Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 13

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of May 13, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog highlights whether or not smartphones are causing anxiety in teens and negatively impacting the attention span of adults—to how some communities welcome immigrants while others reject them…in spite of a worker shortage—to how the renaming of schools is retraumatizing citizens in a VA school district. This week I want to focus on the activities and input from an array of local construction contractors who are leading by example when it comes to their workers’ Mental Health…after all, May is Mental Health Awareness month! Last week we saw Holland Construction Services sponsor an all-day (free) event at the campus of SIUE. It was refreshing to see their CEO open and close the day with meaningful messages plus a commitment to continue the work beyond last Tuesday.[1] One highlight of the event was hearing from my friend, Mandi Kime, Safety Director of AGC Washington. Her personal story regarding mental health as a single mother of 4, was nothing short of inspiring. I am always intrigued by people who use their “private” struggles to help benefit others. In this case, Mandi shared how she focused her master’s degree thesis on mental health in the construction industry. As a result, WE now have access to one of the best (free) online short courses pertaining to suicide prevention in the construction industry.[2] If you have not taken this ~1 hour course, I highly encourage you to do so and PLEASE share the link with your networks. Once again, I tip my hat to Mandi for sharing her personal journey of tragedy to triumph! On another note, an old friend, Thom Kuhn, shares the lasting impact of his journey with mental health on his family and company.[3] Finally, Jenn and Maggie at SM Wilson are doing their part ensuring that May is not the ONLY month our industry shines a spotlight on Mental Health.[4]

In closing, COVID unintentionally aided in normalizing the once-taboo topic of Mental Health in our industry. As we can see from the 3 local industry leaders above, it is time to “Walk the Talk.” Often, the first step in a journey is the most difficult…especially when we are expected to swim in unfamiliar waters. That is why WE need to provide access to programs to assist YOU in joining us in our efforts to move this work forward. To this end, PLEASE consider joining us this Wednesday for the first of a three-part seminar (free) series on mental health, suicide prevention, and substance use awareness.[5]

I hope to see you soon!

Sources: [1] https://www.constructforstl.org/got-a-minute-save-a-life-message-from-hollands-mental-health-symposium/

[2] https://intheforefront.org/preventing-suicide-in-the-construction-industry/

[3] https://www.constructforstl.org/thom-kuhn-when-mental-health-strikes-home/

[4] https://www.constructforstl.org/mental-health-in-construction-how-an-industry-is-coming-together-to-help/

[5] https://www.constructforstl.org/free-programs-offer-path-to-mental-health-culture-for-construction/

MH / Construction / Leadership

MH / Construction / Leader (1)

MH / Construction / Leader (2)

MH / Construction / Leader (3)

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