Last February, I attended the Building and Construction Trades Council’s annual conference, where I networked with hundreds of workers attached in one way or another with organized construction labor. The panels were both energizing and fascinating for someone like me—a newbie interested in soaking up every bit of information I can about the industry. On the last day of the conference, the atmosphere changed. They presented a panel on mental health—particularly about suicide and alcohol and drug addiction in heavy construction. We’d all gotten to know each other a bit by then, and defenses were down. The speakers were open and vulnerable about their struggles in a way I hadn’t been exposed to yet. When I was told that the construction industry is second in the nation with regard to suicide rates, I knew we should talk about it.
Mental health, suicide, and addiction are all familiar topics for me and all things I have struggled with within my immediate family. The holiday season—with all the lights, music, and seasonal fare, the parties, the family time, and the gifts to open—comes coupled with a relentless call for joy that can be difficult to bear. Of course, winter doesn’t claim ownership rights on depression, but the holiday blues can be very real and very overwhelming.
This issue of Road Warriors speaks to the struggles within the construction industry. Our cover article features two very different men: Frank Barker and Steve Chassman. Read it to see how their life’s paths have intertwined and how together they have helped those who struggle with addiction.
To continue along this theme, we hear from Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, President and CEO of Family and Children’s Association, about anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges on the job; Keith Deisner, Grant Writer/Development Director of Hope House Ministries, who speaks about Frank Barker and his work with the Ministries; Hamilton Baiden, co-founder and CEO of Youturn Health, and Rich Jones, co-founder and chief clinical officer of Youturn Health, who discuss support for behavioral health and substance use in construction; and finally, LICA’s own Marc Herbst, who talks about how, as an industry, we can take care of our industry’s biggest resource: ourselves.
If you’d like to drop a line with any suggestions (or praise!), send me a message at jfranchi@licanys.org.
As always, we thank you for the work you do to keep Long Island running. Wishing you all peace this holiday season. As always, we urge everyone to stay safe out there.
Love,
Jaime