New York Construction Report staff writer
The Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York has launched a peer support network aimed at reducing suicide rates among unionized construction workers.
The Building Trades Peer Support Network, developed with The Worker Institute at Cornell University and the New York Building Foundation, is designed to destigmatize mental health issues and make worker well-being a priority on job sites across the city.
“‘It is not weak to speak’ is a phrase used in relation to this peer support network, and this work being done to destigmatize mental health issues will transform our industry,” said Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of New York Building Congress. “For far too long, too many workers have needed help they could not find, but this program, spearheaded by Gary LaBarbera and the Building Trades and delivered by the Cornell Worker Initiative, will light the way for workers to find that help in each other.”
Construction workers are six times more likely to die by suicide than from job site accidents and four times more likely than the average U.S. worker, according to industry research. At 53.3 per 100,000 workers, the suicide rate in construction is second only to mining.
The network will train about 1,000 peer supporters across the trades. They will provide confidential support, conduct basic risk assessments, and refer high-risk cases to union-designated counselors or the Member Assistance Program.
Peer supporters will:
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Offer confidential peer-to-peer support on job sites.
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Conduct basic risk assessments during conversations.
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Refer medium or high-risk cases to MAP directors and/or union-designated support staff, which will automatically initiate a referral process for direct counseling, care, or suicide prevention methods.
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Maintain professional boundaries and limit initiating contact, except in specific and rare circumstances addressed in training.
“The creation of the Building Trades Peer Support Network is a critical step toward treating mental health with the same seriousness as physical safety on our job sites,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the council. “Far too many construction workers are lost each year to suicide. This program will save lives and sends a clear message that the men and women who build this city matter — their well-being truly matters.”
Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress, said the network will help shift industry culture. “‘It is not weak to speak’ is a phrase used in relation to this peer support network,” he said. “Too many workers have needed help they could not find, but this program will light the way for workers to find that help in each other.”
The program aims to create a culture in which mental wellness is treated as an industry priority, helping prevent crises and save lives among New York City construction workers.
