The CHADS (Communities Healing Adolescent Depression and Suicide) Coalition for Mental Health is dedicated to saving young lives by advancing the awareness and prevention of depression and suicide. Founded in the aftermath of a personal tragedy, CHADS has grown into one of the largest agencies in the region focused on suicide prevention.
The History of CHADS
CHADS was founded after Marian and Larry McCord's 18-year-old son, Chad, died by suicide in April 2004. Chad McCord was an extraordinary teenager. He was an Eagle Scout. He was in the top 15% of his class at Oakville High School and had almost 20 college credits. During his 3-1/2 years of high school, he earned 5 “most something” plaque awards for cross-country, soccer, and track. He was being recruited by a Division 1 school to play college soccer.
Like so many parents before them, Marian and Larry had fought alongside Chad trying to help him conquer his disease, but found a healthcare system unequipped and often unwilling or unable to help. Chad's life was forever changed after depression reared its ugly and deadly head. Slowly, it took over Chad’s spirit, body and mind. With every passing day, Chad lost hope and began seeing himself as a burden to all. In October 2003, Chad was diagnosed with depression and an anxiety disorder. Several months later, he was diagnosed with OCD (obsessing to hurt himself) and rapid cycling bipolar disorder.
As Chad underwent his treatment, he vowed that after he got better he wanted to make a difference in people’s lives by bringing mental illness out of the closet. Unfortunately, Chad left this world before fulfilling his dream to increase awareness and acceptance of mental illness. Chad's parents, Larry and Marian McCord, vowed to be Chad's voice. In 2005, they founded CHADS Coalition for Mental Health in memory of their son, Chad.
Mission and Vision
CHADS Coalition for Mental Health's mission is to advance the knowledge and prevention of adolescent depression and suicide through awareness, education, family support and research. The vision is to be the community leader in educating and supporting young people whose lives are impacted by suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and/or depression.
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Today, CHADS offers school outreach programs, community awareness presentations and classes as well as family support programs to advance the awareness and prevention of depression and suicide. We are one of the largest agencies in the region focused on suicide prevention, reaching more than 31,000 students during the 2017-2018 school year.
Core Values
CHADS is guided by a set of core values that drive its work:
- Youth Focused - Support the mental health of youth and young adults with each decision we make.
- Passion - Keep our mission and vision central in our work. We show pride, enthusiasm and dedication in everything we do.
- Character - Value those we serve, our employees, volunteers, and collaborating organizations by demonstrating honesty, respect, integrity, trust, and supporting diversity. We are people of character.
- Hope - Bring hope to the clients and families we support. We are confident that their lives will improve and they will get through their mental health crisis.
- Collaboration - Encourage effective partnerships with youth and their families, community volunteers, school districts, businesses, other nonprofits, and the broader community.
- Stewardship - Emphasize efficiency, quality, and the optimal use of resources in all aspects of our operation, ensuring that we remain responsible guardians of the trust that our community places in us.
- Accountability - Meet our commitments and take responsibility for our performance.
- Excellence - Expect the best of co-workers and ourselves. Strive for positive outcomes, continuous quality improvement, and fact-based decision-making.
Understanding Teen Depression and Suicide (Part 1) - Dr. Gregory Jantz
Programs and Services
CHADS is a 501(c)(3) organization offering Signs of Suicide®, Family Support, and Social Emotional Well-being programs to advance the awareness and prevention of depression and suicide. Aside from providing adolescents and young adults ages 25 and under with counseling services and educational programs, we also serve parents, educators, and community members with resources, presentations, and more to provide a holistic and proactive approach to mental illness and bullying.
Signs of Suicide (SOS)
Signs of Suicide® (SOS) is an evidenced-based program that teaches/empowers middle school and high school students, parents, educators and counselors to recognize and respond to the warning signs of teen depression and suicide. The Signs of Suicide Program, SOS, is the only evidence-based program to show a reduction in suicide attempts. This program is shared in classrooms throughout St. Louis County, St. Louis City, St.
Social-Emotional Mentoring
CHADS Social-Emotional Mentoring uses the evidenced based Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) competencies which are self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Research has shown that students who develop skills in these areas also experience improvement in grades, behavior, peer relationships and an overall sense of well-being.
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Family Support
The CHADS Family Support program has clinicians embedded one day per week in 33 area middle schools and high schools, including schools in St. Louis County, St. Louis City, St. Licensed clinicians provide Strategic Solution Focused Family Centered counseling to middle school and high school kids in crisis - those who are suicidal, depressed, anxious. Therapists utilize evidence-based processes, such as Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality, to assist these children. Eight to 12 sessions will typically get kids past their crises.
Through the data, one can see the impact of CHADS represented by numbers - but keep in mind, these numbers are children and young adults. Kids who may have been harboring thoughts of suicide but were given hope because they received the help they needed … Children who suffer from depression and anxiety, which when left unchecked, could lead to death.
Impact and Reach
CHADS Co-founder, Marian McCord, explains, “CHADS has always been really good about gathering data. We can now provide schools with concise, clean visuals of exactly what CHADS has done in their district and how many children are being helped by the program. We can see how the programs are working, what needs to be improved, and the needs we should further address.
Some of the most important data from the 2020-2021 COVID school year include CHADS’ therapists counseling 251 students over 2,786 sessions, 41% of whom were suicidal. Of those, 72.2% showed improvement. During the pandemic, we had an increase in younger children, around fifth grade, reach out and express the need for help. For every child who feels supported during his or her crisis and can see a way through the suffering without suicide, there is hope.
Every year in St. Louis County, 1 in 18 middle and high school students (1 in every classroom) attempts suicide. In St. Louis Metro, 35 to 40 youth (15 to 24 years old) die by suicide, yearly. Fortunately, through CHADS’ programs, there is hope for stopping this trend!
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20 Years of Brighter Days
CHADS began 20 years ago with one family's loss and one family's vision: to ensure that no young person ever feels alone in their pain. That vision lives on through each of you. Your generosity and belief in our mission allow us to keep building a future where empathy replaces stigma and hope replaces despair.
Thanks to incredible generosity, CHADS raised over $420,000, making this the biggest gala in CHADS’ history!
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