Tennessee DAs Partner with the Jason Foundation to Help Prevent Youth Suicide
Credit: Ridofranz via iStock
By Tammy Leytham
Jason Flatt was an average teenager. Just 16. Loved sports. Active in his youth group. Had lots of friends.
On July 16, 1997, Jason became a statistic in the epidemic of youth suicide. The Jason Foundation was started to help prevent youth suicide through resource materials, training, and support.
In December 2022, the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference kicked off a partnership with The Jason Foundation, Inc. to further highlight suicide prevention. Headquartered in Hendersonville, The Jason Foundation is a nationally recognized leader in suicide awareness and prevention.
This new partnership will allow for the information, tools and resources provided by The Jason Foundation to reach even more Tennessee communities. The two groups will work with state agencies and other nonprofits to raise awareness and provide additional resources to Tennesseans.
“This is a major step in our efforts to help address and prevent suicide in all counties across the state,” said Clark Flatt, Jason’s father and president of The Jason Foundation, in a press release.
“Our collaborative effort with the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference will further cement our commitment of ‘Local folks helping local folks’ by taking resources and information to a community level across Tennessee that is seldom seen,” Flatt said. “Bottom line, our district attorneys will help save lives and make lives better in communities they serve, as well as our great state.”
Over the past decade, the number of suicides in Tennessee has steadily increased, with the biggest jump seen in men in their 20s, according to a study from the United Health Foundation. The rate of deaths by suicide in 2019 was 17.9 per 100,000, higher than the national average of 13.9, according to the Tennessee Department of Health: Suicide Prevention Report.
That report also showed 7,294 emergency department visits for self-harm injuries and another 28,879 visits with patients contemplating suicide with no injury.
“The district attorneys have significant influence in Tennessee. The citizens of their districts respect them and listen to them,” said Paul Summers, chairman of JFI and former district attorney general and state attorney general.
“I am grateful that the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference has endorsed the mission of The Jason Foundation, Inc. in combating the ‘silent epidemic’ of suicide,” Summers said. “This collaborative partnership will save lives in the 32 districts of Tennessee.”
Guy R. Jones, executive director of the DAs General Conference, said the government’s highest priority is public safety.
“Tennessee District Attorneys General work daily to keep their communities safe,” Jones said. “We are excited to see this partnership further that goal and believe that together we will save lives.”
The Jason Foundation offers its programs and materials free to schools, families, and communities. For more information or to find the closest JFI Affiliate Office, visit www.jasonfoundation.com.