Merrilee Logue, Director of the National Labor Office (NLO) and Chris Trahan Cain, Executive Director at CPWR — the Center for Construction Research and Training — joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the work NLO, CPWR and the North America’s Building Trades Union’s (NABTU) are doing to assist building trades members improve their mental health and the impact of the opioid epidemic on the trades as part of our National Suicide Awareness Month coverage.
Trahan Cain also serves as the chair of the NABTU Opioid Task Force. She discussed what led to the creation of the Task Force and what they have done to begin addressing the negative impacts opioid misuse has created in the trades. Logue, who also serves on the Opioid Task Force's board, discussed what the NLO and Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies have done to help members who have been affected.
To assist members, Trahan Cain discussed the resources that the CPWR and NABTU have provided to raise awareness about the dangers of opioids and suicide in the construction industry. She said these free resources alert workers to hazards and provide statistical trends and other helpful information for toolbox talks. Trahan Cain said there is constant work to destigmatize mental conversations in the trades. She said these resources have helped to make the conversations more common among construction workers.
BCBS companies have expanded members' access to telehealth services, increased the number of mental health providers and leveraged non-clinical support personnel. With the trades experiencing nearly five times the number of deaths by suicide than the general public, Logue said they want to provide members with the tools they need when they need them. She added that members should contact their union leadership if they need more information on their coverage and how to access these resources.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs assistance please call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988.
For more on CPWR, the NABTU Opioid Task Force or the resources available from the NLO, listen to the show above.