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It may not be your child, but there’s definitely a child you know and love struggling with debilitating anxiety or depression.

That’s why the Foundation of Hope Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program (CHAAMP) is so needed. This one-of-a-kind program at UNC-Chapel Hill is designed as a model for transformative, pivotal research that will give the next generation a fighting chance.

100% of your Annual Fund gift this year directly supports our $5 million Campaign for CHAAMP to accelerate this lifesaving research and fund a world-class team to create a new frontier of care for kids, teens, and young adults. Our children are in crisis, but together, we can change lives for generations to come.

Join us and make help — and hope — happen.

Every day, our nation sees massive deterioration in the mental health of our youth. Through CHAAMP, we will fight for the 1 in 3 youth currently suffering from anxiety and depression.

By conducting research into what places youth at risk for developing mental illnesses and what treatment discoveries most effectively support recovery, CHAAMP sets the stage for scientific breakthroughs that can then be designed and scaled to eliminate barriers and meet the needs of families.

Leading the Charge

To achieve this bold vision, we need three stellar scientists operating as foundational pillars to lead the charge.

CHAAMP prioritizes translational research that can help develop new models for delivering mental health care across the entire span of childhood – from infancy to adolescence to early adulthood.

Dr. Roubinov, whose focus is on Early Childhood research, started in October 2022 as the Director of CHAAMP. Now, the next most urgent step is finding our Adolescent Clinician-Scientist. Recruitment for this critical position is already underway because there is no time to waste. We cannot delay getting our teens the help and support they need any longer – their lives depend on it.

When you give to the Annual Fund, you are moving the needle and advancing science to save lives through this trailblazing program.

Develop Novel Treatments

CHAAMP aims to be at the forefront of developing new forms of psychotherapy and psychological treatments across the full spectrum of mood and anxiety disorders.

Identify Early Signs of Risk

CHAAMP’s focus is on both intervention and prevention at earlier ages through the discovery of risk factors for mental illness and environmental conditions specific to children.

Bridge Gaps Through Collaborative Partnerships

CHAAMP will partner with pediatric primary care offices, schools, churches, and community centers to help provide support and evidence-based care until families can receive longer-term treatment.

Support the Whole Family

Solutions for the whole family are delivered in real-world settings where children live, learn, and play, getting science out of the lab and to families because when children struggle, caregivers often struggle too.

1 in 3 teen girls and 1 in 7 teen boys have considered suicide.

We know scientific research is the key to finding effective and long-lasting treatments for youth mental illness, but the solutions aren’t there. Help us propel CHAAMP forward through innovation with your Annual Fund gift.

Hope is happening. Since launching this undeniably crucial program in 2021, together, we’ve made great strides towards hope.

CHAAMP is a key research component of a comprehensive approach that includes investments in child and adolescent clinical care, a youth behavioral health hospital, the UNC Suicide Prevention Institute, and other efforts addressing the nation’s youth mental health crisis.

So far, together, we have:

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Hired CHAAMP Director Danielle Roubinov

Renowned psychologist Danielle Roubinov, PhD, started at UNC in October 2022 as the Director of CHAAMP and Early Childhood Specialist.

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Expanded Program Research Team

New team members have joined CHAAMP: a child & adolescent psychiatrist, a program manager to run studies, and another psychologist (starting in January).

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Kicked Off Primary Care Pilot Study

Kicked off a pilot study in a pediatric primary care clinic to help providers and families access treatment sooner for kids with anxiety and depression.

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Funded First Research Grant

Approved our first $199k CHAAMP research project in 2023, studying how children’s PTSD symptoms are affected by parental trauma.

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Raised $3.2 Million of Campaign for CHAAMP

Made incredible progress in our Campaign for CHAAMP – we’re currently at $3.2 million of our $5 million goal.

The kids, teens, and young adults suffering from anxiety and mood disorders are more than just a number. They’re the future, and they’re why we’ve taken a stand to fight these devastating disorders through CHAAMP.

Banks, Betsy, and countless others are standing with us – will you?

Banks’ Story

Kaleb and Banks were sitting on the back of the bus, making jokes about being off weight and looking forward to the day. “I thought those days would never end. Kaleb Wright was one of my best friends and committed suicide.”

When Banks was a sophomore, befriended Kaleb, the senior superstar on the wrestling team. Kaleb was a role model, always present, funny, and supportive. But underneath the joyful, outgoing persona, Kaleb was severely struggling. Even as one of his closest friends and teammates, Banks had no idea of Kaleb’s pain – nor did anyone else.

“When you go to school every day and see your best friend and then he’s not there, it’s like a piece of you is gone.”

After Kaleb passed, Banks and a group of his friends attended the Walk for Hope in Kaleb’s honor, carrying his senior banner, and he has continued to walk almost every year since. Banks is on a mission to help other struggling teens, especially young men, by speaking up, raising awareness to eliminate stigma, and supporting life-saving research.

Betsy’s Story

When Betsy was only 13, she started having panic attacks and struggling with depression. She began isolating herself from family and friends and quit school sports. By the time she turned 15, she had been hospitalized twice for alcohol poisoning and was going through a dark, dark time. In her own words, “I knew I needed help. I also recognized that I probably wouldn’t live to see my 18th birthday if I kept going at that rate.”

Betsy felt a deep sense of despair because the grown-ups in her life didn’t know what to do to help her at the time, and was disappointed in the severe lack of resources available for adolescents and families when she was struggling.

Thankfully, Betsy survived her battle with mental illness and substance abuse. Today, as a volunteer for the Foundation of Hope, Betsy actively raises awareness and supports research that CHAAMP can do to change the narrative for other teenagers struggling with depression and anxiety.

“I hope to give voice to my lived experience with mental health and substance abuse… If my story can help one person feel less alone, then that’s not nothing.”

Every dollar spent now for research into early intervention and better treatments is an investment in the lives of kids and teens.

Be a CHAAMPion for our kids – please give today!