Meet Antoinette Chapman
MA, LPC, CAADC
Meet Antoinette Chapman
MA, LPC, CAADC
JD & Antoinette Chapman
JD & Antoinette Chapman
For more than 20 years, I've dedicated my life to walking alongside the youth and families of Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids isn't just where I work. It's home.
I’ve grown up most of my life in Grand Rapids, a proud GRPS alum graduating from Central High School, Class of 1999 (Go Rams). My roots run deep here, and from the very beginning of my career, I knew I wanted to be part of helping my district flourish. During my master's program, I completed my practicum as a school intern counselor at Riverside Middle School, where I discovered my passion for working with youth and their families. During this time, I also began to see many of the same GRPS scholars were being kicked out of school and entering the juvenile justice system. That experience challenged me to look beyond the classroom and see things from a different perspective.
“I realized that I could be a clinician, but a different type of clinician, one that came from behind the desk and went out into community where youth and families were.”
As a Mental Health Clinician, I chose to walk alongside youth and families in real-life situations, supporting and advocating for them in community-based programs, family court, substance use treatment, and educational systems — such as navigating Individualized Educational Plans (IEP’s), suspension reinstatement, and access to necessary services. Today, I am the Co-Executive Director & Lead Mental Health Clinician at Realism Is Loyalty, where I continue serving primarily underserved scholars and their families by meeting them where they are through quality evidence-based mental health care & culturally-responsive intensive mentorship.
Throughout this campaign, I've heard from parents who have expressed frustration with no clear lines of communication between them and schools. Teachers who want to feel supported and respected. Youth who simply want their voices to matter. Those conversations have reinforced my belief that meaningful change begins by listening to the people closest to the work.
“The biggest strength that I have is that youth and families know that their voices are going to be heard.”
One of the biggest lessons my career has taught me is that a scholar doesn't leave their personal life at the school doors. In order to make sure that our scholars thrive, we cannot confine ourselves only to academic matters, but we need to recognize that schools, families, and community are all connected. All of us have a role to play and we should be each another’s accountability partner for the benefit of our scholars and leader’s of tomorrow.
This is why I’m devoted to being holistic in my care for our scholars through building partnerships between schools and families, expanding access to mental health support, valuing our teachers, and collaborating with trusted community organizations into our schools to help serve the unique needs of every community.
I know this vision may not be easy to enact; there will be hurdles and challenges to face, and I don’t claim to know all the answers to all the problems. But together, I believe we can prioritize every Scholar, Family, & Community in GRPS.
Beyond my career, I am a proud wife, mother, and lifelong Grand Rapids resident. My family means everything to me, serving as a constant reminder of the importance of why I do the work I do with youth and families in my community.
