Eight leading construction firms in the Portland area have joined forces with Lines for Life, a local suicide prevention nonprofit, to establish a dedicated crisis line for construction workers facing mental health challenges.

The initiative, called the “Construction Care Line,” is part of a larger collaborative effort aimed at tackling mental health stigma and lowering suicide rates in an industry known for its high-pressure environment.

Participating general contractors—including Hoffman Construction, Andersen Construction, Fortis Construction, Skanska USA Building, Lease Crutcher Lewis, Turner Construction, Mortensen, and R&H Construction—came together to reshape how mental health is addressed on job sites. Their goal is to promote open conversations about mental health in a culture that often prizes toughness over vulnerability.

“This group of general contractors came together about six months ago with the idea of setting standards for mental health wellness among their workers,” said Dwight Holton, CEO of Lines for Life. “As general contractors, they recognized the influence they have on job site culture and wanted to take collective action.”

Lines for Life operates Oregon’s 988 suicide prevention and crisis helpline. The new Construction Care Line offers two phone numbers—503-433-7878 for Oregon callers and 833-444-6020 for out-of-state callers—and will be staffed 24/7.

The construction sector has one of the nation’s highest suicide rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, male construction workers died by suicide at a rate 75% higher than the general male population in 2022. Approximately 6,000 construction workers died by suicide that year, six times the number of fatalities caused by workplace accidents. This rate has increased compared to 2021, based on the latest data from the Center for Construction Research and Training.

Efforts to address the crisis date back to 2016, when the CDC first highlighted the industry’s mental health challenges. Hoffman Construction launched its “Tough Enough to Talk” program around 2017 to encourage dialogue about mental wellness.

Dave Garske, Hoffman’s recently retired vice president, who lost his brother—a Hoffman employee—to suicide in 2022, said the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the urgent need for expanded mental health support.

“In a way, what we went through was a blessing because it brought us all together to talk about it and made us realize that mental well-being is just as important as safety,” Garske said. “The more we talk and try to break down the stigmas, the more we hear about how people need help, or what they’re struggling with, or what we can do better, not only as a company but also as an industry.”

Despite the industry’s strong wages and robust demand, fueled by federal investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and technology, mental health pressures remain high.

John Chriswell, workforce wellbeing director at Hoffman Construction, cited factors such as long hours, high-pressure deadlines, frequent travel, and job instability as major contributors to mental stress.

“We travel and spend extended periods of time away from home and our families, and we have people who do 80 to 100 hours in difficult working conditions,” Chriswell said. “I know from personal experience that traveling away from home has a big impact on mental health, and we have to cope.”

The focus on mental health comes amid a labor shortage—Associated Builders and Contractors report a deficit of roughly 440,000 workers at the start of 2025—adding further strain on existing workers.

Travis Baker, CEO of Andersen Construction, emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in changing industry standards around mental health.

“Our work around mental health and suicide prevention is critical, and it’s personal. … We’ve felt the painful impacts of mental health challenges in our own company and in our broader community,” Baker said. “That’s why we’re committed to breaking down stigma, showing up for each other.”

Originally reported by Kristine de Leon in Oregon Live.