WASHINGTON — A major push to address mental health and suicide prevention in the construction industry is gaining momentum as new partnerships aim to expand outreach and standardize jobsite practices across the sector.
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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has teamed up with North America’s Building Trades Unions and CPWR — The Center for Construction Research and Training to broaden the reach of its Hard Hat Courage initiative, according to an April 1 announcement.
The program, initially developed in partnership with Bechtel, focuses on integrating mental health awareness and suicide prevention into everyday construction jobsite culture.
Construction continues to face one of the highest suicide rates among U.S. industries, ranking second only to mining, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Industry leaders say the expanded collaboration is designed to directly address that challenge through consistent training and awareness efforts.
The partnership will focus on developing shared standards across organizations, including core learning objectives for suicide prevention education and training. It will also explore peer-based support systems tailored to construction jobsite roles, aiming to equip workers with tools to identify and respond to mental health concerns among colleagues.
“Hard Hat Courage was always intended to move the entire construction industry forward,” Brendan Bechtel, chairman and CEO of Bechtel, said in the release. “By bringing together organizations like NABTU and CPWR, we’re scaling this effort across the industry so every craft professional has the awareness, tools, and support to look out for themselves and each other.”
The initiative traces back to March 2024, when Bechtel committed $7 million to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — the largest donation in the nonprofit’s history at the time. Since then, Hard Hat Courage has steadily expanded its reach. As of September, the program reported engaging 188,000 construction professionals, marking progress toward its goal of reaching 500,000 workers within five years.
Union leadership has emphasized the importance of normalizing conversations around mental health across the trades.
“Our members build America. We must also build a culture where it’s standard practice to talk about mental health and take action early,” NABTU President Sean McGarvey said in the release. “By recommending baseline standards across our affiliates and beyond, we’re making that expectation clear and consistent.”
The effort is part of a broader industry shift toward addressing mental health challenges, including suicide and substance use. Organizations across the country have launched initiatives aimed at raising awareness and providing resources to workers.
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Kansas City-based Construction Suicide Prevention Week has hosted an annual event since 2020 to spotlight the issue, while the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York recently introduced a peer support network designed to train workers to assist colleagues facing mental health struggles.
This is not the first collaboration between NABTU and CPWR. Earlier this year, the organizations reported a decline in suicide and overdose deaths in construction in 2024, attributing the improvement to reduced stigma, increased awareness and expanded access to treatment and recovery resources.
Industry stakeholders say continued collaboration and standardized approaches will be key to sustaining that progress and ensuring mental health support becomes a permanent part of construction safety culture.
This article discusses mental health and suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Original reporting by Zachary Phillips, Construction Dive.
Read the original article here: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/nabtu-cpwr-hard-hat-courage-suicide-prevention/
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