What CHADS Coalition does

CHADS Coalition for Mental Health is a St. Louis, Missouri-based nonprofit organization that delivers evidence-based mental health and suicide prevention programming to youth ages 5–25 across the St. Louis metropolitan area. Founded by Marian and Larry in the aftermath of personal tragedy — the name originally stood for Communities Healing Adolescent Depression and Suicide — the organization serves over 60,000 children annually through a multi-program portfolio. Core offerings include the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program, implemented in more than 200 local schools under license from MindWise Innovations; the Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) mentoring program, which embeds trained adult mentors in schools; Hope Squad, a peer-nominated student support program sponsored by the St. Louis Blues; Individual Therapy & Support delivered in-office and via CHADS Tele-Behavioral Health; Suicide Loss Support for Schools; and the Survivors of Suicide Support Group. CHADS holds CARF accreditation and presents at national forums such as the American Association of Suicidology's annual conference.

The organization's revenue model is hybrid for a nonprofit: the majority of funding comes from individual donations, corporate and foundation grants, and event-based fundraisers (notably the annual Brighter Days Gala, Trivia Nights, the KATY Trail Ride, and a Day of Giving campaign), supplemented by fee-for-service professional training for educators, counselors, and community organizations. Programs delivered to schools and students are free of charge. GTM is community-led and event-driven — staff deliver SOS presentations and SEW mentoring directly inside partner schools, complemented by warm-line phone/text support, third-party partner fundraisers with regional businesses, and a content-driven blog and social media presence. The customer base is diversified across schools, families, individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations, but is geographically concentrated in the St. Louis metro and surrounding counties.

Governance and leadership include Executive Director Marian, Chief Program Officer Colleen Suber, Chief Development Officer Melissa Brickey (joined February 2025), program managers for SOS (Mindy Grossmann), SEW (Cate Perry and Tiara Jordan-Sutton), and Hope Squad (Alyssa Wilkinson), plus supporting development, communications, and clinical staff. The organization has no parent company, no venture backing, and no public revenue disclosure. CHADS participates in a regional ecosystem of partners including the St. Louis Blues, Cardinals Care, the St. Louis Zoo, Take Two Productions, Third Baptist Church, and various local businesses that host third-party fundraisers.

Name

CHADS Coalition

Legal name

CHADS Coalition for Mental Health

Website

https://chadscoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CHADS Coalition for Mental Health is a St. Louis-based nonprofit that delivers evidence-based suicide prevention, social-emotional mentoring, and counseling programs to youth ages 5–25 across 200+ regional schools, serving over 60,000 children annually through donations, grants, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Suicide Prevention, Self-Harm Prevention & Threat Assessment Programs (EDAKAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

School-Based Mental & Behavioral Health Services (EDAJAIAB), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs & Supports (EDAJAIAC), Crisis Response & Threat Assessment (Suicide Prevention, Violence Prevention) (EDAJAIAH), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Youth suicide prevention
• School mental health programs
• Social emotional mentoring
• Evidence-based prevention curriculum
• Tele-behavioral health counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: CHADS is a nonprofit that primarily raises funds through donations, grants, and fundraising events. The organization accepts charitable contributions from individuals, businesses, and foundations to support its programming for youth mental health and suicide prevention.
2. Fee-for-Service Training:

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CHADS Coalition delivers evidence-based mental health and suicide prevention programs for youth ages 25 and under, embedded directly in 200+ schools across the St. Louis metropolitan area. Core offerings include the Signs of Suicide (SOS) universal prevention program, Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) mentoring, Hope Squad peer-support programming, and individual/group counseling delivered in-office and via tele-behavioral health.

Product overview

CHADS Coalition offers a comprehensive suite of mental health programs for adolescents and young adults centered around depression awareness and suicide prevention. The core offerings include the Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) mentoring program, Individual Therapy & Support services, the evidence-based Signs of Suicide (SOS) program implemented in over 200 schools, Hope Squad peer-to-peer support, and Suicide Loss Support for Schools. Programs are delivered in-person in schools and the community, as well as via Tele-Behavioral Health and virtual mentoring. The organization also provides training presentations for adults, including SOS Trusted Adults Training and Bullying 101.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SOS (Signs of Suicide): Evidence-based prevention program teaching students to recognize signs of depression and suicide and how to help themselves or friends.
• Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) Program
• Hope Squad
• Family Support
• EYES (Every Year, Every Student)
• Survivors of Suicide Support Group

Products and services

• Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) Program Mentoring and coaching program that pairs trained mentors with students to help them develop social-emotional learning skills, build resilience, and navigate emotions, delivered on-site at partner schools and via virtual mentoring.
• Individual Therapy & Support Individual and group counseling provided in-office for youth ages 25 and under struggling with mental health issues and thoughts of suicide, including suicide prevention counseling.
• Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program Evidence-based universal prevention program that teaches students and trusted adults to recognize suicide warning signs and seek help, implemented in over 200 St. Louis-area schools.
• Suicide Loss Support for Schools Postvention program providing support services for schools and communities following a suicide loss, helping students and staff cope with grief and trauma.
• Hope Squad Peer-to-peer suicide prevention program sponsored by the St. Louis Blues, where peer-nominated students are trained to recognize warning signs in classmates, offer support, and connect peers with trusted adults.
• Tele-Behavioral Health Online counseling delivery channel enabling CHADS Family Support counseling services to continue remotely, providing tele-behavioral health appointments for families and youth.
• Family Support Warm Line Phone and text support line available weekdays 9AM-5:30PM at 314.952.8274 for families seeking mental health guidance and resources.
• SOS Trusted Adults Training Fee-for-service training program educating parents, school staff, and community members about signs and symptoms of adolescent depression and suicide, teaching them to recognize and respond to struggling youth.
• EYES (Every Year, Every Student) Multi-year follow-up presentations for middle school students with ACT review and annual topic discussions, including Bully Free (6th grade), Peer Pressure (7th grade), and Self-Injury (8th grade) hands-on activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Of 50,000+ students receiving SOS presentations annually, approximately 15% reach out for help and are connected to their school counselor.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MindWise InnovationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHADS partners with MindWise Innovations to deliver the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program, the only universal, evidence-based prevention program they offer. MindWise is the licensing partner for the SOS program nationally.
• St. Louis BluescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe St. Louis Blues NHL team sponsors CHADS' Hope Squad peer-support program, helping amplify awareness of youth mental health and suicide prevention across the St. Louis community.
• Take Two ProductionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTake Two Productions puts on the 'Dear Evan Hansen' stage production with a portion of proceeds going to CHADS Coalition, serving as a fundraising and awareness partnership.
• Third Baptist ChurchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird Baptist Church in St. Louis provides its venue for the 'Dear Evan Hansen' production benefiting CHADS, acting as a venue partner for the fundraiser.
• St. Louis Zoo / Green Ribbon Gardens / Saint Louis Mental Health BoardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCHADS participates in the Nature and Nurture Festival at the St. Louis Zoo, a collaborative event with the St. Louis Zoo, Green Ribbon Gardens, the Saint Louis Mental Health Board, and the Dogtown Ecovillage, promoting children's mental health awareness.
• Cardinals Care (St. Louis Cardinals Foundation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCHADS has a booth at the Redbird Rookies Health Fair, an annual event hosted by Cardinals Care (the St. Louis Cardinals' foundation), which provides free health screenings and resources to youth ages 5–13.
• American Association of SuicidologycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCHADS' Chief Program Officer Colleen Suber and SOS Program Manager Mindy Grossmann presented at the American Association of Suicidology's 59th Annual Conference in St. Louis, sharing real stories and impact from their suicide prevention work.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sources of Strength: A youth-led, peer-based suicide prevention and mental health promotion program implemented in schools nationwide. Directly comparable to CHADS's Hope Squad and SOS programs as a school-based, peer-driven suicide prevention model.
• Jason Foundation: A national youth suicide prevention and awareness organization that delivers school-based curricula and parent/community education. Closely aligned with CHADS's mission of school-based suicide prevention education and trusted-adult training.
• Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program: Community-based suicide prevention program focused on school and youth settings, training peer leaders and trusted adults. Highly comparable to CHADS's combination of school programming and trusted-adult/community outreach.

Broad incumbents

• The Jed Foundation (JED): National nonprofit focused on youth and young-adult mental health, especially in high school and college settings. Comparable to CHADS in mission and youth population served, with broader scope including college and policy work.
• The Trevor Project: National nonprofit providing crisis intervention and mental health support to LGBTQ+ young people, including a 24/7 hotline. Comparable to CHADS in providing youth-focused suicide prevention, crisis support, and counseling services.
• Sandy Hook Promise: National school-based violence and suicide prevention organization that delivers programs like Say Something and Signs of Violence to K-12 schools. Comparable to CHADS for school-channel suicide prevention programming and trusted-adult training.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): The largest national nonprofit dedicated to suicide prevention, funding research, advocacy, and community programs. Overlaps with CHADS on school/community-based suicide prevention and survivor support, but operates at significantly greater national scale.

Regional players

• Community Services of St. Louis County (Comtrea): Regional mental health and social services provider in the St. Louis area delivering counseling, prevention, and crisis services. Operates in the same St. Louis metro geography and adjacent youth mental health/substance use space.
• NAMI St. Louis: Regional affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness serving the St. Louis area with education, support groups, and advocacy for mental health. Comparable to CHADS as a St. Louis-based nonprofit addressing youth mental health awareness and family/community education.

Emerging players

• MindWise Innovations: Mental health program provider and the national licensor of the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program that CHADS delivers. Closely tied to CHADS through the SOS licensing partnership and offers overlapping school-based mental health programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CHADS_Coalition
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYxAadQ8M7LH7BG_hba8wog?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/chadscoalition
• Instagraminstagram.com/chads_mentalhealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chads-coalition-for-mental-health

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CHADS Coalition