After Clark Flatt lost his 16-year-old son, Jason, to suicide in 1997, he was stunned to discover how tragically prevalent suicide is among adolescents and teenagers in the United States. In an effort to fight back against what he described as the silent epidemic of youth suicide, Clark founded The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI).
Today, JFI is a nonprofit organization with partners and affiliates throughout the nation, all focused on the mission that Clark identified nearly two decades ago. The Jason Foundation, Inc. operates in the belief that awareness and education are the first steps toward prevention. To empower students to identify and help peers who may be in danger of taking their own lives, JFI has created a school-based curriculum. For parents, teachers, youth workers, coaches, and other adults who are active in the lives of young people, JFI has developed a series of seminars. JFI has also worked with 14 states to pass The Jason Flatt Act, which mandates suicide prevention training for teachers.
Though the Jason Foundation, Inc. has made great strides in the fight against youth suicide, much work remains to be done. For example, consider the following statistics from Arkansas:
In Arkansas:
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death for middle and high school age youth (12 – 18).
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college-age youth (18 – 22).
The Arkansas Youth Risk Behavioral Survey reported:
- Almost 1 out of 5 young people seriously considered suicide in the past twelve months
- Almost 1 out of 9 young people attempted suicide in the past twelve months
At Valley Behavioral Health, we are proud to be working alongside The Jason Foundation, Inc., and we encourage students, parents, school personnel, and other concerned adults in the Arkansas area to contact us for materials, resources, and information about how you can become trained to help at-risk young people. All JFI materials that are provided through Valley Behavioral Health are free of charge.
To learn more about Valley Behavioral Health’s partnership with The Jason Foundation, Inc., please contact us at your convenience. For more information about Clark Flatt, Jason Flatt, and the important work of JFI, please visit the organization’s website at jasonfoundation.com.
