Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation

Our Story

In January of 2006, in the midst of teenage depression, my 18-year-old son, Matthew took his own life. Matt chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and with it, his limitless potential, and his warm, kind, genuine, loving soul were lost to us.

Unfortunately, Matt’s decision to take his life does not represent an isolated or infrequent tragedy. Su***de afflicts young adults everywhere, in every socio-economic segment, and continues to be the second leading cause of death for those 15-24 years of age. In addition, each year, on average, 575,000 teens attempt su***de. According to a recent survey of high school students by the CDC, in the last 12 months twenty percent of the students said they often think about su***de, 14 percent say that they have made a plan for su***de, and nine percent reported that they have made one or more su***de attempts in the last year. Youth su***de and teen mental health has become a public health emergency, imperiling a whole generation of children.

To find meaning and purpose after Matt took his life, we formed the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation. Matt’s Foundation is dedicated to preventing teen su***de by underwriting lifeline prevention, awareness and mental health programs for schools, parents and teachers. We work with and support such charities as Teen Line, Active Minds, HealGrief, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, and others. The teen su***de awareness video below was made for Teen Line with the generous support of our Matt’s Foundation’s donors and sponsors. The video is intentionally haunting and urgent — it is designed to have impact and to save lives.

In partnership with Active Minds, we sponsor in Los Angeles-area high schools and colleges the award-winning traveling exhibit entitled “Send Silence Packing.” This involves a gripping installation of 1100 backpacks arranged throughout campus, each one representing a young person lost to su***de that year with each backpack containing the personal story of the life lost. The exhibit also includes an astonishing speaker who is a nationally recognized youth mental health advocate. (See the “Send Silence Packing” section below ). School officials, students, parents, and teachers all comment on the profound impact the “Send Silence Packing” program has had on their school communities. The Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation envisions this exhibit program as the beginning of much broader mental health programs of prevention and awareness for teens nationwide.

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