{"id":34918,"date":"2026-04-04T03:42:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T10:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/nabtu-cpwr-partner-with-bechtel-backed-suicide-prevention-initiative\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T03:42:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T10:42:21","slug":"nabtu-cpwr-partner-with-bechtel-backed-suicide-prevention-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/nabtu-cpwr-partner-with-bechtel-backed-suicide-prevention-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"NABTU, CPWR partner with Bechtel-backed suicide prevention initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/img\/play.svg?313321260226\" alt=\"-\"><br \/>\n        Listen to the article<\/p>\n<p>            <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">4 min<\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/text-to-speech.divecdn.com\/newspost\/816641\/2026-04-03_15.46.29\/nabtu-cpwr-bechtel-suicide-prevention-initiative-construction.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"editor-note\">\n<p>Editor\u2019s note: This story focuses on the topic of mental health and suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dive Brief:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has formed new partnerships to boost the outreach of its Hard Hat Courage initiative, aimed at reducing the rate of suicide in construction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>AFSP is partnering with North America\u2019s Building Trades Unions and CPWR \u2014 The Center for Construction Research and Training to reach millions of additional craft professionals, according to an April 1 announcement shared with Construction Dive.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Initially created in partnership with Reston, Virginia-based Bechtel, Hard Hat Courage aims to embed <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/bechtel-afsp-suicide-prevention-construction-safety\/757932\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>mental health and suicide prevention<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> into everyday jobsite practices.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Dive Insight:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Construction has the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/72\/wr\/mm7250a2.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>second-highest suicide rate<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> of any U.S. industry, behind mining, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The collaboration between AFSP, union membership group NABTU and safety data researcher CPWR aims to reduce that rate by developing core, shared standards. That includes learning objectives for suicide prevention awareness training and education, as well as exploring peer-based suicide prevention training aligned with jobsite roles.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Hard Hat Courage will also seek to partner with other industry organizations to expand awareness and adoption.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Bechtel initially spurred the program in March 2024, when it <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/bechtel-suicide-construction-pledge\/709385\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>pledged $7 million to AFSP<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> \u2014 at the time the largest donation to the nonprofit in its history. In September, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/suicide-prevention-bechtel-afsp-hard-hat-courage\/760206\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Hard Hat Courage shared<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> that it had reached 188,000 construction professionals, signaling progress toward its goal of reaching 500,000 workers within five years of the donation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cHard Hat Courage was always intended to move the entire construction industry forward,\u201d Brendan Bechtel, chairman and CEO of Bechtel, said in the release. \u201cBy bringing together organizations like NABTU and CPWR, we\u2019re scaling this effort across the industry so every craft professional has the awareness, tools, and support to look out for themselves and each other.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Since its founding, industry leaders \u2014 including NABTU President Sean McGarvey \u2014 have sat on the Hard Hat Courage CEO Advisory board.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cOur members build America. We must also build a culture where it\u2019s standard practice to talk about mental health and take action early,\u201d McGarvey said in the release. \u201cBy recommending baseline standards across our affiliates and beyond, we\u2019re making that expectation clear and consistent.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Other groups are also working to raise awareness of the issue in construction. Since 2020, Kansas City-based nonprofit Construction Suicide Prevention Week has run an eponymous, annual event to draw attention to the subject. Its fifth running wrapped up in September.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In early March, The Building &amp; Construction Trades Council of Greater New York launched its <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/its-not-weak-to-speak-nyc-construction-unions-launch-mental-health-init\/814588\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Building Trades Peer Support Network<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> to focus on workers\u2019 mental health. The program seeks to train 1,000 rank-and-file peer supporters throughout the trades, empowering them to become resources for their colleagues.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>This isn\u2019t the first partnership between NABTU and CPWR. In February, the groups shared data indicating the rate of <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/construction-overdose-suicide-rate-drop-2024\/812257\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>deaths by suicide and overdoses<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> had declined in construction in 2024. They attributed the decreases to numerous factors, including reduced stigma around substance use and mental health alongside improved treatment and recovery support in the industry.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/nabtu-cpwr-bechtel-suicide-prevention-initiative-construction\/816641\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Editor\u2019s &#8230; <a title=\"NABTU, CPWR partner with Bechtel-backed suicide prevention initiative\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/nabtu-cpwr-partner-with-bechtel-backed-suicide-prevention-initiative\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about NABTU, CPWR partner with Bechtel-backed suicide prevention initiative\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-dive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34918\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}