World Mental Health Day: Construction Steps Up
By Zach Harris, Employee Wellness Consultant, HealthSource Solutions
October 10th is recognized globally as World Mental Health Day. Beginning in 1992, the World Federation for Mental Health created this event to highlight the importance of mental health and its effects on individuals, families, workplaces, and communities.
World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to evaluate our workplaces and make necessary changes to support our people. This year’s theme is “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.” In today’s news cycle, we can easily be overwhelmed by natural disasters, conflicts, and other tragedies. Whether a crisis occurs at home or abroad, wellbeing efforts can support and protect individuals experiencing hardships.
Many construction leadership teams are making valiant mental health efforts at their jobsites. More is being done to lower stigma, encourage conversations, and invest in wellbeing resources than ever before. I have experienced this progress firsthand while implementing wellbeing strategies and collaborating with other leaders in the field. It is encouraging to hear success stories as this movement changes lives.
Many construction leadership teams are making valiant mental health efforts at their jobsites. More is being done to lower stigma, encourage conversations, and invest in wellbeing resources than ever before. I have experienced this progress firsthand while implementing wellbeing strategies and collaborating with other leaders in the field. It is encouraging to hear success stories as this movement changes lives.
How Do Leaders Impact Mental Health Conversations on Their Job-Sites?
Construction owners and their leadership teams set the tone for safety, productivity, and culture. When Kabri Lehrman-Schmid, Project Superintendent at Hensel Phelps, was asked how leaders impact these conversations on their job=sites she shared, “In practice, leaders influence stress and wellbeing not only through their words but through how they design and manage jobsite systems. Trust in both leadership and consistent systems stabilizes the environment, giving workers confidence that their wellbeing is built into the plan – not left to chance.”
A well-managed job site strongly influences the overall well-being of every worker involved. A jobsite may have impressive mental health initiatives, but those initiatives will be perceived as insincere if the project’s day-to-day schedule and tasks are poorly managed.
Kabri Lehrman-Schmid also shared the benefits she’s witnessed on projects when leaders have instilled trust with their workforce: “I’ve seen workers speak more candidly about mental health on the jobsite when leadership models trust – by naming challenges, listening without judgment, and showing care in how the work is managed. When that happens, I’ve seen crews collaborate more openly, raise concerns earlier, and (the cherry on top) embrace mental health education and resources as a natural part of their work culture.”
What is The Connection Between Safety and Mental Health?
Worker safety is a necessary priority for every construction company. Jacob Payne is an Area Construction EHS Manager at Microsoft. He shares why mental health matters to his safety programs: “Our people are one of our most important assets, and we must keep them in the best condition, both physically and mentally. We spend so much time focused on the ‘physical’ safety of the worker but often tend to neglect the psychological side.”
He continues: “Having mental health programs and resources on project sites not only helps alleviate mental health struggles, it helps foster a psychologically safe environment in which craftworkers are more comfortable reporting unsafe acts and unsafe conditions.”
As workers feel supported, they will show up to work as their best selves. They will be more motivated, focused, and willing to adopt safe work practices.
What Mental Health Initiatives Should We Focus On?
One of the easiest ways to begin is promoting awareness. These typically provide workers additional education and resources on mental health. Examples on the jobsite could include:
- Toolbox Talks on topics like reducing stress, substance abuse, and suicide prevention.
- Site signage and flyers (e.g., 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)
- Sharing resources during new hire orientation (e.g., employee assistance programs, local mental health clinics, etc.).
- Mental health speakers at a safety all-hands meeting.
- Promoting World Mental Health Dayand other wellbeing awareness events.
Ashley Wilson has led wellness programs for various projects and currently works for Nodaway Valley Equipment. She has seen firsthand how leaders can leverage these awareness activities to benefit their workforce: “Leadership is key to normalizing mental health conversations. When leaders speak openly, it reduces stigma and encourages others to share. Small actions, like regular check-ins during safety meetings, toolbox talks, and visible resources signal support and safety. Providing consistent messaging and accessible tools is key to building a culture that actively supports mental wellbeing. Over time, this fosters peer support, early intervention and a stronger workforce.”
Another effective mental health strategy is offering training to prepare individuals to help someone having a mental health crisis. Creating a network of trained employees at all levels of the organization can be a powerful tool for recognizing warning signs and helping individuals obtain the professional resources they need. On projects, this might include quarterly training opportunities and designating these individuals as a peer support resource.
Jake Nemeth is an Assistant Safety Director at Holder Construction. He shared with me, “Mental Health First Aid training has become a mandatory requirement for various personnel to be able to recognize and respond to a mental health challenge.” Making this training part of their site policy demonstrates their continuous commitment to this program.
Jacob Payne is also a believer in these trainings and shared a powerful personal success story: “As a trained mental health first aider, I have had the ability to assist with craftworkers who are suffering from mental health crises. Having resources such as mental health first aiders available on site has allowed me to support workers mental health, keep them on the project site, and provide continuous follow-ups with that individual as we work through whatever crises they may be dealing with.”
In addition to Mental Health First Aid training, other trainings worth consideration are the QPR Gatekeeper (Question, Persuade, Refer) and VitalCog training. Each are investments in providing leaders and workers with the essential tools to address mental crisis whenever that may happen. This training can be used for both peers at work and loved ones at home.
I have also personally participated in several of these training courses throughout my career. The courses prepared me to have tough conversations with individuals at worksites that were struggling with various challenges. In one instance, we called the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline together. The professional lifeline operator helped this individual at that moment and provided us with several local options to seek additional professional care.
Another innovative policy change that Jake Nemeth’s safety team has implemented is adding a mental wellbeing check-in to their pre-task plan. These daily wellbeing check-ins help foreman and safety teams keep a pulse on their workers and adapt faster to meet their needs. Jake says it allows their team to “factor in a worker’s mental state and appropriately support them. This could include anything from extra breaks, check-ins throughout the day, reevaluating a work task, or providing mental health resources.”
A final consideration is adding an employee wellness program that focuses on general wellbeing. Construction workers spend a large portion of their time at work. Encouraging healthier physical and mental health through incentivized workplace wellness programs can create higher workforce engagement and improved overall wellbeing.
Opportunities for Every Organization
Companies vary, but the message remains the same. Opportunities exist at every organization for improving workplace mental health.
Progress starts when leaders demonstrate care and ensure jobsites are run effectively. Safety teams are a powerful multiplier as they focus on worker health as part of their overall safety strategy. Embedding mental health and wellbeing efforts into the daily operations of your jobsites will raise awareness, provide peer support, and encourage employees to thrive.
As we celebrate World Mental Health Day, let us continue working together to step up our workplace mental health initiatives. These efforts can truly make a difference and save lives!
Zach Harris is an Employee Wellness Consultant for HealthSource Solutions. He has eight years of experience building healthier and safer workforces in challenging industries like construction and manufacturing. Zach graduated in Exercise and Wellness from Brigham Young University and is a NASM-certified personal trainer. He can be reached on LinkedIn and at zachharris@healthsource-solutions.com.
Additional Resources:
- World Federation for Mental Health: https://wfmh.global/
- Associated General Contractors of America: Mental Health & Suicide Prevention | Associated General Contractors of America
- CIASP: Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention: CIASP Home
- Construction Safety Week: https://www.constructionsafetyweek.com/safety-culture/mental-health-resources/
- 988 Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/
- Mental Health First Aid training: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org
- QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer training: QPR Institute | Practical and Proven Suicide Prevention Training QPR Institute (en-US)
- VitalCog: Suicide Prevention in Construction training: Suicide Prevention in Construction – VitalCog