Founder & CEO of Second Chances

Ebony Keith is the Founder and CEO of Second Chances, a mental health and behavioral health organization built on one simple belief: everyone deserves an opportunity to heal, grow, and have a second chance at a better life. With more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health and human services, Ebony has dedicated her career to supporting individuals and families navigating mental health challenges, substance use, intellectual and developmental disabilities, housing instability, and other life barriers. Throughout her career, Ebony has gained extensive hands-on experience working in detoxification programs, Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) settings, and behavioral health treatment programs throughout Charlotte, North Carolina. Her professional background also includes peer support, case management, ACT and CST teams, addiction and recovery services, community-based services, and working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Ebony is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS), Certified Peer Support Instructor, and Behavioral Health Technician. She is also continuing her professional and educational journey and is currently back in school pursuing her Registered Nurse (RN) degree, further expanding her knowledge and ability to provide and lead comprehensive, person-centered care.

The Heart Behind Second Chances

What makes Ebony’s approach different is her commitment to seeing the person—not the diagnosis, circumstance, or past mistake. She understands that every individual has a unique story and believes that with the right support, resources, advocacy, and opportunities, people can rebuild their lives and move toward stability, independence, and hope. Through Second Chances, Ebony has created an organization focused on providing meaningful support, connecting individuals to community resources, and helping people develop the skills, confidence, and tools necessary to thrive. Her vision extends beyond simply providing services. Ebony is passionate about advocacy, quality care, professional development, community partnerships, and creating opportunities for individuals to build better lives.

Expanding the Vision: Second Chances BHUC

As part of her continued commitment to behavioral health, Ebony is currently working toward opening a 24-hour Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, which is expected to be up and running soon. The Second Chances BHUC will focus on providing immediate support to individuals experiencing behavioral-health crises and creating a safe, accessible point of entry into the behavioral-health system.

The center’s core purpose will include:

Crisis assessment
Crisis stabilization
Safety planning
Care coordination
Connection to the appropriate next level of care
Support during the transition from crisis to continued treatment

The vision is simple:

Person in Crisis → Second Chances BHUC – Greensboro, NC → Assessment & Stabilization → FBC / Hospital / Appropriate Level of Care

The goal is not simply to respond to a crisis, but to help individuals navigate what comes next. Through the development of the Greensboro BHUC, Ebony hopes to help bridge gaps in behavioral-health services and ensure individuals have access to timely, compassionate, person-centered support when they need it most.

A Leader Who Continues to Learn

Ebony’s journey as an entrepreneur is deeply connected to her purpose. Her experiences within behavioral health have shown her the importance of meeting people where they are while helping them see where they can go. Even as she leads and expands Second Chances, Ebony continues to invest in herself. Her decision to return to school to pursue her Registered Nurse (RN) degree reflects her commitment to lifelong learning, professional growth, and improving the quality of care available to the communities she serves. She believes that leadership means never becoming comfortable with what you already know. It means continuing to learn, evolve, listen, and find better ways to serve. Ebony’s mission is rooted in compassion, accountability, advocacy, education, and purpose. She believes that a person’s past circumstances should never be used to define their future. “Your past may be a part of your story, but it does not have to determine your future.”

The Mission Is Simple

Create Opportunities.
Restore Hope.
Empower Individuals.
Give People Their Second Chance.