ABC
It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, a strong reminder that New York’s employers—specifically construction companies—must prioritize employee mental health because of the challenges that persist among this industry’s workers.
According to the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, construction occupations have some of the highest rates of suicides across all occupational groups. The good news is that, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, opioid overdoses and suicides are decreasing overall. However, there is still an urgent need to strengthen mental health support for the nation’s 8.33 million construction workers.
“Our industry has made real progress when it comes to safety, but that responsibility doesn’t stop with just physical risks,” said Brian Sampson, president of ABC’s Empire State Chapter. “We need to be just as focused on mental health and recognize the full person. At the end of the day, supporting our workforce means making sure people feel valued, supported, and able to do their best work, on and off the jobsite.”
Construction workers use tools to build and rebuild our state’s critical infrastructure every day. They also need the right tools to support both their emotional well-being and prioritize their total human health—body, heart, mind and soul.
The construction workforce spends many hours each week at the workplace, making it an invaluable touchpoint for providing access to mental health resources. Associated Builders and Contractors Empire State Chapter members care about their employees. Not only do they want to send their people home safe at the end of every shift, but they also want them to live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the abundance that life has to offer through their careers and beyond.
The ABC Empire State Chapter also helps New York’s employers create safer cultures. With the ultimate goal of decreasing the suicide rate among construction workers, the ABC Empire State Chapter provides education to identify and help those at risk and normalize conversations about mental health through programs like VitalCog Suicide Prevention Training.
With the right tools, health and safety values. employers of choice—like ABC members—are transforming the status quo in the world of mental health. Visit abc.org/thh to learn more.