Sault webinar to raise awareness of mental health in construction
The Sault Community Career Centre’s Construction Apprenticeship Support Program (CASP) has partnered with the Sault Ste. Marie Construction Association, local construction sector employers and mental health service providers to present a special webinar aimed at raising awareness of mental health in the construction sector.
Hosted by former NHL player Aaron Gavey, Building Resilience: A Virtual Mental Health Summit for the Construction Sector is a free virtual event scheduled for February 16, and is open to all construction-sector employers, workers and job seekers.
Mental health is often referred to as the construction sector’s silent epidemic. According to Statistics Canada, 33 percent of men in the construction sector report poor mental health. Another survey suggests that 64 percent of construction workers want better physical and mental well-being support from their employers. In the US, construction workers have the highest suicide rate compared to every other sector.
A contributor to these statistics is the stigma surrounding mental health, talking about feelings and asking for help. The construction sector is mainly male-dominated, and many gender stereotypes still stand in the way of making real change, but the conversation is growing. More and more of the sector’s workers are speaking up about the need for mental health support.
The Building Resilience virtual event aims to increase mental health awareness and remove the stigma that comes with it by shining a light on mental well-being, substance misuse, and suicide prevention.
Also speaking will be Peter Corbett, Machinist and Professor of Mechanical Trades at Sault College, who will discuss the importance of building resiliency toolboxes, and Grace Tiersma, research project coordinator with the De Novo Treatment Centre, who will present data from the Research and Tools for the Addiction and Suicide Crisis research project.
Registration details are available by contacting Melissa Tremblay, CASP Program Administrator, at 705-759-0909 ext. 4228 or melissa.tremblay@saultcareercentre.ca.