Led by the Alberta Construction Trades Association (BTA), the construction industry and its allies are redoubling efforts to address mental health issues in the industry.
At the national level, the Building Trades Union of Canada launches a 35-question worker survey aimed at increasing CBTU understanding of how construction work impacts mental health both at home and on-site did. It also seeks to understand how members feel their union supports their mental health. The survey will conclude on April 18, and preliminary results will be presented at the next CBTU meeting.
Meanwhile, in Alberta, at the Recovering Capital Conference in Calgary on April 4, BTA Chair Ian Robb said he was encouraged by news that the Alberta government had provided significant new funding and said he was encouraged by the news that the Alberta government had provided significant new funding. He gave an overview of the council’s Building Resilience program to an audience of more than 100 people. The program espouses a comprehensive, anti-stigma recovery model as opposed to a harm reduction model, features peer-supported treatment supported by both employers and workers, and is rapidly expanding across Alberta and beyond. He said he was gaining supporters.
There was a “surge” in support.
Robb, who is the coordinator of the two-year-old program and has contributed significantly to its development, said addictions ministers from several state governments expressed enthusiasm for the program during the meeting.
Heads of major airlines and their union leaders also said they were interested in implementing the system for their 10,000 flight attendants.
The program was supported from its early stages by data collection from Telus Health, and “it’s been rapidly gaining popularity ever since,” Robb says. He was joined by the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University in Ontario to design his 35-hour training module for the program’s peer support counselors.
Robb said the Alberta government’s initial funding for the program was scheduled to expire at the end of March.
“But a few months before that, I got a call from the government,” he said. “They were excited about some of the things that were happening because there was an explosion going on. They actually extended our funding for another year, and over three years he gave this program a million I poured in dollars.
“That’s a big deal for us.”
The main elements of the program are:
- Raise awareness about mental health, wellness, resilience and the importance of a restorative workplace through customized learning modules.
- Work with contractors to establish peer support programs.
- Provide training and certification to identified peer supports at key work sites.
- Provide specialized workplace training to contractors and owners that incorporates recovery information.and
- We provide anonymous, self-guided, and interactive digital services to reduce drug and alcohol use.
Robb said workplace mental health advocates help each other identify problems early and encourage a safe work environment where workers feel comfortable speaking up. A recovery coach is the next level of support.
“Peer support workers can understand what’s going on when they see the worker struggling, or when they approach them and confide in them that they’re having a tough time. ” says Rob. “You’re not there to cure it, you’re just there to manage it.”
Robb said each step of the program is documented with data collected to inform future policy steps. He said he looked forward to examining the data from the CBTU’s national survey.
Differences between transactions, states investigated
The study is being overseen by Lindsay Amundsen, director of workforce development at CBTU. This is part of an overall review of various regional programs and the latest research.
“All we need to do is understand how mental health impacts our members, understand it better across industries and across states, and be mindful of what the differences are and the gaps and programs that already exist.” Amundsen said.
Depression and suicide are well-documented to be significant concerns among construction workers. The US-based Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention found that the suicide rate among construction workers is four times the national average.
Amundsen said the CBTU is seeking new Canadian data specific to construction transactions.
“We also dig deeper and take snapshots of what people experience on a daily basis, their work and personal lives,” she said.
