Steven Blackwood is the President and Founder of the Alex Blackwood Foundation for HOPE in Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. Blackwood is also a founding member of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention/ Suicide Prevention Action Network USA field advocate.
Steven is a suicide survivor, having lost his only son, Alex, to suicide in October of 2008 at the age of 19. Through his experience and with a new understanding of the real risks of depression and suicide in our world today, Steven decided it was time to Break the Silence about depression and suicide and deliver a message of Hope that depression is treatable and suicide is preventable.
As a successful entrepreneur, Steven is known nationwide in the real estate and mortgage industry as an agent of change and a problem solver. He has created a successful network of companies that operate over a regional span with millions of dollars in business annually. In that same nature of tenacity Steven faces the issues that surround the stigmas attached with depression, mental health, and suicide.
Through the Alex Blackwood Foundation for HOPE, Steven has been instrumental in the first Suicide Prevention Plan for the state of Arkansas by forming a coalition of agencies to adopt and endorse the states plan. He also contributed to the success of the first ever Suicide Prevention Network Conference held in Arkansas with participating government agencies, healthcare organizations, and schools from around the state.
Steven speaks passionately to groups about the HOPE that is possible when we overcome the stigma of depression, face the reality that suicide is an epidemic and incorporate conversations about the risks into our everyday life. Mr. Blackwood points out that parents talk about drugs, alcohol and sex with their children because somewhere along the way it became a socially responsible thing to do. However, discussions of depression and suicide have been left out of the home.
In Arkansas alone, we average losing more than one life a day to suicide and yet only one of three suicidal deaths is reported as such. Statistics indicate than an average of 25 attempts of suicide are made to every suicidal death that occurs, Steven stated in a recent interview. Steven explains, The mission is to break the silence and to bring awareness of the harsh reality and the growing epidemic of suicide, while overcoming the stigma that has historically kept it a secret. Providing HOPE and saving lives are the primary goals.
Steven has spoken to thousands of individuals and students at schools, community groups, and church groups across the country. His inspiring message is one of HOPE, awareness, and education. Full of informative material about the risks of suicide,Steven's message is straightforward and insightful.
To schedule a speaking engagement with Steven Blackwood e-mail your request to AlexBlackwoodFoundation_gmail.comor call 888-901-5554.
