My Background

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I am Eric Weaver, a retired police sergeant and a leading advocate, speaker, and instructor on mental health within law enforcement. I authored Overcoming the Darkness: Shining Light on Mental Illness, Trauma, and Suicide in Law Enforcement, and I am a Master Certified Professional Life Coach with the Certified Life Coach Institute. I’ve served 20 years with the Rochester, NY Police Department, including 13 years as a sergeant, where I held various roles from patrol and Tactical Unit to SWAT and Internal Affairs. As Mental Health Coordinator, I created and led the first Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in New York State and have since helped numerous departments establish CIT programs across the state.

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In 2008, I founded Overcoming the Darkness, a full-time training and consulting practice offering internationally recognized certification programs and seminars on recovery, stigma reduction, communication, and suicide prevention for law enforcement, mental health professionals, and communities. I’ve been a National Trainer for Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid, contributing to curriculum development and training nationwide from 2013 to 2024. My work has also included leadership roles with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, ASIST, and other national organizations.

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Diagnosed with severe mental illness and hospitalized for suicidality multiple times between 1996 and 2023, I have openly shared my story to help others. In 2002, after the suicide death of a fellow officer, I developed the seminar Overcoming The Darkness—addressing mental health, stress, stigma, depression, PTSD, and suicide prevention for law enforcement. I have delivered this course to roughly 40,000 officers and emergency responders nationwide. My efforts have been recognized in Newsweek, TIME, Details, Reader’s Digest, WebMD, and the FBI National Academy Magazine, among others.

As of early 2024, I stepped back from active work due to Parkinson’s disease, yet I remain committed to spreading this vital message through volunteer work and ongoing advocacy.