Reno Reporter

The Jason Foundation is dedicated to supporting youth suicide prevention. Through a range of education and suicide awareness programs, The Jason Foundation helps parents, educators, and young people identify signs of a problem.

What is The Jason Foundation?

The main mission of The Jason Foundation is suicide awareness. There is a silent epidemic of youth suicide occurring, but suicide prevention is possible through suicide education and awareness. To accomplish this, The Jason Foundation has a curriculum unit for students, educational seminars, and a suicide prevention app.    

Originally, the organization was started by Clark Flatt. After his beloved son, Jason, committed suicide in 1997, Flatt started The Jason Foundation with the goal of helping other families prevent suicide. This non-profit group has also pushed 21 states to pass The Jason Flatt Act, which requires teachers to attend in-service training about suicide prevention.

Resources Offered by The Jason Foundation

This foundation helps teachers and youth through a variety of different programs.

Student Curriculum

One of the key suicide awareness programs is designed for students. “A Promise for Tomorrow” student curriculum covers three to five units about awareness and ways to help friends. It uses clinical research and has been used by 1.7 million students already.

Coaches Assistance Program

This program helps athletic trainers, academic advisors, and coaches learn how to spot warning signs of suicidal ideation.

Professional Development/In-Service Training

In 21 states, the Jason Flatt Act requires teachers and other educators to take part in in-service days about suicide awareness. These staff development training modules discuss risk factors, warning signs, the scope of the problem, and how to approach at-risk students.

A Friend Asks App

This free app can be downloaded by friends and family members. It contains resources for people who are struggling with suicidal ideation as well as tools for their loved ones.

Rascal Flatts B1 Pledge

The Jason Foundation and Rascal Flatts have worked together to create The B1 Pledge. This pledge requires participants to “Be Aware, Be Able, and Be Prepared to React.”

How You Can Get Involved

If you want to do your part to end the silent epidemic of youth suicide, there are several ways you can get involved.

Download the App

With the help of A Friend Asks, you can learn about warning signs of suicidal ideation. If you know someone who is having problems, you can use resources in the app to help them out.

Talk to Your School

You can help prevent teen suicides by talking to your school about the “A Promise for Tomorrow” student curriculum. By encouraging suicide awareness, you can give students the tools they need to prevent this problem from happening.

Have an Open Conversation

Parents should talk openly and honestly with their children about suicide prevention. In addition, pay attention to any sudden behavior or emotional changes in your child.

Organize a Suicide Prevention Week

National Suicide Prevention Week is from September 4 to 10, 2022, but September is Suicide Prevention Month. During this time, you can encourage your local schools, churches, and community events to host outreach events.   

Talk to Your Loved Ones

When you see someone is feeling bad, don’t be afraid to ask them how they’re doing. Many people commit suicide because they feel like no one else cares. By asking loved ones about how they’re feeling, you can help them get help before it’s too late.

Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is a Partner of The Jason Foundation

The Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is a proud partner of The Jason Foundation. Through suicide awareness programs, parents, educators, and students can learn about suicide prevention.

If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health issues, you can reach out to Reno Behavioral Healthcare Hospital for support.

Original source can be found here.