Piney Ridge Center was established in order to better serve the needs of children and adolescents with sexual behavior problems. Our highly structured behavioral management program assists residents in gauging their treatment and progress.
After Clark Flatt lost his teenage son, Jason, to suicide in 1997, he was shocked to discover how tragically common youth suicide is in the United States. To combat what had clearly become a silent epidemic, Clark founded The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As a result of JFI’s efforts, 14 states have passed The Jason Flatt Act, which mandates that teachers be provided with youth suicide and prevention training. But JFI is not focused solely on legislation. To ensure that as many people as possible are enlisted in the fight to end youth suicide, JFI has created a school-based curriculum and several online staff development programs. Because of the dedicated efforts of The Jason Foundation, students, parents, teachers, coaches, youth workers, and other individuals who work with young people throughout the United States are now empowered to identify and help young people who may be thinking about ending their own lives.
Please consider the scope of the problem just in the state of 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 Piney Ridge, we are proud to support the vital work that is being done by The Jason Foundation, Inc. We encourage all students, teachers, parents, and others in the Piney Ridge area who wish to join the fight against youth suicide to contact us at your convenience. We can help you to learn more about JFI, become trained in youth suicide prevention, and discover the many ways that you can contribute to this important effort. All JFI materials and resources that are provided through Piney Ridge are free of charge.
To learn more about Piney Ridge Center’s partnership with JFI, please feel free to contact us at your convenience. For more about Clark Flatt, Jason Flatt, and The Jason Foundation, Inc., please visit the organization’s website at jasonfoundation.com.
