Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), a leader in construction, engineering, manufacturing and renewable energy, is taking a proactive approach to address the mental health crisis within the construction industry. WAPL’s Cutter sat down with Alyssa Kwasny, FTI’s Wellness Program Director who has been with the company for 16 years, and Rocky Rowlett, FTI’s Vice President of Safety with 10 years under his belt, who shared their efforts to address mental health in a field where suicide rates are alarmingly high. With a focus on supporting employee mental well-being, FTI has developed multiple initiatives to address this issue.
Construction workers have a suicide rate four times higher than any other industry. The intense demands of the job, including physical strain, long hours, frequent travel and time away from family, contribute to stress and mental health challenges. As Kwasny explains, the “tough person mentality” often makes it difficult for workers to seek help. It’s a physically tough industry, and dealing with injuries can lead to things like opioid use or alcohol abuse, further contributing to the problem.
In honor of this year’s Construction Suicide Prevention Week and Suicide Prevention Month in September, the company rolled out a company-wide mental health initiative including:
- Participation at jobsites across the nation in the Suicide Prevention Stand Down on Sept. 9, which included a one-minute moment of silence to focus on mental health and remember those that have died by suicide in their industry.
- “You Matter” shirts and stickers for all employees with the suicide prevention hotline number, 988, to serve as a visible reminder to employees that help is available 24/7.
Additionally, FTI equips its employees year-round with tools to enhance mental health resources and training, further strengthening the organization’s unwavering culture of safety.
- Each Monday, a Mental Health Monday email provides additional resources to engage employees.
- FTI partners with Lyra Health to provide free, confidential access to therapists, coaches and digital tools with options for in-person, virtual or text sessions. This benefit includes free coaching or therapy sessions for each team member and family members in their household.
- Mental well-being training materials, including short videos on navigating mental health and supporting team members in crisis situations.
Training plays a big role in their approach, with FTI offering both leadership and employee mental health training. Leaders are trained to recognize the signs of mental health issues and refer team members to the right resources. Employees are taught how to support themselves and others. Rowlett and Kwasny shared the importance of making mental health conversations part of daily life, emphasizing that the more we talk about it, the more we reduce the mental health stigma.
Their approach is simple but effective: “We’re not asking people to fix it,” Rowlett explained. “We’re not asking them to have the answer to every one of these individuals’ problems. But we do give them the opportunity to know where to go.” The goal is to create a Culture of Care, where workers feel valued and supported, both on and off the job. It’s to get the conversation started, and remind people that it’s okay to ask for help, that there are resources available to them, and to know that they are not alone.
It’s okay to not be okay.
Visit ConstructionSuicidePrevention.com, ManTherapy.org, NAMI.org, utilize the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
