The CHAS Foundation

The CHAS Foundation's mission statement is: To advocate for individuals living with a mental illness; To streamline access to effective treatment for those experiencing mental illness; To save the lives of those struggling with a mental illness by working with public and private professionals; To provide education and support for family members and caretakers impacted by their loved one's mental illness.

Navigation & Support

The Mental Illness Navigation and Support Program (MINS) connects individuals, families, and caretakers to resources and mental health services. The program continues helping people struggling with mental illness by connecting them to local treatment providers and resources while offering peer family support. Support services include transportation, crisis meals, and temporary housing for individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). There continues to be a disconnect between an individual needing mental health treatment and their accessing treatment.  A multitude of barriers exist in accessing treatment, including cost, transportation, lack of providers, wait times to receive treatment, substance abuse, etc… CHAS seeks to eliminate those barriers. The Mental Illness Navigation and Support Program educates families about the complex mental healthcare system, supports them along their journey, and provides a continuum of care through referrals and connections to local mental health services (treatment providers, housing, police, court, jails).  When inpatient and outpatient services and resources are inadequate, or the individual and/or family has exhausted all options, The CHAS Foundation continues to provide peer family support so that a support system is established for the entire family unit.  Additional support is given by meeting with individuals and families at their choice of location, providing transportation to reach service providers, and assistance making doctor’s appointments.  The mental health system can be a maze for individuals.  Many people, families, and caretakers do not know where to start or how to navigate the system.  An online mental health resource guide showing resources and services in every Hampton Roads city is available at talkaboutitnorfolk.com.

CHAS and the Navigation and Support Program provide a free local mental health resource for the Hampton Roads region. A person can call and speak with a compassionate, caring, supportive, and informative peer-family-specialist while working to increase access to mental health care for that individual, family member, or caretaker.  A CHAS peer-family-support specialist is available by phone from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary. The support specialist is local to the region and provides both information and support that is truly a lifeline to callers and program participants. The MINS peer-support-specialist can be on the phone or meeting with a program participant for upwards of 3 hours per day.  MINS staff work with some program participants daily or multiple times per week, and some participants have been in the MINS program for over 8 years.

The Chas Foundation is a leading provider of non-clinical mental health navigation and peer-family-support services in Hampton Roads. Annually, CHAS provides one-on-one support to an average of 650 people affected by Serious Mental Illness (SMI), with 85% of those served being families. Since 2020, 94% of program participants surveyed replied "Yes" when asked if CHAS offered them valuable resources and support. Our vision has always been to create a mentally healthy Hampton Roads through education, connections, support services, and collaboration. We are committed to being a safety net for individuals and families who feel lost in the mental health maze.

Anti-Stigma Campaigns

The Chas Foundation continues mental health awareness and anti-stigma campaigns, especially during the month of May. May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  Positive mental health messages were spread through social media and eblasts stating it is ok to reach out for help and that CHAS is a free resource available to the community.  Early treatment and diagnosis of mental illness has shown to increase an individual's ability to achieve a successful recovery.  Unlike many physical conditions and/or diseases, individuals often hide mental health issues and mask them, especially in the early stages.  CHAS aims to help an individual recognize that they should never feel ashamed of asking for help and seeking treatment.  Social media was the primary tool utilized to continue raising awareness and educating the public on new research regarding mental illness.