Works Initiative News | Worker Wellness & Career Opportunities

Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 19th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of May 19, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the growing problem of police-related suicides—to chaos of NIOSH rehires–to more DC conflicts of interest that enrich/protect billionaires vs US taxpayers. This week I would like to take this opportunity to examine the decrease in US overdose deaths in 2024.

As reported earlier this week, deaths from drug overdoses in the USA dropped 27% from 2023 to 2024.[1] Is this a reason to celebrate? Sadly, no, because the most recent data indicate we still lost ~80k people. Experts contribute this decrease to a number of harm reduction strategies—including but not limited to the wide distribution of Naloxone or, more specifically, Narcan (the nasal midst form of Naloxone). Some readers may recall that my wife and I are HUGE supporters of the concept: You can, I can…Narcan! Why? Because we BOTH have assisted in the use of Narcan to save 2 people’s lives (total strangers)—in 2022 and 2023—at a STL inner city Soup Kitchen and on a Southwest flight.

Unfortunately, high ranking DC officials–in their efforts to cut govt spending—may just cause this downward drug OD death trend to spike back up again.[2] As one university professor said:

…that Mr. Trump’s almost single-minded linking of the nation’s drug problems with border issues harks back to late 19th-century America, when the government associated opium dens with Chinese immigrants. Fearing the incursion of Chinese workers and inflamed by press reports of Chinese men using opium to lure young white women into prostitution, Congress severely restricted Chinese immigration.

While securing the borders may serve as a long term goal of reducing the supply of Fentanyl…people with OUD (opioid use disorder) will continue to die in the short term. This is NOT a simple matter of turning a switch on or off!

To this end, I ask that you please write your representatives in DC and request they strongly oppose budget calls for ending SAMHSA ‘harm reduction’ grants. These strategies span the spectrum from short to long term efforts that prevent disease transmission and keep drug users alive. To be sure, five of my close friends have lost sons, from 24-36 yo, since 2016 to the US opioids crisis. Therefore, I can attest to the devastation bestowed upon these families. The life you help save may be the life of a loved one!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources: [1] https://www.wsj.com/health/drug-overdoses-2024-3968bc80?st=UcpQky&reflink=article_gmail_share

[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/health/trump-drugs-treatment.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

2024: Overdose Deaths Decrease 27%

Opioid Settlement Funds & Clueless States

MH = Emotional + Psychological + Social

What Psychological Safety is NOT

Police Officers & Suicide

Depression & Physical Health

STL Couple & Narcan Carrier

China-Mexico / US Banks / Money Laundering

The Hunt for El Chapo’s Son

Cocaine @ Canada’s Border

FDA Warning: Gas Station Heroin

Women & Drinking

Loneliness / Managers / Productivity

When a Boss Steps In

Breathwork & Anxiety

Exercise & Aging Brains

When to Exercise

Redefining Age

Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 12th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of May 12, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the importance of the psychological contract between employee and employer—to how both the NFL and NHL fail to protect their players—to the revival of a mobile shower service for STL’s unhoused communities.[1] This week I would like to take this opportunity to examine the concept of psychological safety.

Over the past few weeks, I have been in meetings where terms beyond worker wellness and well-being have been mentioned more than once. These interrelated terms include psychological safety, psychological first aid, culture of care, and wounded worker. In the interest of space and time, I will mainly cover the first term: Psychological Safety. This can be described as a shared belief within an organization where individuals can express themselves, share ideas, take risks, and make mistakes without fear of negative consequences (i.e., judgment, retribution, etc.). Prior to COVID, one proactive Canadian contractor made mental health a priority when it addressed psychological safety in the workplace by “building a culture of inclusion that allowed employees to bring their authentic selves to work.”[2] Wherein, it recognized this journey as a gradual one that would eventually pay off in increased productivity, creativity, and innovation. In essence, how you treat your internal customers (employees) impacts your external relationships with clients and customers.

Meanwhile, here are brief explanations of the remaining terms:

Psychological First Aid- is a humane and practical way to provide people in distress (following a traumatic event) immediate support in order to reduce initial distress and foster adaptive functioning. It is NOT counseling or treatment.

Culture of care- is an environment, such as a workplace, where individuals feel valued, supported, and cared for. It emphasizes relationships, compassion, and a sense of belonging over solely focusing on rules or performance metrics.

Wounded worker- toxic workplaces can cause workplace trauma. An accumulation of negative emotional experiences stemming from negative workplace incidents may impact one’s mental health. As a result, employees can bear lasting mental health issues, known as “work wounds”.

One can easily see the connections between these 4 terms. With May being Mental Health Awareness month, let’s reflect and act on how our workplaces can become safer.

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources: [1]https://www.slcl.org/events/dignity-wheels

[2] https://www.benefitscanada.com/archives_/benefits-canada-archive/how-to-build-a-psychologically-safe-workplace/

Lessons from a Crane Collapse

Falls / Life & Death / Govt Intervention

Italy & Fatal Falls

Trumpifying Mental Health

DEA’s Largest Bust

Org’s Culture & MH

Fixing the Broken Workforce Psychological Contract

Trade War’s Impact on Workers’ Psychological Safety

Peers Combatting Stigma

Teens / MH / Social Media

Ignorant Drivers & Elderly

Your Brain’s Negative Bias

UK Football Team / Contractor / Suicide Prevention

Social Connection Matters

NHL Fails to Protect Goalie

MI Workers Locked Out

CO Teachers’ Strike

NFL Cowers @ White House

Pope Leo / Trump / Vance

Trump pulls plug on MO’s Martin

Trump’s Cuts Impact on Trump Voters

CDC’s Five-Alarm Fire

Conflict of Interest / Starlink / Tariffs

Bringing Mfg Back to USA?

Immigration / Worker Shortages / Construction

Snow Plow Managers

Swapping Vacation Days

College Costs Have Doubled

HS / Trades / Living Wage Careers

Voc-Ed v College

Workers / Tariffs / Changes

AI: Where to Start?

AI & Career Transitions

AI & Tomorrow’s Jobs

Co-workers & Parental Leave

MO Boosts First Responders

REAL ID is Here

Upcoming webinars, etc.

Dignity on Wheels (Mobile Shower Service)

Supporting those At-risk (5/12)

Handling Crisis & Trauma (6/10)

CALM Training (6/11)

Free MHFA (6/19)

NEW: Construction Mental Health Safety Guide

Free DISC

NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

May 12, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 5th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of May 5, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the importance of why your voice as a worker matters when it comes to cuts at NIH and CDC—to the increase in suicides of women in the field of medicine—to the concept of “ableism” in the workplace. This week I would like to take this opportunity to examine—with May upon us—the topic of ‘psychological safety’ in the construction industry. In short, PS is based on the belief that a worker—at any level—will not be punished for speaking up with ideas, asking questions, or making mistakes.

The construction industry in Canada, not unlike the US, has more recently embraced the need to address mental health and white/blue-collar employee well-being in the workplace.[1] With a lack of mental health professionals available in the North American marketplace, more companies and unions are starting to develop their MH talent internally. In order to do so requires an organization to make strategic shifts in attitudes from top to bottom. Why? Because people at the top want to know that a venture of this scale must attempt to garner a positive return on investment (ROI). This cannot be achieved without first doing one’s homework.

Once an internal MH champion has been identified (and skilled up), s/he must begin this journey by surveying employees across the spectrum, developing targeted awareness programs, tracking inputs/outputs, and evaluating outcomes…these all come at a cost.

In a still male-dominated industry like construction, there are attitudes and traditions that exacerbate stigma. From physical strain of the work to insecurity brought on by seasons to the hazing (bullying) as a ‘right of passage’ to the macho notion of not asking for help, workers in this industry can be exposed to issues of anxiety…which sometimes leads to depression. So, because of the aforementioned stigma, many workers deal with these MH issues on their own…as in, self-medicate (i.e., alcohol, drugs, etc.). At first, it is just a means of ‘coping’ but, sadly, this route often results in building a (negative) habit and, eventually, an addiction.

Opening up discussions in safe spaces/places is one of the first steps towards building a ‘culture of care’ which emphasizes the importance of relationships and emotional support in your workplace. Organizational change requires individuals who are open to new ideas/methods. This process can begin by first acknowledging that a worker’s mental well-being is just as important as her/his physical health. Let’s commence this journey by completing and sharing MHA’s Checklist below.[2]

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources: [1] https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/psychological-safety/breaking-ground-on-psychological-safety-in-construction/533792?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io&utm_campaign=newsletter

[2] https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/25.04.22_MHAM_Checklist.pdf?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=mham-2025&utm_term=mental-wellbeing-weekly&mkt_tok=NzczLU1KRi0zNzkAAAGaK_wSQklPo4tOX5mijUcWR_dUzvd9eu9UXss7vLGDV_zCD1v_HwHjWnNljNx7NMqO07ZUAYCy_fmRWZlwinhYCF5Qx4RCVTIZGzOZV1_JPe4

MAY is Mental Health Mon

Construction & Psychological Safety

OR / Cahoots / Trouble

CDC & NIOSH Cuts: Impact on Workers

NIH Cuts: Future Cancer, Dementia Research

MO / Naloxone / Misguided Politicians

The Rise of Cocaine

Drugs & Cartels: US – Mexico Differences

DANGER: Ketamine

Female MDs & Suicide (1)

Female MDs & Suicide (2)

Partner Spotlight: Anna Witte

Building pathways and partnerships for a stronger workforce.
Missouri Works Initiative is proud to highlight organizations and individuals who we partner with to help our Apprenticeship Ready cohorts prepare for a career in the trades.

—

Anna Witte is all about helping people find their next step—and she’s been a fantastic partner to Missouri Works Initiative in doing just that.

As a University Relations Specialist at Spire, Anna works on the company’s Workforce Development Team, connecting with schools and community organizations to help students and job seekers learn the skills they need to succeed in professional trades. With a background in supporting college students, she’s brought that same guidance into the world of workforce development.

Spire—serving over 1.7 million homes and businesses across Missouri, Alabama, and Mississippi—takes its mission seriously. Spire is,”an exciting place to work and build your career,” says Anna. “Safety and care” are core to the company’s culture, and that commitment has landed them on Newsweek’s list of Most Responsible Companies for six years running.

Anna sees firsthand how today’s job seekers face real obstacles. She says, “adapting to the demand for diverse, specialized skills…many face barriers to accessing quality training programs, limiting their growth potential.” But she’s hopeful about what’s possible. “By investing in equitable education, apprenticeships, and vocational programs, we can empower workers, close skill gaps, and foster a more inclusive, resilient workforce.”

Her journey with Missouri Works Initiative began through conversations with union leaders at Gas Workers Local 11-6, who were looking to support recruitment efforts. After a conversation with MWI Executive Director Megan Price, Anna was all in. “I was hooked,” she says. “I got involved with MWI because of the focus on training and upskilling workers, especially diverse talent, which benefits the community as a whole. Spire’s values of safety and integrity are echoed by the MWI programs and their students.”

Anna and her team support MWI through Spire Serves, a program that gives back through direct investment, employee volunteerism, and matching donations. “We invest our time and resources in organizations that enrich the lives of those we serve and MWI is an example of that. Working together, we can help present career opportunities across Missouri.”

She’s seen how the work we do together makes a difference. “I think MWI is addressing so many needs of workers. First, by helping workers who may not have otherwise pictured themselves in skilled trade careers find their path forward. Additionally, the skills taught in the MWI program—both hard and soft skills—help students be more ready to enter the workforce and hit the ground running on day one.”

Anna’s commitment to this work is clear, and we’re so grateful for the energy and insight she brings to our mission. “Providing support services while going through programs like this can be life-changing and meeting those needs is impactful and important,” she says. “We’re helping financially meet some of those needs through our Spire Serves grant and helping show alternative pathways forward.”

Thank you, Anna, for being such a champion of Missouri Works Initiative—we’re proud to partner with you!

April 29, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

In the News, Partner Spotlight

Partner Spotlight: Sue Smith

Helping Springfield job seekers find their path—and their power.Missouri Works Initiative is proud to highlight organizations and individuals who we partner with to help our Apprenticeship Ready cohorts prepare for a career in the trades.

—

Sue Smith knows a thing or two about helping people find their way into meaningful careers. She’s a Certified Workforce Development Professional with the City of Springfield’s Workforce & Economic Vitality Missouri Job Center, where the mission is all about connecting local talent with the industries that need them most, including construction.

Sue brings a background as a career educator into her current role as a Workforce Development Specialist. She’s part of a team working hard to support job seekers in Springfield, especially through apprenticeship programs made possible by the Apprenticeship Building America grant. She’s also helped several local businesses create Registered Apprenticeship Programs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor—no small feat!

Sue was first connected to Missouri Works Initiative when training to become a proctor for the National Career Readiness Certificate, a credential earned through assessments that measure basic workplace skills and verify an individual’s foundational skills for workplace success. Sue’s trainer referred her to Missouri Works Initiative as “one of the best we had to offer” at the Missouri Job Center.

Since then, Sue’s become a key partner in our work. She helps in all kinds of ways—from interviewing potential candidates and supporting enrollment to prepping program graduates for the job hunt with resume reviews, mock interviews, and real-talk guidance. Her insight and encouragement mean the world to our cohort members who are ready to get to work and build a career for themselves.

Sue’s deeply aware of the challenges workers face today. She says, “One of the biggest challenges facing workers in Missouri and in general is accessing and affording the necessary training to enter or advance in a specific career. While many industries increasingly require specialized skills and certifications, the cost of training programs can be a barrier for individuals. Additionally, navigating the variety of available training options and identifying those that align with career goals can be overwhelming. The lack of awareness about resources, such as grants, apprenticeships, and employer-sponsored training, can further hinder workers’ ability to pursue the skills needed for high-demand careers.”

That’s exactly why we’re so grateful for partners like Sue. She helps break down those barriers and connect people with the resources they need to succeed.

One story that sticks with her? “I had the opportunity to help a single mother who wanted to transition from office work to a career in construction,” Sue said. “She was seeking a path that would not only provide a living wage for her family but also allow her to take pride in her work. After completing the Missouri Apprentice Ready (MAR) program, she advanced to the IBEW pre-apprenticeship program…This experience has been life-changing for her, offering stability, financial independence, and a sense of accomplishment.”

Sue also has great things to say about the program itself, “I believe the Missouri Works Initiative is effectively addressing the needs of workers by offering a comprehensive 5-week program that provides foundational knowledge about the construction industry.” Says Sue, adding “It allows individuals to explore multiple career pathways within the industry before committing to a specific trade, helping them make more informed decisions.”

She gave a special shoutout to Austin Fox, our Construction Programs Manager and Springfield Instructor: “Austin Fox is an amazing leader of this strong program.”

We’re so lucky to have Sue as a partner. Her experience, commitment, and heart help make Missouri Works Initiative what it is—and we can’t thank her enough.

April 29, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 28th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Apr 28, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the importance of connection for older men—to the health benefits of taking a vacation—to the positive impact Pope Francis had on everything from social justice to climate change to international diplomacy. (I tip my hat to the late Pope who reminded us that, “A bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”) This week I would like to take this opportunity to examine potential changes to workforce laws and systems that directly affect workers across the spectrum.

In general, readers should take note that Trump gets a second bite at the apple with regards to apprenticeship.[1] In his first term, Trump tried to push through an alternative system of registered apprenticeship known as IRAP (industry-recognized apprenticeship programs). Truth be told, this was nothing more than a ‘rubber stamp’ credential with little to no oversight from US-DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship field reps (known as ATRs) and/or workers. Sadly, this IRAP completion credential’s certificate would mirror that of the RAP (registered apprenticeship programs) while unfortunately driving down its longstanding value in the US marketplace. To those of us who are products of RAP-affiliated trade programs in the Midwest, IRAPs will do more harm than good since quality control differs from company to company. The beauty of the ‘tried and tested’ RAP system is that oversight comes from 3 perspectives: labor, management, and government…which equates to a known value based on area standards and thus stability. In the proposed IRAP system, a company could solely design the entire apprenticeship without input from the workers and as mentioned earlier, little to no input from regional ATRs. Growing apprenticeship for the sake of pumping up numbers at the expense of quality outcomes is just another example of how a lack of transparency leads to more conflicts of interest. And, in the past 100 days, haven’t we had enough of this kind of chaos?

From a more specific standpoint, one needs to consider how states and their governors are dragging our workplaces back to the early 1900s. How? Just take a few minutes to read the article linked below pertaining to Florida’s DeSantis attempt to repeal Child Labor laws…under the façade of worker shortages.[2] Yes, I acknowledge some sectors have a shortage of workers but putting children at risk of losing lives or limbs is NOT the way to address this matter. Yes, I also acknowledge that not all jobs or industries are as dangerous as construction or mining. To the former, these laws were established—for the most part—as reactions to children losing their lives or being permanently scarred in factories, mines, etc. To the latter, I ask why is it so difficult to fill those job slots? As cited in this article, people who work in resorts need not be immigrants. OK, then maybe it is time management considers its corporate culture and compensation packages in order to attract today’s teenagers. Since our future is in the hands of our children, it is high time we live by our words: Safety First!

Sources: [1] https://www.ccdaily.com/2025/04/washington-watch-trump-signs-executive-order-on-workforce-programs/

[2] https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/florida-child-labor-laws-restrictions-cc8fda67?st=9hbMH9&reflink=article_gmail_share

National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week

Mental Health for All

Work & Well-being: Is it Slipping?

CT Scans & Cancer

Bupe & Addiction

Reducing Post-workout Soreness

Older Men & Social Connection

12-Minute Meditations

Sleep Trends: DOs and Don’ts

Money, Anxiety, and Sleep

Science & Intermittent Fasting

Protein: Fact v Fiction

Thunderstorms: What not to do

Why take a Vacation?

Sabbaticals: A Tool for Worker Burnout?

Addressing TBIs in Older Adults

Labor in Limbo: Gutting FMCS

Supportive Union Members in Denial

Fed Unions & Remote Work Options

Insulting Fed Workers: Rebranding?

Fed Employees w/o Insurance

NIOSH Cuts & Firefighters’ Deaths

CDC Cuts & Workers’ Injuries

Grad Students Protest

From Democracy to Authoritarianism

DeSantis / Child Labor / Safety Laws

Trump’s Approval Rating (1)

Trump’s Approval Rating (2)

Trump / Fed Unions / Retaliation

ICE / CO Judge / Ban

DOJ / WI Judge / FBI

Women’s Initiative: Funding Restored

Non-profits: Handling Trump’s Backlash

Female Combat Vets on New Standards

Protests Across the US

States / Medicaid / Required Work

Layoffs / Food & Drugs / Safety

Deportations & Due Process

Judges / Dept of Ed / DEI

White House & Birth Bounty

Mexico / Cartels / Training

Job Loss & Emotional Impact

Handling Annoying/Violent Customers

Trump / Skilled Trades / Apprenticeship

Roofing / Prison Training / Workforce

Pope Francis: Shifting Influence

Pope Francis & Climate Change

Americans & Religion

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 21st

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Apr 21, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how binge drinking impacts women more than men—to an essay on eating disorders—to a Whistleblower exposing security breaches at the NLRB. This week I would like to take this opportunity to examine how cuts at NIOSH will endanger workers.

For the past +40 years, I have been involved with worker safety in the construction industry…here and abroad. While I must admit that the first 30 of those years were mainly focused on the physical aspects of safety, in the past decade, US-DOL’s OSHA has made strides in emphasizing the mental aspects of safety. Nonetheless, many of these improvements were brought about because of unbiased research performed at institutions such as Duke University, St. Louis University, Washington University, and the University of Iowa via grants from NIOSH (mostly due to NABTU-CPWR’s leadership).

Make no mistake, these latest cuts in Washington, DC will eventually have a negative impact on US workers. As noted by Blackwood, “Without NIOSH, workplaces will become more dangerous, and more workers will die.”[1] In addition, Davis et al, proclaim, “When you remove a keystone from an arch, the whole thing will collapse. The same is true for key federal agencies that provide support resulting in benefits well in excess of the investment in them.”[2]

To this end, industries, like construction, are great examples of how dangers have been mostly eliminated and, thus, more workers come home safely today than 60 years ago. In fact, more progressive construction owners/buyers, contractors, unions, and JATCs have invested millions of dollars and hours in safety-related resources…from designating and skilling up personnel to purchasing the latest equipment to offering ongoing and updated trainings.

Enough is enough! It is only a matter of time when DC’s cuts result in a death of a fellow worker. In the words of MLK, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Will you take a stand?

Sources: [1] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gutting-niosh-endangers-every-u-s-worker/

[2] https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/16/niosh-cdc-workforce-layoffs-h5n1-bird-flu-worker-safety-occupational-health/

MH / Bullying / Workplace

Employees & Quiet Cracking

Rethinking ADHD

MT / Mental Illness / Homelessness

Mental Illness / Jail / Starving

Danger: Today’s Meth

RFK Jr / Autism / Epidemic?

Addressing Eating Disorders

Binge Drinking: Women v Men

WARNING: >8 Drinks per Week

Teens & Sleep

Fluoride / Drinking Water / Dental Health

17 Factors: Stroke/Dementia/Late-life Depression

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 14th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of Apr 14, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how a number of stories cited this week speak to the issue of how cuts in DC will (and already have) negatively impact much-needed services in local communities—to some positive news regarding the decline of US overdoses deaths—to the NFL’s position on ‘new’ helmets. This week I would like to take this opportunity to examine the article linked below that tells the story of how a person who was given a 2^nd chance now uses his lessons learned to create a ‘culture of care’ in the construction industry.

For too long, the construction industry has been looked upon in a negative light. Decades ago, many in the world of work saw us as something ‘anyone’ could fall back on to and still make a living wage with good benefits.* Many people in the US still look down upon those of us who work(ed) with our hands. A few would say this has to do with the 3 Ds: dirty; dark (or dull); and dangerous. While others might be inclined to lean on old stereotypes of a once White male-dominated sector of our economy: macho, drinking, swearing, risk-taking, etc. However, times have changed and as the old saying goes, “You have to break some eggs to make an omelet.”

To be sure, the construction industry for the past several decades has been touting a potential shortage of workers. Thanks to progressive thought leaders in the St. Louis market, most joint labor-management training committees met this challenge by re-thinking their recruitment strategies. Effective recruiting and retention programs like St. Louis’ BUD (Building Union Diversity) began to spring up and spread across then USA. And, yet, needs in many areas remained unmet. Meanwhile, college tuition costs started to skyrocket and college degrees lost their luster. As a result, today’s high school seniors have become discerning consumers. So, if our industry seeks to recruit and retain Gen Z workers, we must take into consideration what is important to them which requires letting go of old practices (i.e., hazing, bullying, etc.). Equally important, Gen Z is much more open to addressing a once-taboo topic of previous generations: Mental Health.

To this end, it was not until recently (~2016), for the most part, that the construction industry took serious steps in addressing issues like mental health, opioids awareness, and suicide prevention. For this, I thank Wash U’s School of Medicine and the unions, management associations, and apprenticeship training schools that participated in research since 2004 that truly moved the needle…thus, placing ‘mental’ aspects of safety in the construction industry on par with ‘physical’ aspects of safety. PLEASE take the time to read Cal’s article linked below. Hopefully, you will agree with me that this is just another meaningful step in a never-ending journey.

(*This notion was further exacerbated in our K-12 school system. How? If you were an urban/suburban child of the 1960-80s, I ask you to reflect upon the friends/students you knew who went to the Voc-Tech high school in your area v who followed the ‘college’ track.)

Source: https://www.forconstructionpros.com/business/business-services/coaching-consulting/article/22934249/safe-project-mental-health-and-substance-misuse-support-in-apprenticeship-programs

Construction / Change / Culture

UK Construction / Physical Activity / MH

Annual HC Screening = Suicide Prevention

AI & MH Therapy

Overdose deaths decrease…but this is NOT over

Misinformation: Fentanyl

Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 7th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of April 7, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at a CPWR report that suggests better benefits in construction equate to better mental health—to how recent cuts in Higher Ed are leading to a brain drain—to how newly imposed US tariffs are impacting the Ag and Construction sectors. This week I would like to take this opportunity to examine the importance of transparency and stability when communicating major changes to the masses.

Over the past 2 months, I think the word “whipsaw” has been used more times in the media than I have seen/heard in my entire 66 years. M-W defines whipsaw as “to beset or victimize in two opposite ways at once, by a two-phase operation.” One only needs to look at how stock prices retreated—across the board—this past week in order to gauge the temperature of the markets…a clear indication of future instability. It is one thing to take a position and stand by it…but a totally different issue when one goes back-and-forth and/or confuses the public with less than clear explanations. Case in point:

President Trump signed executive orders suspending new tariffs on many imports from Mexico and Canada, two days after he imposed sweeping levies of 25 percent on two of America’s closest economic partners. The exemptions, on goods covered by the trilateral trade pact Mr. Trump signed in his first term, were a whipsaw reversal that followed days of economic turmoil. Stocks in the United States closed down.¹

Why does this matter? Because actions like those just mentioned not only cause anxiety in the markets but in our offices, jobsites, and homes as well. To be sure, Faust-Hartnett cited that nearly ¾ of participants in a recent survey of 1000 people in the US workplace, “…believe anxiety, caused by the current global political and social environment, leads to burnout at work.”²Meanwhile, as I attended an international Mental Health committee meeting last weekend, I heard some of the group members express their serious concerns about the current undertakings in Washington, DC. Overall, the consensus was there no need to get too worked up as ‘this too shall pass’. While I agree most organizations have faults, I cannot condone the strategy of shoot-aim-fire!

To this end, earlier this past week, our nation witnessed a US Senator take an “active” stance against the current state of chaotic affairs. Sen C Booker set a new record for the longest speech in this chamber (>25 hours).³ The irony is that a speech—by a Black man—surpassed the previous record by Sen T Thurmond, a segregationist, who filibustered for ~24 hours to oppose the Civil Rights Act in 1957. As my dear (late) friend Gary Stelzer used to say, “What comes around, goes around.”

Sources: [1] https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/06/us/trump-administration-news

[2] https://www.plansponsor.com/the-workplace-mental-health-crisis-of-2025/

[3]https://www.npr.org/2025/04/02/nx-s1-5349429/sen-cory-booker-on-his-marathon-25-hour-speech-on-the-senate-floor

Construction: Better Benefits = Better MH

Trade Conflict & Anxiety

Bolstering Global H&S

Head Protection: More on Safety Helmets

Teens / Growth / Resilience

Do You Have a Healthy Social Biome?

All Generations Seek Work-Life Balance

Employees: Less Collaborative, More Confrontational?

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Sammy’s Story: Missouri Works Initiative

Struggling to find gainful employment after his incarceration, Sammy heard about the Apprentice Ready Program, called Building Union Diversity (BUD) in St. Louis, from his pastor. “I was convicted of a felony,” Sammy shares. “When I got out of prison, I had difficulty finding good work.” Sammy, a father of five children ranging in age from toddler to teenager, worked two jobs but wasn’t earning enough. He was in desperate need of a sustainable career that would make it possible for him to support his family.

The Missouri Works Initiative’s BUD program was the solution Sammy sought. The 6-week program provided him with education on the unions, a bus pass, a weekly stipend, and a hands-on introduction to all the trades. “They took a chance on me and allowed me to change my life. Joining the BUD Program is the best decision I’ve made,” says Sammy. “I graduated from the program on a Thursday and started work the next Tuesday.”

Sammy is now a laborer with Bommarito Construction and a member of Local 110. “I didn’t have to do it alone,” says Sammy. “I had a great mentor named Rodney Griffin with Local 110. I’ve been in the field for six years now, and I’m able to be a mentor to new students. I share my experiences and help students understand the simple rules and etiquette of the work site, like the importance of being on time and staying off your cell phone. It’s great to help someone else succeed and build a new life.”

If you have experienced incarceration and feel like you’re facing an uphill battle in securing a sustainable career, Sammy wants you to know that you have options. “It can be better,” he says. “ I had friends on probation who are electricians now. If you’ve got someone willing to provide you with the opportunity to be successful, you should take it! The BUD Program did that for me.”

“I used to have a job, but now I have a career. You can have one, too,” says Sammy. “Go be a carpenter or electrician or ironworker. They can provide you with the best possible career in the trades. Making $45-50 an hour is some real motivation. The BUD Program trains you for free in five weeks. You’ll have a career. You just have to apply yourself.”

Start your journey here.

April 1, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

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Sammy’s Story: Missouri Works Initiative

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