A new mobile app was launched this week to prevent youth suicide by providing information about warning signs and direct access to help for youth in Kansas.

“Kansas – A Friend AsKS” is a free app that was developed in partnership with The Jason Foundation, a national suicide prevention organization.

The app connects youth to tools and resources to help a friend, or themselves, who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. It also offers the option for users to call or text the 988 mental health crisis line, which was launched in Kansas in July.

According to the most recent info from the State Child Death Review Board, 28 children in Kansas between the ages of 10-17 died by suicide in 2019. Between the years of 2015 and 2018, suicide deaths for Kansas youth in the same age range increased by 70%.

This trend led the Tower Mental Health Foundation, along with Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, to form a Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force in 2018.

In 2019, the Task Force issued a report recommending the creation of a youth-focused app that would connect young people to critical resources and information, as well as creating the position of Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator within the Office of the Attorney General.

The app is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

If you or a loved one is contemplating suicide, please connect with the Kansas suicide and crisis lifeline by dialing or texting 9-8-8, in order to be connected with a trained crisis counselor who can provide support.

More information about the attorney general’s youth suicide prevention efforts and links to download the app are available at https://ag.ks.gov/asKS. To learn more about the Jason Foundation visit https://jasonfoundation.com. App artwork is available at https://bit.ly/3qkIzNp.