Educators an Important Resource in Youth Suicide Prevention
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn., May 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (2012) details the importance that educators can play in the prevention of youth suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth ages 10 – 24 in the nation. An educator's role in suicide prevention is not found in counseling young people, but being better able to identify and assist students who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide.
The Jason Flatt Act is an important piece of legislation that is helping to achieve this goal in our nation. The legislation requires educators and school personnel receive regular training in youth suicide awareness and prevention. The Jason Flatt Act is the most widely used legislative model in our nation addressing the utilization of educators for prevention of youth suicide. This legislation was named after Jason Flatt who lost his life to suicide in 1997 and is promoted by The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI), a nationally recognized leader in youth suicide awareness and prevention. With the recent passage in Idaho, The Jason Flatt Act has now been passed in twenty states. This impacts more than 1.3 million educators that represent a student body of over 23 million youth.
"We are very proud of the legislators and citizens of Idaho who have joined 19 other states that have passed The Jason Flatt Act. They have seen the value of training their educators to better be able to identify and assist youth at-risk for suicide," said Clark Flatt, President of JFI. "There is no doubt in my mind that lives will be saved because our educators stepped up to be trained."
About the Organization:
The Jason Foundation (JFI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting the "silent epidemic" of youth suicide through educational programs for young people, educators, parents, and other community groups. JFI, headquartered in Hendersonville, TN, was founded in 1997 after the tragic death of Jason Flatt, the 16-year-old son of Clark Flatt.
To find out more about The Jason Flatt Act or youth suicide prevention, you can visit The Jason Foundation's website.
SOURCE The Jason Foundation, Inc.
Share this article