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November 2017 Edition
JFI 20
Members of the Hendersonville Fire Department mingle with guests at the open house at the JFI headquarters.
Jason Foundation Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Th e Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) celebrated its 20th Anniversary on October 1 with an open house at its corporate office in Hendersonville.
 
Phillip Fulmer, former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team and national spokesperson for JFI, was on hand to greet guests and sign autographs. The proceedings also included appearances by Hendersonville Mayor Jamie Clary and Maj. Gen. Max Haston, Adjutant General of the Tennessee National Guard. The Hendersonville Fire Department also appeared at the event.

"When the Jason Foundation began, there were not many organizations committed to fighting the tragedy of youth suicide," explained Clark Flatt, JFI's President/CEO. "We are proud to be on the forefront of combating the 'silent epidemic' that is youth suicide in our nation. Our longevity is a direct result of the support and passion that we have received from the many individuals and organizations that believe in our mission."
 
Flatt established JFI with the help of friends and colleagues in 1997 following the suicide death of his son Jason Flatt at the age of 16. What began as a small non-profit organization has, over the last 20 years, provided suicide prevention awareness and training to schools and community groups in all 50 states and overseas. It developed the Jason Flatt Act, which mandates suicide awareness prevention training for public school staff, and has seen the bill passed into law by 19 state legislatures. (Tennessee was the first state to pass a version of the Flatt Act in 2007, and TSPN recently joined JFI in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the bill's passage).

Since TSPN's own establishment in 2001, we have worked closely with JFI to promote each other as community training resources and to encourage participation in our respective awareness and educational campaigns. TSPN thanks Clark Flatt for his vision and leadership, and looks forward to a continuing relationship with JFI in the years to come.
 
More information about the work of JFI, inside and beyond Tennessee, is available on the agency website (http://jasonfoundation.com).
Journey Revisited
Screenshot from The Journey Revisited, courtesy of the AFSP website.
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, November 18
 
Communities across the United States and the world are preparing for International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, set for November 18.
 
Survivor Day is an observance sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention where people affected by suicide loss gather at events in their local communities to find comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of healing and hope. In 2016, there were over 350 Survivor Day events in 18 countries.
 
This year, all gatherings will include a screening of The Journey: A Story of Healing and Hope, a compelling AFSP-produced documentary about the suicide loss experience, as well the new follow-up featurette, The Journey Revisited, in which six of the original Journey participants gather three years later to reflect on how their grief and healing journey is evolving. The trailer is available on the official Survivor Day website (https://afsp.org/find-support/ive-lost-someone/survivor-day).
 
As of press time, three Survivor Day events are scheduled in Tennessee:
  • Germantown Church of Christ, 8723 Poplar Pike, Germantown, ZIP 38138. Event to run from 11 AM to 1:30 PM. Guests may enter through the glass doors in back. Hosted by AFSP Memphis/Mid-South. For more information, contact Tonia Howell at [email protected] or (901) 652-0312.
  • Franklin Vineyard Church, 308 Jordan Road, Franklin, ZIP 37067. Hosted by AFSP Middle Tennessee. Event to run from 9 AM-1 PM. More information available from Nikki Scott at [email protected] or (615) 509-9867.
  • Nashville Center for Hope & Healing, 2125 Belcourt Avenue, Nashville, ZIP 37212. Event to run from 10 AM to 12:30 PM. Co-sponsored by NeuroScience and TMS Treatment Center. For more information, contact Emelyn D. Measor at [email protected] or (615) 379-8600.
  • Pegram event to be hosted by the Jared's Keepers Foundation. E-mail [email protected] or call (615) 504-5895 for event time and venue.
If you would like to host a Survivor Day event, check out AFSP's organizer resources page to see what's involved, and to determine whether you have the necessary time, experience, and volunteer support to host an event. If you do, we welcome you to fill out an event organizer application form. Any questions should be directed to Inge De Taeye, Loss & Healing Programs Manager, at [email protected].
Lived Experience Research Study Opportunity

Researchers at Valparaiso University in Indiana are seeking members of the lived experience community for an online study about their experiences following their most recent suicide attempt.

The study seeks to analyze whether survivors of suicide attempts experience positive outcomes after a suicide attempt and to what degree, and how interactions with others have affect the quality of life for people surviving a suicide attempt.

You will be asked questions about yourself, your interactions with and feelings about those in your social environment, and how you manage difficult situations.  Participation is entirely up to you. At any point in the survey, you can decide that you are no longer interested in participating.

If you are willing to participate, log into
Questions about the study may be directed to Christopher W. Drapeau, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator, at [email protected].

This study has been approved by the Valparaiso University Institutional Review Board (Protocol #18-018).
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