• Presenter: Gabe Howard

• Description: Coming Soon.

• TRACK: Culture of Care and Psychological Safety

• Presenter: Bill Sims Jr

• Description: In today's challenging post-pandemic reality, leaders face numerous workforce issues including mental health crises, substance abuse, and disengagement. This session introduces a proven approach to improve mental well-being and employee satisfaction, leading to better business outcomes.

  Acclaimed speaker Bill Sims will demonstrate how positive reinforcement can build a culture of commitment, driving employee engagement and enhancing safety and profitability. By modeling positive behavior, leaders can drive employee engagement, eliminate favoritism, and achieve long-term performance improvements—leading to higher profits and improved safety.

  Based on Sims' best-selling book, Green Beans & Ice Cream, this presentation offers practical tools for implementing behavior-based recognition programs that:

  • Retain top talent

  • Improve low-performer output

  • Shift workplace culture from compliance to commitment

  Key takeaways for intermediate to executive-level attendees:

  • Understanding positive reinforcement and its impact on mental health & safety

  • Identifying and motivating different employee types (compliant, non-compliant, committed)

  • Applying consistent and effective positive reinforcement across all organizational levels

  Who should attend?

  • CEOs

  • Senior Managers

  • HR & Safety Managers

  • Operations Managers

  • Customer Satisfaction Managers

  • Anyone striving to enhance their leadership skills and create a safer, more productive workplace

• TRACK: Innovations in Mental Health Promotion

• Presenter: Katie Ellison

• Description: Suicide is a leading cause of death in the construction industry, occurring at nearly five times the rate of deaths from the "Fatal Four" hazards. Yet, most safety training still centers on preventing falls, electrocution, being struck by objects, or getting caught in equipment. Mental health advocates in the construction sector have been asking what more can be done beyond awareness, identification, and referral. Conversations for Suicide Safer Homes (CSSH): A CALM-Informed Training, shifts suicide prevention from awareness to action with immediate, practical results.

  CSSH offers a unique approach to safety training by equipping participants with the confidence to ask about suicide risk, the comfort to discuss access to lethal means, and the skills to identify safe, responsible, and adaptable lethal means storage strategies. Attendees have consistently reported that the training provides respectful, hands-on guidance that empowers them to engage in these crucial, life-saving conversations.

• TRACK: Suicide Prevention - Hope Through Action

• Presenter: Dan Lester

• Description: The proposed session directly links to Physical and Environmental Root Causes for Mental Health Challenges.

  During this high energy session with live audience participation software, we will explore the critical role that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plays in the environmental determinants of mental health outcomes. Drawing on research and case studies, we will examine how systemic inequalities and cultural factors contribute to mental health challenges within our communities. Participants will engage in a discussion about the impact DEI initiatives can have on mental well-being, identify barriers to access and support, and share best practices for fostering inclusive environments that promote mental health equity, and create supportive spaces for all individuals, ultimately enhancing mental health outcomes across all populations.

  The session will use Mentimeter and audience participation software that allows participants to scan a QR code and answer questions and provide feedback in real-time.

  This talk will draw from my personal experience as VP of Field Culture and Inclusion leading the integration of strategic program initiatives that have helped to create psychological safety and mental well-being at Clayco and other companies.

  Some of the research to consider will be information from Adverse Childhood Experiences showing the number of occurrences and how they relate to future mental challenges, American Psychological Association, APA Working Group on Stress and Health Disparities. (2017). NAMI information on mental health services used and rendered. Clayco’s commissioned mental health study in construction will have some possible data points.

• TRACK: Physical and Environmental Root Causes for Mental Health Challenges

• Presenter: Vivek Sharma

• Description: The construction industry is poised for a cultural shift toward employee-centered care but faces persistent stress and substance abuse issues, with 42.5% of workers experiencing anxiety. This leads to the misuse of substances like alcohol, tobacco, and opioids, contributing to absenteeism, higher healthcare costs, and lost productivity. PROJECT CARE seeks to address these challenges by implementing preventive strategies to build a resilient workforce. The project focuses on training construction workers in South Carolina, enhancing mental health literacy, and adapting the QPR framework to meet the industry's specific needs, aiming for systemic change in addressing mental health and substance use.

• TRACK: Substance Use Disorders and Addictive Behaviors

• Presenter: Nick Guidry

• Description: Building Strength: Actionable Resiliency Plans for Construction is designed to bridge the gap between traditional corporate employee resiliency programs and tailored solutions for the construction workforce. This session will focus on creating a Culture of Care and promoting Psychological Safety in an industry known for high stress, mental health challenges, and elevated suicide rates. Leveraging evidence-based practices from the U.S. Army Resiliency Program and University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology research, participants will leave with actionable strategies to build a healthier, more resilient workforce.

  The presentation aligns with the conference theme of Culture of Care and Psychological Safety by providing innovative solutions tailored to the unique demands of the construction industry. It will address the need for personalized resiliency plans, focusing on proactive strategies that help workers cope with high-pressure environments.

  Key outcomes include participants gaining the ability to identify key stressors in construction, formulate actionable resiliency plans, and implement practices that foster a supportive and psychologically safe workplace. By involving those with lived experience, such as workers and caregivers, this session ensures that the solutions are grounded in reality, offering gap-filling innovations for mental health promotion and suicide prevention.

  This session will also build upon existing research, offering practical applications of well-researched resiliency programs in new and relevant contexts. Audience engagement will be achieved through interactive group exercises, real-time feedback, and personal reflection, allowing participants to co-create solutions during the session.

  The educational objectives will be met by providing evidence-informed content, engaging participants in active learning, and offering actionable takeaways that can be implemented immediately within their organizations to promote mental health and resiliency.

• TRACK: Culture of Care and Psychological Safety: Building Strength: Actionable Resiliency Plans for Construction

• Presenter: Marshall Davis Jones

• Description: Coming soon.

• TRACK: Innovations in Mental Health Promotion

• Presenter: Brook Anderson

• Description: Safe and effective messaging around suicide prevention, especially with the theme of "Hope Through Action," plays a crucial role in reducing stigma, offering support, and promoting resources for those in need. Here’s how it can be addressed:

  1. Promote Stories of Hope and Recovery

  2. Encourage Connection

  3. Provide Actionable Steps

  4. Avoid Triggering Language

  5. Normalize Conversations Around Mental Health

  6. Engage Communities

  7. Highlight Professional Resources

  8. Use Uplifting Visuals and Positive Messaging

• TRACK: Suicide Prevention - Hope Through Action

• Presenter: Chad McDougal

• Description: The construction industry faces a critical challenge with high rates of suicide, driven by demanding work conditions, irregular schedules, and a culture that often stigmatizes mental health discussions. This presentation aims to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to address these issues effectively.

  We will explore how poor work conditions—such as physical hazards, inadequate ergonomics, and isolating environments—contribute to stress, anxiety, and ultimately, mental health crises among construction workers. Participants will learn about the detrimental effects of long hours, unpredictable schedules, and high-pressure deadlines on mental well-being.

  Key solutions will be presented, focusing on creating a psychologically safe work environment that encourages open dialogue about mental health without fear of stigma. Practical strategies will include implementing flexible scheduling, wellness programs that integrate physical fitness and nutrition, and promoting peer support systems.

  The presentation will also highlight the importance of fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health tailored for construction workers.

  By the end of the session, participants will be empowered to identify the intersection of safety, wellness, and mental health, and take actionable steps to create safer, healthier workplaces that reduce the risk of suicide. Together, we can build a supportive environment that prioritizes the well-being of construction workers and enhances overall productivity and morale.

• TRACK: Physical and Environmental Root Causes for Mental Health Challenges

• Presenter: Brad Anderson

• Description: In the presentation "12-Step Recovery and the Employer - What's Your Role," we will explore how workplace culture can support employee recovery from substance use disorders, emphasizing Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a vital resource. This session aligns with the conference theme of "Culture of Care and Psychological Safety," aiming to empower employers to create environments conducive to mental well-being.

  Participants will define and discuss the 12 Steps of AA, learning their significance in recovery. We will examine the essential role of employers in fostering supportive workplaces, identifying key resources and evaluating their impact on workplace dynamics. Through interactive discussions and case studies, attendees will formulate actionable strategies to enhance psychological safety and cultivate a culture of care.

  Engagement will be encouraged through group discussions, role-playing scenarios, and Q&A sessions, fostering a dynamic learning environment that promotes active participation and connection among attendees.

  By the end of the session, participants will meet the five educational objectives: defining the 12 Steps, identifying support resources, evaluating workplace impact, discussing employer roles, and formulating implementation strategies. Expected outcomes include heightened awareness of the need for recovery support in the workplace, increased knowledge of the 12-Step framework, and practical skills to create a stigma-free culture. Ultimately, this presentation will demonstrate that fostering a culture of care not only aids individual recovery but also enhances overall workplace productivity, morale, and employee retention.

• TRACK: Substance Use Disorders and Addictive Behaviors

• Presenter: Rob Drake

• Description: The lack of psychological safety within our industry is decimating our retention levels and even worse, continuing to erode at the mental and emotional fortitude of our already stressed workforce. What you say and more importantly what you do has a resounding impact on the psychological wellbeing, and by proxy, emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing of your team members.

  This session is designed to immediately outfit direct and indirect supervisors at the team leader, foreman and superintendent levels with a tested set of tools and perspectives to better lead and influence their teams. This is not a theory session, this is focused strictly on what has worked within my own teams as a field supervisor in civil construction.

  Attendees will gain perspective to empathize with team members, learn how to approach disciplinary and corrective issues more effectively, and most importantly, foster a psychologically safe environment where employees feel safe to bring up issues. If your team members do not feel comfortable asking you for time off or telling you about a stressful issue, what else are they going to hide from you?

  Activities will include assessing real-world reenactments of employees either communicating irregularly or demonstrating shifts in their behavior. Participants will have opportunities to simulate reacting to and interacting with these symptoms to determine, what, if any, care is needed for employees.

  Oftentimes, we bundle up mental health championship discussions to just HR, or just the C-suite or just management teams in terms of who we include in our discussions. This session does the opposite: this is targeted towards all our craft people and the personnel who support and lead them.

• TRACK: Culture of Care and Psychological Safety

• Presenter: Loretta Mulberry

• Description: As the construction workforce becomes increasingly diverse, language barriers pose significant challenges to mental health promotion and workplace safety. This presentation advocates for organizations to prioritize the professional translation of mental health and safety resources into the native languages of their employees. By leveraging data on the growing multilingual workforce and the disproportionate risks faced by foreign-born workers, we can foster a more inclusive and supportive work environment.

  I will define translation and language services, providing real-world examples of multilingual mental health resources and demystifying the translation process. Additionally, I will discuss strategies for promoting mental and physical safety among multilingual employees, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, and mitigating the risks associated with language barriers.

  Finally, I will highlight the investment value of translation in safety, training, and HR departments. By investing in translation, organizations can improve safety outcomes, enhance employee training, experience better hiring and retaining figures, and foster a more inclusive and supportive work environment. This presentation serves as a unique innovation in mental health promotion by showcasing a practical and effective approach to reaching a diverse and vulnerable population within the construction industry.

  Most construction professionals are aware of language barriers and their negative effects on the industry, but many do not realize the urgency of the situation nor the relatively simple solution of implementing translation. I’ve made it my personal and professional mission to advocate for better language access for employees in this field. I’m proud of my work and the clear success that I’ve seen for organizations that embrace multilingual initiatives.

• TRACK: Innovations in Mental Health Promotion

• Presenter: Krista Roberts

• Description: Coming soon.

• TRACK: Suicide Prevention - Hope Through Action

• Moderator: Cal Beyer

Join leading national experts Shelby Rowe (Suicide Prevention Resource Center), Hudson Harris (Deloitte), and Trisha Calabrese (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) for a deep dive into the latest national efforts shaping suicide prevention and mental health in the workplace.

This session will cover:

• The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention—key priorities and emerging trends

• The evolving role of 988 and what it means for workplaces

• Bechtel’s investment in construction suicide prevention and industry impact

• Generational shifts in mental health perspectives at work

Gain insights into policy, funding, and practical strategies to drive change in your organization and beyond.

• Sponsor: Jordan Foster Construction

• Presenter(s): Asma Bayunus & Tricia Kagerer

• Title: “Reviving the Mind: The Psychological Impact of CPR on Rescuers”

• Sponsor: BMA Media Group

• Presenter(s):

  • Ben Bradshaw (UA Local 100)

  • Mike Hazard (UA VIP)

  • Pete Ielmini (Mechanical Insulators LMCT)

  • Alanna Marklund (UA Special Rep to Canada)

  • James Pursell (LIUNA LEAN STL)

• Title: “Mental Health Building Blocks for the Building Trades”

• Sponsor: TBD

• Presenters: TBD

• Title: TBD

• Sponsor: National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)

• Presenter(s): Wes Wheeler & Keith Wheeler

• Title: "Employee Wellness and Wellbeing – Enhancing Worker Safety"

• Sponsor: UA Local 393

• Presenter(s): Brian Murphy

• Title: TBD