Works Initiative News | Worker Wellness & Career Opportunities

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 30th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 30, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the rise in our nation’s gun violence—to calculating your body’s hydration level—to how countries rank regarding Work-Life Balance. This week I would like to take a closer look at a recent—and more than likely disastrous—cut to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Allow me to provide some context. What started out as the (10-digit) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 20 years ago, morphed into the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline around five years ago…with bi-partisan support in DC.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has existed since 2005. In 2020, during his first term, Trump signed legislation designating 988 as the new lifeline number by 2022. That legislation required 988 to provide LGBTQ youth and young adults who call the line with access to “specially trained staff and partner organizations,” noting that queer and trans youth “are more than 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide than their peers, with 1 in 5 LGBTQ youth and more than 1 in 3 transgender youth reporting attempting suicide.”[1]

As noted, the 988 system allowed callers to select counselors who more closely matched their needs. For instance, Press 1 for Veterans; Press 2 for Spanish; and Press 3 for LQBTQ+. Below is an excerpt from a recent interview with AFSP’s Chief Medical Officer.

Like all marginalized populations that have experienced historical and present-day discrimination, LGBTQ+ individuals can experience mistrust or harm when interacting with general mental health systems—related to any number of actions like misgendering, making assumptions, or overt discrimination. 988 Press 3’s specialized counselors are trained in the LGBTQ+ experience and include identity-affirming, trauma-informed approaches, which creates a trusting space for these individuals, which affords more authentic connection, more openness, and perhaps receptivity to the counselor’s expressions of support and recommendations.

In the first year alone, 280,000 LGBTQ+ crisis contacts were served through The Trevor Project’s participation in 988, demonstrating an unmet demand for identity-specific services. Without trusted crisis support, LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to avoid reaching out for help, which may lead to worse mental health outcomes.

Transgender youth face exceptionally high risk. Approximately 26% of trans youth attempted suicide in the past year, compared to 5% to 11% among cisgender youth. What’s more, research has linked anti-trans legislation to a 7% to 72% increase in suicide attempts by trans youth, which is especially concerning given the 988 Press 3 service is ending alongside escalating anti-trans policies and restrictions on gender‑affirming care in 26 states.[2]

So, once again, this nation is at a crossroads. While so-called “Christian leaders” in DC manipulate language to de-humanize others in need of help, those needs do not merely vanish into thin air. To this end, The Trevor Project stands ready to fill this gap in services for the LGBTQ+ community. If you or someone you know seeks assistance, PLEASE visit www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/. And, in the meantime, I highly recommend that you take a couple of minutes to view the related CBS News story below.[3]

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

Sources: [1]https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/white-house-proposes-axing-988-suicide-hotline-services-lgbtq-youth-rcna211942

[2] https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/the-loss-of-a-vital-lgbtq-suicide-prevention-resource-in-conversation-with-afsps-christine-yu-moutier-md?ekey=RUtJRDo0ODgyNTJFMC0yNkNBLTQzMEUtQkQxQS1DNTNEODcxREU3NDQ%3D&utm_campaign=emailname&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8ZcGR8kv91UsCfYhwgUPFSOmNOSybQ6bsFh33Ho1HKlKofEX1I9Gd0Qt5w_QoaiqXwbzXUIJ3FfnaqlF5yn8zoD04gTg&_hsmi=368314971&utm_source=hs

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od5r-I4wJnU

Gun Violence Data

AFSP on Loss of LGBTQ+ Access to 988

Narcan: Depths of Dependence

Addiction’s Grip

Heat’s Impact on Your Body

Heat: Protecting Your Mind & Body

Hydration Calculator

Young Adults / Climate Change / Emotions

Countries & Work-Life Balance

Sober Culture

7 Ways to Oxytocin

Another Drug Lord Captured

US Aging Population & Immigration Growth

Tyson & TX Workers’ Strike

MN Nurses’ ULP Strike

NHL/NHLPA Contract Extension?

WNBA / CBA / Union’s Future

Rising Teacher Retirements Stress School Districts

Vets / Trump / Deportations

SCOTUS Leans Towards POTUS

Lone Wolf Calls Out POTUS

Lone Wolf Falls for POTUS

Americans & Iran’s Recourse

Canada’s Hiring Status Law

Will OSHA Revise Heat Rule?

Builders’ Liability / Scaffolding / NY

Canada / Legal Obligations / Digital Platforms

Leaders & Workplace Uncertainty

Less Workers = More Work

Navigating Student Loans

Young College Grads & Mamdani

New Grads / College Value’s / Job Market

Young Adults Cut Back Spending

Gen Z & Less Sex

Judge Halts Job Corps Shutdown

Deportations Impact on US Job Growth

Midwest Meatpacking

What is Superwood?

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

STL / ICE Raids / Rapid Response (7/9)

Missouri Assoc of Addiction Professionals Conference (7/17)

Free QPR Training (7/21)

Cannabis in the Workplace

Mental Health in Construction

FREE Diapers

FREE Meals

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.

June 30, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 23rd

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 23rd, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how when it comes to health insurance, women frequently pay more but get less—to Job Corps students are fighting back against the US-DOL’s June 30^th total shutdown—to how young adults are taking up relaxing pastimes (i.e., knitting, etc.), often referred to as Granny hobbies, as escapes from technology. This week I would like to take a closer look at Pope Leo’s view of workers and AI.

As a former business representative for a construction trade union and a practicing Roman Catholic, I became very interested in seeing how the new Pope would continue the good works of his predecessor, Pope Francis. A big part of my curiosity I can attribute to an old friend and arguably one of the best labor history professors to teach in the St. Louis region, the late Dr Lon Smith. Over three decades ago, Lon was the one who explained the importance of Pope Leo XIII as the Pope of the workers. In a time of the Industrial Revolution, the former Pope Leo wrote an encyclical called, Rerum Novarum—Latin for “Of New Things.”[1] His goal was to press governments to pass laws to protect laborers…while supporting capitalism with guardrails.

Nearly 125 years later, Pope Leo XIV spoke to the Cardinals last month wherein he laid out his priorities for the first time, revealing that he had chosen his papal name because of the tech revolution. As he explained, his namesake Leo XIII stood up for the rights of factory workers during the Gilded Age, when industrial robber barons presided over rapid change and extreme inequality.[1]

And yet, it took the US another +40 years to establish national labor laws.

Today, the church offers its trove of social teaching to respond to another industrial revolution and to innovations in the field of artificial intelligence that pose challenges to human dignity, justice and labor.[1]

To this end, it is worth pondering the words of Stancati et al, “President Trump sees the Gilded Age as a golden era to which the US should return, Pope Leo views it as a warning from history.”[1]

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

Source: [1]https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/pope-leo-ai-tech-771cca48?st=DjKoT7&reflink=article_gmail_share

US OD Deaths Rise After Recent Decline

Opioids Settlement: Is Life Worth <$3000?

Will Purdue Pharma Get Off for $7.4b?

Round 2: Purdue Pharma Settlement

Ibogaine: Risky Opioids Treatment?

SAMHSA Needs Rescuing

Marijuana & Autism

Vaping’s Impact on Teens

Gas Station Heroin

Employers / Employees / Disease Outbreaks

Turkey: Workers’ Death Watch

Women: Pay More, Get Less

Aging: A Simple Fitness Test

Facing MH Needs in the USA

Family Therapy Retreats

Seniors / Tech / Loneliness

Philly Teachers’ Strike

Fenway Park Strike

Paris Museum Strike

AFT / DNC Fallout

Canada / Bill C-58 / Anti-Scab Law

Trump & PLAs

Pope Leo / Workers’ Rights / AI

Amazon’s Workers & AI

Canada / Dockworkers / Automation

Trump / Trade School Funding / Job Corps

Job Corps Students File Suit

Impact of Shutting Down Job Corps

Nearly 2/3 Look for Side Hustle

America’s Side Hustle

Working Extra Hours

Foreign Students & 2025’s Gestapo?

UK Decriminalizes Abortion

Construction’s Jobsite Culture

Data Destruction

2025 Grads’ Hiring Crisis

Tips on Retaining Employees

Job Passion: Men v Women

Gen Z & Grandma Hobbies

What is ‘Time Poverty’?

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Construction’s Workforce Challenges (6/24)

How to Use Naloxone (Narcan)

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.

June 23, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 16th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 16, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how one Dad’s recovery helped others chart new paths—to a rise in boys’ teen suicides resulting from sextortion schemes—to how a handful of female college athletes are fighting for fair compensation.

This week it would be difficult to avoid the proverbial elephant in the room: Yesterday’s parade in DC.

Like it or not, a 250^th anniversary of nearly anything, in most cases, is worth celebrating.[1] The fact that this date coincides with Trump’s 79^th birthday falls to his favor. Which, in a sense, makes this spectacle all the more concerning. Especially when one considers a price tag of >$40m…in a time where cutting govt expenses heads the DC agenda on most any other day in the past 3 months. Not to mention, the fact that there is currently pushback from Republicans regarding the mounting of a plaque that acknowledges the US Capitol Police Officers who served so bravely on Jan 6, 2021.[2]

As a counter-measure, many cities held “No Kings” gatherings across the US during the aforementioned parade on Jun 14, 2025. Be they cowards, kings, traitors, or patriots, it does not take a political scientist to see that the USA is approaching a tipping point. How does a just society square holding a multi-million-dollar parade, on one hand, while cutting VA benefits, on the other hand?[3] It appears history does repeat itself if you consider the famous words (C. 1858) of the then candidate for US President, US Senator Abraham Lincoln: “A house divided against itself, cannot stand.” In other words, maybe it is time for less narcissism and more altruism.

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

Sources: [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UWWSlJwnJM

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/police-officers-lawsuit-installing-jan-6-plaque-at-u-s-capitol/

[3] https://www.americanprogress.org/article/cuts-to-the-va-will-leave-veterans-without-the-benefits-they-were-promised/

Fatherhood & Sobriety

Prioritizing MH & Well-being

Sextortion / Teens / Suicide

Addiction / Recovery / Jails

Ibogaine / TX / Clinical Trials

Pig Butchering Scams

Construction ODs / PA

Creating a Neurodiverse Workforce

Decline in Maternal MH

Practicing Gratitude

Retirement & Rising HC Costs

A Hospice Hero in Africa

AI / Wearable Tech / Safety

Lessons Learned: Growing a New Limb

SAG-AFTRA’s New Agreement?

Chicago Police Recruits & Pay

Lawsuit: Hanging a Plaque in DC?

Streamlining US-DOL?

Ex-DOGE Engineer Speaks Out

Women College Athletes: Fair Share?

Gender Pay Gap Narrows?

More PT Work?

Construction: A Fulfilling Career?

Closing the Skills Gap?

Fulbright Board Resigns

Islam’s Growth

Gen Z Returning to Religion

Test Your AI Knowledge

Canada’s Wildfires

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

US-DOL Prevailing Wage (6/25-26)

Youth & Grieving (7/15)

VA & Suicide Prevention

TBIs: A New Era

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.

June 16, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 9th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 9, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how construction overdose deaths remain high and yet DC plans to cut services to help reduce those numbers—to how dating apps are negatively impacting your MH—to the ‘selective’ repeal of our newest holiday: Juneteenth. This week I would like to share with you some thoughts on my recent visit to Scotland and England.

Some of you may know that last fall I undertook a research project focusing on suicide postvention in the construction industry. During the survey phase I came across a researcher from England (Dr John Whitebrook) and practitioner from Scotland (Dr John Gibson) who have done extensive work in the postvention arena. As luck would have it, I was able to participate in a suicide researchers’ conference—in Glasgow on Jun 2-3—attending my English contact’s presentation and poster session. This was followed by a 2-day training on postvention in the workplace—in Dunblane on Jun 4-5—delivered by my contact’s charity (The Canmore Trust) in Scotland. On Jun 6, I then moved on to Canterbury, Kent, England to present my findings, to date, regarding my aforementioned research at the Canterbury Cathedral. Many thanks to the progressive leaders at Warnborough College.

As I reflect on this past week, my conversation with the Day 2 keynote speaker, in Glasgow, gave me great hope that our industry is heading in the right direction. Dr Rosie Allister first started her career as a veterinarian. However, after years in the industry performing surgery, she identified a need that required attention: Suicides of fellow vets. She went back to earn a PhD on this issue and now oversees VetLife, a vet helpline that has experienced a ten-fold increase in call volume over the past decade. In addition, she trains, lectures, and advises on a variety of related topics. One being a postvention guide for vets.[1] This can serve as a model guide for workplace suicide postvention for other industries…including construction!

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

Source: [1] https://www.vetlife.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Suicide-postvention-guidance_16May22.pdf

Karoshi: Workers’ Unspoken Killer

Construction / Jobsites / Drug ODs

Men: Face Stress ~ Avoid Help

Loneliness / Obesity / Smoking

Chatbots & YOU

RFK Jr’s Cuts Impact on Addiction & MH

Tech Workers / Psychedelics / Therapists

Manager / Workers / Better Communication

Resilience & Childhood Trauma

Right to Die?

Dating Apps & MH

UFCW’s New Contract

Saudi / World Cup / ILO / Workers’ Rights

Scottish Water Works Strike?

Scotland University Strike?

Reversing Juneteenth?

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 2nd

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 2nd, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how another construction trade union embraces technology in order to provide Mental Health services to its members—to various agencies providing clean-up and MH services to the STL communities impacted by the May 16^th tornado—to AI’s impact on collective bargaining agreements. This week I would like to share with you some thoughts on the concept of self-compassion.

During, and for a short time after, COVID, a number of sources weighed in on the issue of self- care. To set the record straight, self-care is NOT selfish. One of the most clear and concise examples of self-care is before you takeoff on a commercial airliner the flight attendant covers their firm’s safety procedures. One of their final statements refers to a loss of oxygen and the mask falling down from above. Who do they tell you to put that mask on first? You! Why? Because if you cannot take care of yourself, you will not be in a position to assist others. However, self-care is NOT self-compassion.

A past instructor once told my class, “We all have a prosecuting attorney in our head but few of us have a defense attorney.” To this end, self-care is the set of skills (i.e., mindfulness, yoga, deep breathing, etc.) we utilize to build self-compassion. Studies show that those of us who display self-compassion while under stress, are more resilient. Resiliency is the ability to bounce back and learn from stressful events…it is not a matter of simply coping! Why? Because coping can take on 2 forms: good or bad. Good coping tends to lead towards building resiliency. While bad coping can lead to bad habits, addiction, etc.

Caron posits, “Self-compassion is the process of expressing support, warmth and understanding toward yourself during difficult times—and recognizing that you aren’t alone in your imperfections.”[1] So how do you develop self-compassion? Here are a few tips:

Say kind things to yourself every day: Stop being so hard on yourself!
Take a compassion break: Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture (RAIN)
Pay it forward: Part of caring for yourself means caring for your community.

This reminds me of what I learned while studying trauma. Too often in the past, we heard ‘What is wrong with you’ vs ‘What happened to you.’ To this end, I encourage you to read the article linked below in an effort to move from ‘I am a mistake’ to ‘I made a mistake.’

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

Source: [1]https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/well/mind/self-compassion.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

MH in Construction: EVERY Day vs JUST May

Iron Workers & MH App

Roadwork / Accidents / Safety

PreventEd / Jefferson Co / Recovery Community Ctr

Adults & Autism

STL Agency / May 16 Tornado / MH Care

Samaritans Purse & STL Tornado Recovery

Why Self-compassion?

Designing Safety into Projects

MH in the Workplace

Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 28th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of May 28, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how Scotland has invested >US$300k in a construction suicide prevention program—to whether or not young men are lonelier than young women—to a STL-based effort (Black Girls Build) to assist those in need after the 5/16 tornado while providing skills training.[1] This week I would like to share with you breaking news regarding the return of the MWI / Aetna / CFSTL summer ‘hot topics’ Mental Health in Construction seminar series.

After the award-winning success of delivering a 3-part series in the summer of 2024, white- and blue-collar professionals across the STL regional construction industry will have another opportunity to attend the following sessions this summer from 7:30-9a, as follows:

*Psychological Safety (July 29 @ Sheet Metal Workers Hall: LU 36);

*Suicide Postvention in Construction (August 21 @ Plumber & Pipefitters School: LU 562); and

*Gambling Addiction (Sept 18 @ IBEW Hall: LU 1).

As May—Mental Health Awareness Month—comes to a close, I want to take this occasion to encourage each and every one of you to partake in the Gambling & Construction Industry survey linked below.[2] The goal is, come Sept 18, that these results be integrated into the related presentation for a more focused snapshot of our region’s workforce.

(PLEASE note that the survey will remain open thru 5/31/25.)

We are fortunate to have Dr Jeremiah Weinstock, SLU Professor of Psychology, share his expert insights on the topic of gambling’s impact on our white- and blue-collar workforce. To this end, YOUR participation matters. For our region and industry to move forward, we need to be open, honest, and show up. Whether it is completing the aforementioned survey or attending the upcoming ‘hot topics’ seminars, YOUR input and presence matters!

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

Sources: [1] https://www.firstalert4.com/2025/05/24/carpentry-workshop-teaching-skills-use-around-home-storm-response/

[2] https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3HG52KH

Worker Safety in Jeopardy

Construction / Data / Safety

Supportive Workplaces / < Anxiety / > Retention

More unsupported workers & More online help

CO AGC & MH

Scotland / Suicide Prevention / Construction

Helping Children After a Disaster

Are Young Men Lonely?

Therapy & Chronic Pain

East meets West

Redesigning Wellness

Breathing & Brain Power

Spain’s Homelessness

Better Ways to Evaluate Concussions?

UA & Flight Attendants

NJ Transit Engineers End Strike

Russia’s Unpaid Construction Workers

Trump & Traumatizing Workers

Trump & Honoring a Traitor?

College Degrees & Earnings

Teens / Sexting / AI

Students / Cheating / AI

Small College Towns: Boom to Bust

Who wants a factory job?

Building Culture: Lessons Learned

Black Girls Build after May Storm in STL

Trump & Apprenticeship

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Survey: Gambling & Construction Industry (Closes 5/31/25)

Free CALM Training (6/18)

Survey: Redesigning Wellness

Autism & Suicide

Suicide Postvention & College

FREE Diapers

FREE After-school Meals

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 28, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

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.

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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

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