CHADS Coalition for Mental Health
Melissa Brickey serves as the Chief Development Officer at CHADS Coalition for Mental Health since February 2025, bringing a wealth of experience from previous roles including Sr. Director of Development, Marketing, and Communication at Paraquad and Executive Director at Diversity Awareness Partnership. Melissa has also held leadership positions at Rosati-Kain High School and De La Salle, Inc., showcasing a strong background in institutional advancement and operational management over a career spanning nearly two decades. Academic credentials include a Master’s Degree in Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management from Fontbonne University, a Secondary Teaching Certificate from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Truman State University.
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CHADS Coalition for Mental Health
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. Founded by Larry and Marian McCord, in the after math of the tragic suicide of their son Chad in 2004, the CHADS Coalition has become a leader and a beacon of hope and emotional and practical support for adolescents and young adults facing depression and suicide thoughts and behaviors, and seeking help to access and complement behavioral health services. CHADS provides services through three main programs for school-aged youth through schools and in the community: 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. 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. CHADS Family Support Program provides a caring, individualized response to parents and caregivers in need, so that they will be better equipped to make decisions, access services, and take care of their loved ones.