What
is ANSWER?
The
ANSWER (Adolescents Never Suicide When Everyone Responds) Network began as
a grassroots
movement in Johnson County, Kansas in response to the impact suicide was
making
in the community. The ANSWER Network formed a
coalition, which includes law enforcement
officers, mental health professionals, educators, the faith community,
parents and youth
to address this serious problem. At the same time, the Mental Health
Association of the Heartland
was providing Teen Suicide Prevention programming to schools in the Kansas
City metropolitan area. During the spring of 2000, ANSWER
Network partnered with the Mental Health Association of
the Heartland, to work jointly on this issue. The goal is to educate
everyone about the risks of teenage suicide and to provide resources for
help in an effort to reach our mission of eliminating teen
suicide.
The
idea for the ANSWER Network first came to Dennis Reaser, an Overland Park,
Kansas, police officer. In April 1998, Reaser, currently a school resource
officer, responded to a call involving the suicide of a 16-year-old boy.
The young man had hanged himself under a bridge. Officer Reaser was so
profoundly affected by this experience that he began talking with mental
health professionals, community leaders, school officials and fellow
police officers about the issue of teenage suicide. By December 1998, many
of these individuals formed the ANSWER task force. This Web site is just
one of the ANSWER Network’s many outreach projects to provide resources
and information.
At this time, we are unable to offer counseling. For those in immediate crisis, please call the hot line number shown on every page that can refer you to a mental health professional.
