Jason Foundation, Inc. and you!

As I became President of ASBDA in 2007, there were several people that expressed to me their frustration that ASBDA was not offering anything practical for our members. There was also a feeling at that time to increase our presence as a vital organization beyond our membership. Also during that period, I was introduced to my friend, Clark Flatt and his foundation to help prevent teen suicide. An idea: a chance for us to offer our members something practical and lend our support to a national cause. Already working with the Jason Foundation (named for his son, who took his life as a teenager) were groups such as the American High School Football Coaches Association and the High School Wrestling Association. My thoughts after 24+ years in teaching was that as band directors, we are in closer contact with our students (of both sexes, where the football and wrestling programs are primarily geared towards males) and often in our programs, we deal with the same students for several years. If any one group of teachers knows their students and makes an impact on their lives, it is US! They refer to teen suicide as the silent epidemic and while no one wants to talk about it, if you teach long enough, it will effect you or your school in some way. Teens today have a lot a "junk" to deal with. We are the ones on the front lines that can notice changes in behavior and other factors that can allow us to make a real difference.

The training provided by JFI via our website can be used by anyone simply by clicking on the link. Most states now require some type of suicide prevention training as part of yearly professional development. By completing these sessions, you may be able to fulfill this on your own. Even if this is not the case, the things mentioned are needed by teachers and parents of today's students. The goal of JFI is NOT to turn us all into counselors and psychiatric consultants! This is merely to open our eyes to look for collective patterns of behavior that may signal a problem and then allow us to put students in touch with professionals.

I urge all of our membership to go to the link and complete the training modules offered online. There is no cost and again, you can print out certificates of completion at the end which may be used for professional development training (note, some systems require an "in person" workshop, but maybe YOU can set that up through JFI or an affiliate in your area).

Teen suicide is not something we want to discuss, but it has everything to do with our "teaching" as we are responsible for the well being of our students. Our subject is "band," but we're teaching the kids and WE are the ones that see them everyday. I know in my career there have been several "referrals," some which I am sure made the difference. There have also been some that were defiant and parents in denial, but the kids are still around, so in the scheme of things, I know that I did the right thing. And yes, unfortunately, there have been a few that I missed. We can't all see every sign, but if we make a difference in ONE life, then that's worth it.

If you need more information, their site and contacts on their staff are more than helpful. You can also set up parent information links on your school website and they can help you with that. Please let other teachers in your system know about this and they too can access the free training via our www.asbda.com site.

Enjoy living!
Jeff Phillips, Immediate Past President, ASBDA