Her Story
About Lachelle
Lachelle Goodrich, MA, LPC-S, is a licensed professional counselor supervisor, nonprofit founder, and community mental health leader based in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Community Healing and Mental Health Project (CHAMP), established in 2019 and officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2021, as well as the CEO and clinician at iLegacy Consulting and Counseling, PLLC. With a background in counseling psychology and over 15 years of experience across education, public housing, and behavioral health, she brings a deep commitment to accessible, culturally responsive mental health care. Her work is grounded in the belief that mental wellness is a legacy that must be intentionally built, protected, and passed to the next generation.
CHAMP was born out of a community response to the need for safe spaces for healing following the killing of Atatiana Jefferson in Fort Worth’s 76104 zip code—an area identified as having one of the lowest life expectancies in Texas. What began as a grassroots response has grown into a statewide initiative addressing mental health disparities through innovation and access. Under Lachelle’s leadership, CHAMP launched the first mobile mental wellness clinic in Texas focused on prevention and early intervention, bringing services directly into underserved neighborhoods. Over the past two years, the mobile clinic has expanded across multiple counties, offering programs such as mental health screenings, ADHD and mood assessments, educational workshops, and family-centered interventions designed to increase understanding of child and adolescent mental health.
At the core of her work is a commitment to meeting families where they are both physically and emotionally by creating safe, judgment-free spaces where people feel seen, valued, and heard. CHAMP’s signature programs include up to eight free counseling sessions for youth and families impacted by trauma, along with community-based education that helps parents better understand mental health without clinical barriers or stigma. As a supervisor and educator to graduate students and provisionally licensed clinicians, Lachelle emphasizes translating complex clinical concepts into practical, compassionate guidance for families. Her leadership continues to focus on breaking stigma, strengthening community resilience, and building systems of care that prioritize dignity, accessibility, and long-term healing.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lachelle
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the mentors who have inspired me, particularly Barbara Jordan, who has been my childhood shero since sixth grade. She was the first African-American woman in state Congress, and just how she navigated and, although may have had some impediments, still navigated towards that, giving other people a chance - young boys, girls, you know, that look like her or may even struggle with some of the things that she struggled with to let them know that they are beyond their struggles, right? And that they can, whatever they put their mind to, and they work hard at. I also give a huge shout out to Tara Robinson, the owner and founder of Black Heart Association. She has a mobile clinic that goes around the state, actually around the country, that provides preventative healthcare screenings, and she's definitely been someone, a mentor that I appreciate, that I've been able to take this journey with. Beyond that, I'd say life experiences have been the greatest teacher of them all. I became a mother at the tender age of [AGE], and so that was one of my driving forces. Although I was a teenage statistic, I realized that I did not have to stay there. Creating goals and navigating life's ups and downs, not just for my daughter at that particular time, but for me, has taught me a lot. That has put me in a place where I have empathy and can relate to so many people, and remind people that we all struggle with something. Your proclivities and tendencies may look different from mine. However, that does not determine who we are. It's how we navigate and we deal with those things moving forward.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Move in your authentic self. Because the world is waiting for you. And so, we only can receive your authentic self. We don't need anybody else, but we need your authentic self. And so, just remember that you hold the answers to somebody's question, and don't wait too long, because we need you.
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