Jason Blackwood

If you told me a few years ago that I’d be a full-time dad, living clean, laughing every day, and calling a place “home,” I would’ve laughed you off. For over thirty years, my life revolved around drugs, alcohol, and survival. I ran the streets, got locked up, and chased that next rush. My world was chaos. It was fast money, bad choices, and pain disguised as power. Deep down, I always wanted out, but the life had its hooks in me. When you’ve lived that way for decades, it gets wired into your brain. It becomes all you know.

​When I walked through the doors of Grandview Foundation everything began to change. I thought I was just going to fix a “drug problem.” I had no idea I was about to uncover something much deeper. Grandview didn’t shove a program down my throat. They didn’t tell me who to be or how to heal. They gave me space to find my own way.

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That freedom meant everything. I’m stubborn by nature, so if someone tries to force me to do something, I rebel. Grandview understood that. They let me discover my own niche in recovery, and through that, I built a foundation stronger than I’ve ever had before, because for me getting clean felt like being reborn—not in some religious way, but in a real way. For the first time, I’m living life without having to look over my shoulder. No politicking, no prison stress, no pretending to be someone I’m not. I wake up free, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
The safety and support I found here is real. I felt it the moment I walked through the door. The staff care about you, not just your sobriety, but your well-being. They see you. They let you peel back the layers, face your trauma, and find the person hiding underneath all that pain. For me, that person turned out to be someone I actually like! A fun, loving father who’s learning how to live with purpose.

That purpose has been the biggest blessing in all this…my daughter, Bentley. I never thought I could be a good dad, especially not a single parent. But every morning, she wakes up smiling, and it’s contagious. She’s my reason to get up, to push through, to be better. She reminds me there’s joy in life. Her love is pure. I’ve been in relationships before, but nothing compares to a child’s love. She’s my peace, my laughter, my mirror.

At Grandview, I realized that environment is everything. When I was in the streets, I was a product of that environment. Now, I’m thriving in recovery because I’ve surrounded myself with people who want the same thing I do: peace, purpose, and freedom.

I’ve built friendships that keep me grounded. I’ve learned to have fun again—real fun. I have found my best friend Brian here and we go fishing, camping, paintballing, hiking, and hitting the beach. Because here’s the truth: I used to chase fun in all the wrong ways. I got high because it felt good--until it didn’t! Recovery has offered that same joy, that same excitement, but in a way that gives life instead of taking it. That’s what keeps me going.

These days, home isn’t just a place, it’s a feeling. It’s the feeling of patience when the day feels long, it’s the sound of my daughter’s laughter echoing through the house, and it’s the love and joy of it all. These ingredients that make any house a home. Living in the Dad’s House program at Grandview has helped me build that. It’s where Bentley and I are growing together, learning how to live, love, and laugh without chaos running the show.

Home, to me, is safety. It’s peace. It’s walking into a space and knowing I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: don’t give up on yourself. You are the most important project you’ll ever work on. Make recovery fun. Find joy in it. Surround yourself with people who lift you up. And when it gets hard—because it will—remember why you started.

Grandview helped me find my home. Not just a roof and four walls—but a sense of belonging, of purpose, of love. For the first time in a long time, I’m not just surviving.
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I’m home.

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