. - 12% of high school students consumed prescription pain medicine such as codeine, Vicodin, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, or Percocet, without a doctor's prescription or differently than how a doctor told them to use it. 4. Georgia Statistics: According to Mental Health America (MHA), Georgia ranks 47th for access to mental health care. MHA's 2024 State of Mental Health in America Report indicates t hat 20% of youth in the US have experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, a 4% increase since 2023. Voices for Georgia's Children's most recent data shows that suicide is the third leading cause of death among children aged 5-17. Hospital visits related to youth suicide in Georgia have tripled over the past 13 years. A staggering 50% of youth with depression go undiagnosed and untreated until adulthood, and over 50% of children ages 3-17 struggle to or are unable to access needed mental health treatment. According to data from the Georgia Department of Education's most recent Georgia Student Wellness Survey, over 30 days, 58% of Fulton County students reported feeling sometimes or always stressed; 43% report feeling suddently overwhelmed with fear for no reason, sometimes including a racing heartbeat or fast breathing; 38% report that anxiety, fear, and worry interfere with their daily life; and 32% report severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships. Equally alarming, 17% of students report having considered harming themselves on purpose in the last 12 months, and 9% hurt themselves on purpose; 12% considered attempting suicide, and 6% attempted suicide. By removing the barriers of stigma, accessibility and affordability, this program allows The Summit therapists the flexibility to quickly intervene, by serving students onsite during regular school hours. This intervention increases early identification of mental health needs, openness to help and an increase in skills and resources to address these issues. In 2024-25, The Summit provided 8,104 hours of counseling to students in 29 Fulton County schools, 2 Dekalb County schools, and Greater Atlanta Christian school, serving 811 students through on-site services. Since 2020, The Summit has partnered with the Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to ensure high quality services and increase sustainability. In January 2023, Fulton County formed the new Fulton County Behavioral Health Network (FCBHN) to provide behavioral health and developmental disabilities services to Fulton County residents. With the establishment of this new network, the Summit was awarded a contract to provide School-based Behavioral Health Services to our same 29 schools in northern Fulton County as a contracted Community Behavioral Health provider. This innovative new network contract was for one calendar year and is renewable for an additional 9 years. Client assistance pro bono discounts and fee subsidies ensured that those in need receive the help they need. Services include two pro bono sessions at the beginning of service for parents to ensure their engagement in their child's care. Fulton County School's K-5 LEAP (Learning, Engagement and Assistance Program) program is a behavioral support program designed to support elementary students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade who are exhibiting challenging behaviors that disrupt their learning and ability to be successful in a traditional classroom setting. Thanks to a private grant, The Summit hired a bilingual therapist in 2024 to support the students and families enrolled in the LEAP program at Vickery Mill Elementary School. Suicide Risk Assessments: The first step in effective suicide prevention is to identify anyone needing help. The Summit provides free suicide risk assessments when a student has been identified experiencing suicidal ideation. Suicide Risk assessments are provided at both school and off-site locations. Our team of school-based clinicians have completed AMSR (Assisting and Managing Suicide Risk) and use the Columbia Protocol to address the full range of suicidal thoughts and behaviors that point to heightened risk. The assessment identifies risk not only if a student has previously attempted suicide, but also if he or she has considered suicide, prepared for an attempt (for example, buying a gun, collecting pills, or writing a suicide note), or aborted plans for suicide because of a last-minute change of mind or someone's intervention. This protocol allows our team to efficiently and effectively determine the ne
- $64,066 spent. Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Education: Mental health awareness and suicide prevention play a crucial role in promoting well-being and saving lives. The Summit is committed to creating a well-informed and stigma free community by encouraging open conversations and education on mental health topics. In 2024-25, The Summit provided 121 workshops and presentations, reaching over 3,000 individuals in our community. Event topics included: - Understanding Eating Disorders - Positive Discipline Skills for Parents - Relationship Building for Couples - Well-Being in the Workplace - Building Self-Confidence - Postpartum Anxiety & Depression - Talking to Teens About Grief - Intersection of Faith and Mental Health - Identifying the signs of Anxiety - How to Be a Trusted Adult (Recognizing the Signs of Suicide) The Summit was the primary founding and sponsoring organization of the North Fulton Mental Health Collaborative. The mission of the NFMHC is to connect and catalyze stakeholders to cultivate an accessible life span behavioral health system to improve mental wellness for our community. It is open to all behavioral healthcare stakeholders in our community, including faith communities, public and private schools, law enforcement agencies and personnel, local government, civic organizations, non-profit organizations, behavioral health providers, healthcare organizations and providers, and friends and family members of behavioral health consumers. Through expert panel discussions and shared experiences, our quarterly meetings serve as a catalyst for creating lasting connections and fostering a supportive network that actively contributes to the betterment of mental wellness in North Fulton.
- The Summit Counseling Network on behalf of CURE
- Childhood Cancer and First Responders
- $25,627 spent. Counseling Program
- The Summit Counseling Network on behalf of CURE Childhood Cancer: The Summit partners with CURE whose mission is to conquer childhood cancer through funding targeted research while supporting patients and their families. Since 2013, The Summit has been a key partner in supporting patients and their families through this innovative counseling network. The Summit acts as a third-party administrator to recruit and contract with select therapists in the Metro Atlanta area, Columbus, Savannah and beyond to provide CURE patients and their families with a first session at no charge and up to 9 additional sessions at a subsidized reduced copay. Following the initial 10 sessions, additional subsidized sessions are approved as needed to ensure all families receive necessary services. This network of therapists continues to grow to serve CURE families through both in person and telehealth counseling services. In fiscal year 2024-25, 69 new families enrolled in the program. A total of 667 sessions were conducted and 19 new therapists were onboarded to the program and added to the CURE network of providers.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 1999.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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