The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) was founded by Clark Flatt after his 16-year-old son, Jason, committed suicide in 1997. The goal of JFI is to fight back against the epidemic of youth suicide by raising awareness and educating the public on how to prevent this morbid event.
To diminish the presence of this epidemic, the JFI foundation has established a curriculum for students and a number of seminars or teachers, parents, and older adults to benefit from. The drive behind these efforts is to empower all members of the community to be able to identify and help an at-risk youth.
In Missouri:
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death for middle and high school age youth (12 – 18).
- Suicide is the third leading cause of death for college age youth (18 – 22).
The Missouri Youth Risk Behavioral Survey reported:
- Almost 1 out of 7 young people seriously considered suicide in the past twelve months
- Almost 1 out of 15 young people attempted suicide in the past twelve months
Lakeland Behavioral Health is obliged to be a JFI partner and to help end youth suicide. Teachers, parents, students, school personnel, and more who live and/or work in the Springfield area can reach out to Lakeland Behavioral Health to obtain supplemental information, obtain resources, and receive training on how to help a young individual who might be suicidal. All JIF materials are free through Lakeland Behavioral Health.
To receive more information about how PROGRAM is working with JFI to stop youth suicide in its tracks, please contact us at any time. To learn more about Clark Flatt, Jason Flatt, and the Jason Foundation, Inc., please visit jasonfoundation.com.
