construction-industry-p49af6d72

Reflections from the Road: Lessons Learned Speaking About Mental Health in Construction

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 16:40:22 GMT

By Stuart Binstock

I retired about three years ago from my role as CEO of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). Retirement, however, was never going to mean sitting in a recliner and watching the days pass. I wanted to continue doing meaningful work. So when my colleagues at the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) invited me to return to the board, I immediately said yes. It was an opportunity to continue more than a decade of supporting suicide prevention in the construction industry.

Since 2023, I've had the privilege of representing CIASP at events across the country, speaking with contractors, trade associations, and other construction organizations. The largest audience I've addressed was nearly 900 employees working on a data center project. Getting the attention of 900 construction workers at 8:00 in the morning is no small task!

Looking back on these presentations, two themes consistently stand out: the industry's deeply rooted "tough guy" culture and the untapped potential of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).

Whenever I tell people that construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry in the United States, they're almost always surprised. Their first question is, "Why construction?"

The answer isn't simple. There are many contributing factors, including workplace injuries that can lead to opioid use, higher rates of substance misuse, financial pressures, demanding work environments, and an industry workforce made up primarily of men between the ages of 25 and 54—a demographic disproportionately affected by suicide.

But one factor stands above the rest in my experience: the stoic culture that has long defined construction.

I often stand in front of audiences made up mostly of men who have spent their careers solving problems, working through pain, and pushing forward regardless of the circumstances. They're not accustomed to talking about their feelings or asking for help. Many have been taught that strength means handling problems alone.

Ironically, I've learned as much from these presentations as I hope those attending have learned from me.

One experience that has stayed with me occurred during a presentation to a group of homebuilding CEOs in Georgia. As we discussed mental health, one attendee shared a lesson that had changed his life. He said he had learned that it was okay—even healthy—to cry. He described stress like pressure building inside your head until it feels ready to explode. Finding healthy ways to release that pressure had made an enormous difference for him.

Crying may not be everyone's solution, but his message was universal: we all need healthy outlets for stress. Ignoring it doesn't make it disappear.

I've also been encouraged to see organizations developing peer support networks within the construction trades, giving workers someone they trust to talk to before a crisis develops. Programs like these help reduce stigma and remind workers that asking for help is a sign of strength—not weakness.

The second lesson I've observed is that many companies offer Employee Assistance Programs, but far too few employees know they exist.

Behavioral health care can be difficult to access, and EAPs are often one of the most valuable resources available to construction workers and their families. Yet when I ask audiences whether they know about their company's EAP, only a small percentage raise their hands.

Having an EAP isn't enough if employees don't know about it. It shouldn't live only in an employee handbook. It should be discussed during onboarding, reinforced during toolbox talks, highlighted during benefits meetings, and communicated throughout the year.

One of the most rewarding moments I've experienced came the day after a presentation for a contractor in Dallas. The organizer called to tell me that three employees had approached him afterward asking how to access the company's EAP because they hadn't realized it existed—and they were ready to seek help.

That conversation reinforced something I've believed for years: awareness saves lives. Resources only work when people know they're available.

Mental health is a complex issue, and I don't pretend to have all the answers. But after years of speaking with construction professionals across the country, I know there are practical steps we can take to improve mental wellness in our industry.

By breaking down stigma, encouraging honest conversations, and making support resources visible and accessible, we can build a construction industry where asking for help is accepted—and where more people get the support they need before reaching a crisis.

The Hazards We Cannot See

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 19:47:08 GMT

By: Joseph Whiteman, CSP, CHST, Director of Safety Services, American Society of Concrete Contractors

In construction, we take pride in being tough. We work through heat, cold, exhaustion, injuries, deadlines, and pressure. We push through because that is what the industry has conditioned us to do. But somewhere along the way, “pushing through” became confused with staying silent.

That silence is costing lives.

The construction industry continues to face one of the highest suicide rates among all professions. Long hours, physical wear and tear, chronic pain, layoffs, travel, financial stress, substance misuse, relationship strain, and the overall pressure of the work can create the perfect storm for someone already struggling. Yet many workers still feel that speaking up about mental health will be viewed as weakness rather than strength.

The reality is this: mental health is not separate from safety. It is safety.

A worker distracted by stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, or substance misuse may not only be struggling internally, but may also be at greater risk for injuries, poor decision-making, and incidents on the jobsite. Just as we address fall protection, struck-by hazards, or heat illness prevention, we also need to recognize that mental wellness directly impacts the health and safety of our workforce.

Over the past several years, the construction industry has made tremendous progress in changing the conversation. Organizations like the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), along with contractors, trade associations, unions, suppliers, and industry advocates, have helped bring awareness, education, and practical resources directly into the field where they are needed most.

This movement is not only industry-led, but industry-built.

Construction workers do not want corporate buzzwords or generic wellness messaging that feels disconnected from reality. They want honest conversations, practical tools, relatable stories, and leadership that genuinely cares about people beyond production schedules. They want to know that if they raise their hand and say they are struggling, someone will listen without judgment.

That shift starts with culture. Sometimes it is as simple as a superintendent checking in on someone who seems off, a foreman reminding crews that asking for help is okay, or leadership openly discussing mental health the same way they discuss physical injuries.

The industry is also beginning to embrace a broader “Total Worker Health” approach, recognizing that worker well-being extends beyond compliance and injury prevention alone. Mental health, sleep, fatigue, nutrition, substance misuse awareness, psychological safety, and overall wellness all play a role in keeping workers safe, healthy, and engaged both on and off the job.

I will admit this is something I personally struggle with at times. When you become deeply committed to mental health and suicide prevention efforts, it can be difficult to “turn it off.” The stories, conversations, and losses can follow you home. Many people in advocacy, safety, and leadership roles experience that same weight. It is an important reminder that supporting mental wellness in construction also includes taking care of ourselves and each other along the way.

The next evolution of safety in construction is recognizing that protecting workers means protecting both their physical and mental well-being with the same level of commitment and urgency. The industry has become very effective at identifying visible physical hazards, falls, struck-by exposures, silica, electrical hazards, and other high-risk activities. But some of the greatest risks on a jobsite can be the hazards we cannot immediately see.

A worker showing up mentally exhausted, distracted, overwhelmed, emotionally withdrawn, or simply going through the motions can create serious safety concerns not only for themselves, but for everyone around them. In safety, we often refer to this as “presenteeism,” physically being present at work, but not fully engaged mentally or emotionally. In a high-risk industry like construction, that matters. Mental fatigue, chronic stress, complacency, and emotional strain can impact awareness, communication, decision-making, and reaction time in ways that increase the likelihood of incidents and injuries.

That is why mental wellness cannot remain a side conversation or separate initiative. It needs to become part of the overall safety culture, integrated into how we lead, communicate, plan work, support crews, and look out for one another every day.

Every company, regardless of size, should also know where to direct workers in crisis. Resources such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, CIASP materials, peer support programs, and local mental health services should be visible, accessible, and normalized within the workplace.

The construction industry has always been resilient. We solve problems, adapt to challenges, and take care of one another when it matters most. If we truly want safer jobsites, stronger teams, and a healthier workforce, we must continue moving the conversation beyond the helmet and into the human side of construction.

The next generation of safety leadership will require us to protect workers not only from the hazards around them, but also from the unseen challenges they may be carrying with them.

Why we need Hope.

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:57:09 GMT

By Sonya Bohmann for Construction Business Outlook

Hope is more than a feeling. It is a proven protective factor that can save lives. In this article, Sonya Bohmann explores why creating a culture of hope is essential to preventing suicide and strengthening mental wellness across the construction industry.

Building the Model: How Portland’s Workforce Wellbeing Roundtable Was Designed to Be Replicated

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 06:00:22 GMT

The Portland Community Roundtable on Workforce Well-Being was never intended to be a one-time event.

From the beginning, it was designed as a pilot to test a format that could be used in other regions to strengthen connections between the construction industry and the organizations that support its workforce.

The goal was simple:

Create a space where the right people could have the right conversation and leave with something they could act on.

What Made the Model Work

Several elements were critical to the success of the Portland roundtable:

1. Start with local, direct-service organizations
The most important decision was who was in the room. This wasn’t just a group of industry leaders - it included organizations actively serving workers through recovery programs, community-based support, training pathways, and health services.

That grounded the conversation in real conditions, not assumptions.

2. Bring together the full workforce lifecycle
Participants represented entry programs, training providers, employers, and community health organizations.

This allowed people to see not just their role - but how their work connects (or doesn’t) to others.

3. Use a simple structure to guide the conversation
The workforce lifecycle framework gave participants a way to organize their thinking and quickly identify gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for connection.

4. Design for interaction, not presentation
This was not a panel. The value came from small group discussions, shared prompts, and direct conversation between participants.

5. Focus on actionable outcomes
Participants weren’t just asked to share ideas - they were asked to identify what they could do next.

This shifted the conversation from awareness to action.

Why This Approach Matters

The construction industry has no shortage of resources, programs, or conversations about mental health.

What’s often missing is connection - especially connection to the organizations already serving workers every day.

Connection between people.
Connection between employers and local resources.
Connection between systems that too often operate in isolation.

Improving workforce wellbeing means addressing not just mental health, but the conditions that shape it and the people impacted when those conditions fail.

Looking Ahead

The Portland roundtable was just the beginning.

The next step is to strengthen these connections so that support is not just available, but accessible, trusted, and used.

For the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, this work aligns directly with the mission to provide resources, reduce stigma, and drive meaningful change across the industry. It also reinforces the need to elevate and integrate the work of local, workforce-serving organizations as part of any effective approach.

The opportunity to improve workforce wellbeing is not about creating something new.

It’s about connecting what already exists and making it work for the people who need it most.

LEADING THE CONVERSATION: MENTAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP IN CONSTRUCTION

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:20:14 GMT

Board member, Kabri Lehrman-Schmid, on the Construction Suicide Prevention Webinar.

Listen to the webinar here!

Workforce Wellbeing Starts with Connection:

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:00:05 GMT

Lessons from Portland’s Community Roundtable

by Kabri Lehrman-Schmid

In February, more than 70 professionals representing over 45 organizations gathered in Portland, Oregon, for a Community Roundtable on Workforce Wellbeing. Held in conjunction with the Construction Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference, this pilot event intentionally brought together local organizations that directly serve the construction workforce - including labor, contractors, educators, community-based organizations, and health and recovery providers.

As a Board Member of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, I had the opportunity to moderate the discussion. What made this roundtable different wasn’t just who was in the room – it was the deliberate focus on voices closest to the workforce experience . These weren’t abstract perspectives. They were real insights from organizations working with our workforce every day.

We also approached the conversation with a wider lens. Mental health doesn’t exist in isolation. Workforce wellbeing is shaped by the conditions people experience every day. And when those conditions break down, the impact doesn’t stop with the individual. It shows up in families, on crews, and across companies.

A few things became very clear.

Key Findings from Portland

1. Workforce wellbeing is fragmented – but deeply resourced at the local level
Organizations providing recovery services, culturally competent care, and workforce access programs are actively supporting construction workers but often without direct connection to employers or jobsites.

What this means:
We don’t necessarily need more programs. We need to better connect and make visible the ones already doing the work.

2. Entry into the industry is a critical moment for connection to support
Pre-apprenticeship and training organizations shared that many workers enter construction without awareness of available support - despite facing immediate challenges like housing, transportation, and financial stability.

What this means:
If we’re serious about workforce wellbeing, it has to start at entry (not after something goes wrong).

3. Jobsite culture determines whether resources are used
Contractors and workforce advocates were clear: even when services exist, workers won’t use them unless the jobsite environment supports it.

What this means:
Mental health outcomes are shaped every day by how we plan work, lead crews, and set expectations on our jobsites.

4. Community-based organizations are trusted – but under-integrated
Organizations serving LGBTQ+, immigrant, and culturally specific communities are often trusted sources of support yet are rarely connected to employers or project teams.

What this means:
If we want to reach the full workforce, we need stronger, more intentional partnerships with the organizations workers already trust.

5. Prevention requires alignment – not parallel efforts
Service providers and workforce organizations often operate alongside the construction industry - not in coordination with it - leading to missed connections and gaps in support.

What this means:
Improving workforce wellbeing requires alignment. The industry and the organizations serving our workers have to be working together, not next to each other.

Why This Matters

What we saw in Portland wasn’t a lack of resources. It was a lack of connection.

Improving workforce wellbeing means addressing not just mental health, but the conditions that shape it—and the people impacted when those conditions fail.

And that work is already happening. It’s just not always connected.

What Comes Next

This roundtable was just the beginning.

The next step is to strengthen these connections so that support is not just available, but accessible, trusted, and used.

In our next post, we’ll share how this conversation was designed and how other regions can build on this model.

BTEA NY National Construction Suicide Prevention Week Tool Box Talks

Fri, 29 May 2026 20:45:07 GMT

NY Building Trades Employer's Association Mental Health Video

This powerful video brings together labor leaders, contractors, and industry advocates to discuss the urgent connection between mental health, suicide prevention, and jobsite safety in construction. Through personal stories, practical insights, and real-world examples, speakers emphasize the need to reduce stigma, create cultures of care, and make mental wellness conversations as common and important as physical safety conversations on every jobsite.

Start the Conversation

Fri, 29 May 2026 20:31:38 GMT

This video from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) features CIASP board member Joe Xavier and other industry voices sharing candid perspectives on mental health and the importance of starting the conversation. Through personal insight and industry experience, the discussion highlights how mental health impacts workers, families, and jobsite safety, reinforcing the need for awareness, support, and a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up.

OSHA: Workplace Stress- Tools & Resources for Employers

Fri, 29 May 2026 20:15:25 GMT

OSHA’s Workplace Stress Employer Guidance offers practical tips and tools to help employers recognize, address, and reduce workplace stress. From fostering open conversations to building supportive workplace cultures, this resource reinforces the important connection between mental health, safety, and overall worker well-being.

Holiday Mindset Risks In Construction

Fri, 29 May 2026 20:11:35 GMT

Leading Through the Season's Hidden Pressures

How One Death Underscores the Suicide Risk for Construction Workers - New York Times

Fri, 29 May 2026 20:06:57 GMT

A powerful and deeply personal story from The New York Times that explores the suicide of construction worker TJ Kimball and the broader mental health and substance use crisis affecting the construction industry. Through interviews with family, coworkers, and industry leaders, this article highlights the pressures many workers face and the urgent need for continued conversation, support, and prevention efforts.

MOJO Worldwide: Beneath the Hard Hat with Sonya Bohmann

Fri, 29 May 2026 19:47:04 GMT

In this appearance, Sonya Bohmann continues to champion the mission of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), bringing attention to the real mental health challenges facing construction workers and the responsibility the industry has to respond. Through thoughtful conversation and practical insight, she highlights the importance of reducing stigma, creating cultures of care, and recognizing that mental health is just as critical to jobsite safety as physical safety.

Sonya emphasizes that meaningful change happens when leaders, coworkers, and organizations are willing to start the conversation and support one another with compassion and action. Her message reinforces that suicide prevention is not the responsibility of one person or one company alone, but a shared commitment across the industry.

To hear the full conversation and learn more about the work being done to create safer, healthier construction workplaces, watch the full episode below.

Spill the Ink: Under the Hard Hat: Mental Health and Safety Culture in Construction

Fri, 29 May 2026 19:30:34 GMT

Executive Director Sonya Bohmann Joins Spill the Ink Podcast for a Special Episode

In this appearance, Sonya Bohmann shares the mission and growing impact of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), highlighting the urgent need to address mental health and suicide prevention within the construction industry. She speaks candidly about the cultural challenges that have historically made these conversations difficult and emphasizes the importance of creating workplaces where people feel supported, connected, and safe asking for help.

Throughout the discussion, Sonya brings both compassion and practical insight, reinforcing that mental health is a safety issue and that meaningful change begins with awareness, education, and action across every level of the industry.

To hear the full conversation and learn more about the work being done to create safer, healthier construction workplaces, listen to the episode below.

The Impact of Employment Laws on Construction Worker Suicide

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:00:47 GMT

How Policy Can Protect Lives on the Jobsite

As many of us have seen firsthand, the causes of suicide are many and complex . Research is showing that some characteristics present in the construction industry – like the fast pace, low margin for error, and high injury rates – can negatively impact workers’ mental wellbeing. There is a lot more, however, we need to learn about these potential root causes of mental health struggles and/or substance use, including how they can be balanced by protective factors in the workplace.

Several years ago, CPWR and NABTU put forward a Research and Action Agenda on construction worker mental health focused on addressing upstream, work-related root causes. The agenda also emphasized strengthening support systems and ensuring workers have access to key treatment and recovery resources. As part of this agenda, CPWR funded research to advance knowledge and action on suicide prevention and opioid overdoses.

One of the projects in this work was based at the University of Iowa and explored the impact of employment laws on construction worker suicide. Principal Investigator Dr. Jonathan Davis analyzed publicly available data on suicide rates and state “paid-leave” policies to understand how employment laws and community-level factors influence suicide rates among construction workers.

Using the National Violent Death Reporting system linked to external datasets, Dr. Davis and his team identified people of working age (16 to 64) who had died from suicide between 2013 to 2020. The study found that during this period, there were 127,872 suicide deaths, with 19,511 (15.26%) being individuals who worked in construction.

When employment laws were factored in, the study found that the presence of family and paid leave laws correlated to lower rates of suicide for construction workers. This was statistically significant for female construction workers, and was true for male construction workers, but the reduction was not statistically significant. Additionally, laws that restricted opioid prescribing resulted in statistically significant lower rates of suicide for male construction workers.

Dr. Davis and his team concluded that state-level polices pose a significant opportunity to reduce suicide risk for construction workers. They are now further developing this research and hope to investigate the role of construction work in mental health disparities.

Read the full report: https://www.cpwr.com/wp-content/uploads/SS2025-Employment_Law_Worker_Suicide.pdf

Key Findings from the Study:

Female construction workers had a lower rate of suicide when family and paid leave laws were in place. This was also true for male construction workers; however, the reduction was not statistically significant.
Male construction workers had lower rates of suicide when laws restricting opioid prescribing practice were present. Construction workers were more likely to have substance use contribute to their suicide compared to workers in other occupations.
Community-level factors may influence construction worker suicide. Construction workers who died by suicide disproportionately lived in areas with lower incomes and lacked access to recreation. Construction workers who died by suicide were also more likely to live in areas with high violent crime rates.

988 Learn The Facts

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:36:08 GMT

What is 988

A free confidential lifeline- providing judgement free care.

Basic Stats:

As of July 2025

Total Contracts to 988:

17, 785,050

Average time to answer: 33 seconds

Averal Call length:

13 minutes 47 seconds

How does it work:

Explain difference between geo routing and geolocation:

Geo routing: 988 does attempt to route callers to the nearest center to them in the network using their area code.

Geolocation- which is receiving a pinpoint location for dispatch during an emergency is not in use for 988 and not being considered to ensure the anonymity of the lifeline.

What to do:

Call- call the number 24/7 - reach a live counselor

Text- text 24/7 - you will complete a brief survey to get to the best help available

Chat- available 24/7- similar to the text interaction

What you can expect:

Calling:

Step 1- You will hear a recording that allows you to select language and or veterans option
Step 2- hold music while being connect to a live counselor
Step 3- You will get introduced to counselor and be asked if you are safe
Step 4- Once you confirm you are safe, your counselor will listen, provide support and resources.

Texting or Chatting:

Step 1- You are connected to the line and chose your language
Step 2 – You accept the terms of service
Step 3- You will receive a brief survey to best be able to understand your level of needed support
Step 4 you may be asked a few more questions
Step 5 – you are connected to our counselor and asked if you are safe
Step 6- your couselor listens provides support and resources

Who can use it:
Anyone in crisis

With someone in crisis

Worried about someone who may be in crisis

Anyone needing extra support

Worried about a substance use disorder

Success Rates:

98% of all contacts are able to get a commitment to safety.

However, when emergency services must be involved, over half of these emergency dispatches occur with the caller’s consent. Whenever possible the 988 counselors will recommend alternate options such as collaborating on a safety plan, utilizing mobile crisis teams, collaborating with the individual’s loved ones or professionals, or supporting the individual to get to a Crisis Stabilization Unit, emergency department, or urgent care.

988 operators must provide information to 911 operators to attempt to locate an individual, if they are unwilling to provide that information, if there is a belief that the person is in danger of seriously or fatally harming themselves or others.

How is it funded?

Combination between state and federal funding

Sources: FAQ: Does Vibrant use police intervention for callers, texters, and chatters to the 988 Lifeline? - 988 Lifeline

Lifeline Performance Metrics | SAMHSA

Safe Messaging

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:28:29 GMT

Lately, I have been seeing more and more conversations around Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. Which is great, unless it becomes unsafe. A few things that are important when posting, blogging, speaking, etc.

Language is not neutral—it can heal or harm, especially when discussing trauma.

I commend those who are willing to speak out either with their lived experience stories, or the stories of their loved ones’ struggle and/or suicide. When we have a story to share, especially one that is raw and painful, it is hard to balance wanting to unburden ourselves with protecting others' emotional space. There is power in our collective voice and in those stories. But that power must be harnessed and used with caution.

Sharing lived experiences can be transformative, but only when done with intention, care, and compassion. The idea that we can tell stories of pain and resilience without graphic detail is powerful. It invites empathy without risking re-traumatization.

Safe messaging is a critical component in communicating about suicide and suicide prevention. Avoiding specifics like method or location isn’t about censorship—it’s about compassion. Framing stories around hope, recovery, and connection can create space for others to feel seen and supported.

Visit CIASP Safe Messaging Guidelines for more tips and advice

“For Good”

That quote from Wicked—“Because I knew you, I have been changed for good”—is a beautiful reminder that our voices can be a force for healing. Using our voices “For Good” means being mindful of impact, not just intent.

Word of The Year

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:25:02 GMT

In 2025 CIASP embarked on a word of the year challenge.

As an organization our word of the year became: Wellness

You might be asking yourself- why would an organization choose a word of the year and ask their team to do the same?

Choosing a word of the year is not a new practice and certainly not one that we invented. It is often used to help center and guide an organization or person. Choosing a word of the year can be useful in helping define what you want, and your WHY.

The practice of choosing a word of the year is an exercise in mindfulness. There is reflection and focus that goes into choosing that one single word. This is different than a resolution, where you are focused on a task. The word of the year is a concept and ethos.

Some things that might come out of the process for you are, focus and clarity - It can give you a guiding principle and help clarify what really matters to you. Align with or help determine your core values.

It also allows for growth, flexibility, and adaptability. Resolutions can be rigid and limiting. A word of the year allows you to grow and develop while having a guiding ethos. 365 days is a long time; a single word of the year allows for adapting and changing circumstances. It provides a flexible framework upon which to set intentions yet shift if necessary.

Some words that resonated with us were: Calm, Gratitude, Intentionality, Grace, Rise, Acceptance, Efficiency, Anticipation, Balance, Discover, Appreciation, Relational

What will you choose?