A partnership between Bechtel and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) continues to work to prevent suicide and improve mental health in the construction industry. Last year, $7 million was pledged to AFSP and now workers can access the first wave of resources.
The campaign, Hard Hat Courage, comes complete with a suicide prevention toolkit for contractors, as well as resources and support. The initiative was built by the partnership along with a CEO advisory council and outreach efforts and is geared toward reducing the sector’s high suicide rates and offering tools and educational resources to prioritize mental health and substance abuse issues alongside physical safety.
This was the largest donation in the non-profit’s history to date and over the next five years, it will support the work of the partnership as it seeks to reach more than half a million workers on jobsites across the U.S. Contractors can have toolbox talks that work to break down stigma around these issues and encourage a more supportive work environment, including the ability to identify warning signs and strengthen mental health supports.
“These new tools put help within reach—anytime, anywhere—so no one in our construction family has to face a mental health struggle alone,” said Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO of the firm. “It’s another step toward making mental health care as routine and accessible as a hard hat on the jobsite.”
