Larry McCord: He Lost a Child to Suicide. Now He’s Trying to Save Others

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The McCords were looking for experts who could “put together programs that would decrease suicide attempts and suicides in the future,” Larry says.

But most researchers needed grants in the $1 million to $2 million range to have an impact.

The head of the child psychiatry department at St. Louis’ Washington University urged a change of direction: Take the work directly to teens themselves.

In 2007, CHADS Coalition began talking to middle and high school students around St. Louis twice a month using a nationally recognized curriculum, Signs of Suicide (SOS), that teaches kids how to spot symptoms of depression, suicidal thoughts and how to seek help from a trusted adult.

 At the end of each class, Larry would hand out cards so students could describe how they were feeling and, if needed, request counseling.  “About 12 percent of the kids would ask for help,” he says.

As they reached additional schools, the McCords realized they were teaching students to seek help but getting that help wasn’t easy. CHADS Coalition began offering case management, helping families navigate insurance issues and find therapists. Later, the organization hired its own mental health professionals.

Today, CHADS Coalition offers up to 7,000 counseling sessions in schools throughout the St. Louis area every year. The work is tough: The group finds that about 22 percent of students are suicidal.

 “Since our counselors see about five kids a day when they’re working, they typically see at least one suicidal child,” Larry says.

Over the years, CHADS Coalition added family therapy sessions and support groups for teens with depression and those who have lost a loved one to suicide, as well as mentoring for children as young as 5 who their schools identify as lagging behind in social or emotional skills.

Larry hopes that the relationship-building and self-regulation skills CHADS Coalition offers will help prevent future mental health issues in the children.

Reaching more teens

Since its launch 20 years ago, CHADS Coalition has supported 669,000 students. The organization works in 380 schools in 23 counties in and around St. Louis. Last year, the nonprofit’s licensed clinicians worked with more than 700 students in 46 schools. More than three-quarters of their suicidal clients show improvement.

Currently, Larry and his team are focused on expanding beyond the eastern part of the state. They’ve hired more staff to teach the SOS program. “If you take a look at the 115 counties in Missouri, 58 percent of those counties do not have a mental health professional,” he says. “So rural areas are hurting.”

The 771 staffers and 16-person board of directors, many of whom have personal connections to suicide or went through CHADS Coalition programs themselves, are committed to amplifying Chad’s voice.

Their mission is simple: “We want to save lives,” Larry says.

The AARP Purpose Prize award supports AARP’s mission by honoring extraordinary people ages 50 and older who tap into the power of life experience to build a better future for us all. To read more about this year’s winners, click here.