FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brett Marciel, Director of PR & Marketing
The Jason Foundation
[email protected]
(615) 264-2323
Don Olsen, Executive Director
Montana Coaches Association
[email protected]
(406) 264-5421
The Jason Foundation and the Montana Coaches Association Join to Fight Youth Suicide
(Hendersonville, TN—February 1, 2016) The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI), a national leader in youth suicide awareness and prevention programs, is joining with the Montana Coaches Association (MCA) for an affiliation targeted to address the “Silent Epidemic” of youth suicide. This affiliation was established through their membership in the National Organization of Coaches Association Directors. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth ages 10-22 in Montana and the nation. One of the first projects between the two will be to provide an online training library on suicide awareness and prevention for all MCA members through JFI’s Coaches Assistance Program. The MCA membership reaches 1900 coaches across the state.
“We are excited about working within Montana, through NOCAD, to offer programs and materials that will provide information, tools and resources to their membership in raising awareness and helping to build prevention skills,” stated Clark Flatt, President of The Jason Foundation. “The fact that the NOCAD membership, MCA included, unanimously voted to affiliate with JFI only further cements the commitment they have to their student-athletes and student bodies as a whole. As their unofficial motto states – Please Remember, Kids Need Coaches.”
In the nation, according to the 2013 CDC Youth Risk Behavioral Survey, over 1 out of every 6 students responded that they had “seriously considered suicide in the past twelve months”. This same survey reports that over 1 out of 13 students reported attempting suicide within the past twelve months.
NOCAD, in its 26th year, has never before aligned itself with another non-coaching organization. “After hearing Clark Flatt’s presentation and statement of goals and procedures there was no doubt that we would seek affiliation,” said Phil Weaver, Executive Director of NOCAD. “Within hours the unanimous vote was taken and the coaches of NOCAD had committed to helping The Jason Foundation work to reduce the terrible incidence of youth suicide in the United States.”
About the Affiliates:
The Jason Foundation, Inc. (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. For more information, please visit JFI’s website, http://www.jasonfoundation.com
The Montana Coaches Association (MCA) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1966. The MCA mission is to improve the profession of coaching across the state while providing a unified platform to voice concerns and promote the values of education based athletics. The MCA provides educational opportunities for coaches and students annually.
