Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

We increase access to life-changing speech-language services, removing systemic barriers to enable more equitable services and create communication justice.

Vision

CHAT will be the pioneer in communication justice, inspiring organizations nationwide to use speech, language, and advocacy tools in groundbreaking ways to help more underserved children, raising awareness of the impact of communication disorders on society, and championing communication as a human right. 

Values

Passionate Advocacy

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”  - Desmond Tutu

United by our passion for inclusion, CHAT advocates for systemic change in healthcare and education so that our communities can be more sustainably supported. We create communication justice by serving under-resourced children whose disorders and differences contribute to their inequitable treatment, and by working to remove structural barriers to access support. We exist to support children with few—if any—other options.

Collaborative

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller

Collaboration fuels our impact.  We partner with families, caregivers, community partner nonprofits, agencies, lawyers, teachers, school administrators, and other related service providers to maximize supports for the children we serve. We listen actively and embrace diversity of thought and experience, because by working together we make more of a difference.

Compassionate

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou 

We lead with compassion, leaning into difficult conversations, suspending preconceived perceptions, and extending grace. When serving others, we acknowledge our own privilege and continuously work to improve our cultural humility. We embrace opportunities for unlearning to better support the diverse communities we serve. We uplift and amplify underrepresented voices, listening and learning with empathy.

Adaptive

“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”  - Nelson Mandela

We recognize situations beyond our control, redirecting our attention and efforts towards things we can change. When faced with systemic and internal challenges, we face them head on with a growth mindset. Setbacks do not shake our resolve, but help us to teach resilience and self-advocacy. We are solution-oriented and flexible, committed to overcoming challenges, not dwelling on problems. We are intentional about the impact we have on the children we serve, and strive to create an inspiring place of belonging.

Empowering

“Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.” – Harvey Fierstein

We empower children by helping them to harness their strengths and interests to achieve their goals. We view challenges as opportunities, affirm and embrace differences, and create connections that facilitate results. We seek opportunities to support as many underserved youth as possible, encouraging and teaching self-advocacy as essential to every therapy and service. We work to empower families, caregivers, and communities with advocacy tools to holistically support the children we serve.