Shortly after, a 2016 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study confirmed her fears: the construction industry, along with mining, quarry and oil, had the highest rate and overall number of suicides across all occupations.

That revelation prompted Michelle and her colleagues to create the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP).

Changing the Narrative

Michelle (as acting chairman) and CIASP members work directly with industry associations, contractors, unions and partners to make mental health issues and suicide prevention an integral part of safety programs. 

One of their main goals is to remove the longstanding stigma and fear that prevents workers from getting treatment. “We need to equate mental health with physical health,” she says. “I envision an industry where a worker will feel just as safe saying, ‘I’m having trouble,’ as does a worker in Arizona in getting a spot on the arm checked for skin cancer.”

Part of removing that stigma includes changing the words we use. Michelle explained that saying someone  “committed suicide” or “are depressed or anxious” creates a sense of judgement and labels the person versus describing the condition they are experiencing. Instead, she suggests saying things like “a person is experiencing depression, living with anxiety or died by suicide.”

Human Resources departments can also make a difference by consistently including mental health in company benefits and safety processes.  At SSC Underground, these topics are addressed regularly in company meetings, and behavioral health options are included in annual benefits enrollment.

“Because the construction industry is safety conscious and already has vehicles in place where leaders can discuss mental health and suicide, it has helped to expand the engagement and awareness,” Michelle says.

Making an Impact

Michelle’s greatest satisfaction is the impact that these practices can have on employees’ lives. One example of that, she said, was a long-time employee who suddenly started calling in sick a lot and behaving inappropriately. Rather than terminating the worker, he was given a second chance and help to find a counselor. After six weeks, he completed counseling and remains an employee to this day, thankful for what he learned and the improvement he made through counseling.

You can hear more from Michelle on this important topic in our webinar on mental health issues on the jobsite. Thank you Michelle for making a big impact on our industry.

Employers can find mental health and suicide prevention resources from the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention at https://preventconstructionsuicide.com/.