DeCou Family Establishes Endowment for Suicide Prevention at Idaho State

Chris and Becky DeCou, along with their family, have established the DeCou Family Endowment for Suicide Prevention to support Clinical Psychology Ph.D. students at Idaho State University.

POCATELLO, Idaho––Chris and Becky DeCou, along with their family, have established the DeCou Family Endowment for Suicide Prevention to support Clinical Psychology Ph.D. students at Idaho State University (ISU). Announced in 2023, the endowment is now fully funded and will award its first scholarship in 2026. This endowed fund will provide long-term support for original student research focused on the study and prevention of suicide.

Dr. DeCou, a graduate of ISU’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program, is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, who has published extensively in the areas of suicide prevention, trauma-related distress, and pragmatic mental health solutions. During his time at ISU, Dr. DeCou held leadership roles in graduate student organizations and received multiple awards for his research and clinical contributions. He has published extensively, including more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles co-authored with ISU faculty, and more than 40 published articles in total. He is also a recipient of the 2024 ISU Young Alumnus Award. Becky DeCou, M.S., CCC-SLP, a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, supported Dr. DeCou throughout his graduate studies and served as an adjunct clinical professor in ISU’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders from 2013–2015.

Through their endowment, the DeCou family aims to ensure that future generations of ISU students have the resources needed to advance knowledge, contribute to peer-reviewed science, and make meaningful progress towards preventing suicide. 

“ISU is such a big part of our family’s story and my journey as a psychologist,” says Dr. DeCou. “Scholarship funding made it possible for me to fully engage in research projects and opportunities that would not have been available to me otherwise. My family and I are honored to establish this endowment as a long-term investment in how ISU Clinical Psychology students can continue to learn, develop, and lead in the study and prevention of suicide.”

Preference will be given to Ph.D. students pursuing dissertation research, with awards supporting expenses such as research costs, travel for conference presentations, and specialized training opportunities.

The creation of this endowment comes at a critical time where in 2023, Idaho’s suicide rate was approximately 1.6 times the national average, making it the second leading cause of death among Idahoans ages 15–34 (Centers for Disease Control, 2023). All 44 counties in Idaho are designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, leaving vast regions underserved (Idaho Behavioral Health Alliance, 2022; University of Idaho, 2023). 

By establishing the DeCou Family Endowment for Suicide Prevention, the DeCous are helping ISU strengthen its capacity to train and support the next generation of clinical psychologists dedicated to saving lives and addressing one of Idaho’s most pressing public health challenges.

“The DeCou Family Endowment for Suicide Prevention reflects both a deep personal connection to ISU and a strong commitment to addressing one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time,” said Dr. Joshua Swift, Chair of the Department of Psychology at ISU. “In addition to facilitating research on suicide prevention, this endowment provides students with an opportunity to gain cutting-edge research experience with projects that would not be possible without funding from the award.”  

For information or to make a donation to suicide prevention research, please contact Tabitha La Force, Director of Development for the College of Arts and Letters at 208-282-1404 or tabithalaforce@isu.edu or visit isu.edu/give.