The CODY Project stands for Community Overcoming Depressed Youth. It was established in loving memory of Cody Ledford and T.C. Rockwell, both teenage boys and La Plata County 4-H’ers who died by suicide. We work collaboratively with other community resources on suicide prevention and mental wellness initiatives. The project provides mental wellness trainings for youth, access to suicide prevention trainings for adults and hosts community pro-social events to promote mental wellness.

Our mission is to raise awareness for mental health and depression in youth and provide information for families within La Plata County and beyond. Suicide is a symptom of larger issues such as depression and other mental health issues. Our primary goal is to establish educational programs and curriculum that address the issue at the top of the funnel, with the bottom of the funnel being the suicide crisis. Education at this level helps prevent suicide crisis from occurring. We are partnering with organizations such as San Juan Basin Public Health and Celebrating Healthy Communities Coalition, among many others. In the true spirit of Cody, who had a deep love for helping others, we want to keep his memory alive, while serving others within the community he was raised and beyond.

What’s up next:

We held our first community wide event in May, Mental Health Mardi Gras, and look forward to hosting another event in November. We are finalizing logistics. We hosted a very popular booth at the La Plata County Fair and look to enhance our booth in the coming year for more events.