suicide deaths in 2024 among people ages 16–64 whose usual industry was construction; the rate was 41.9 per 100,000.
CPWR Data CenterYou do not have to carry this alone.
Call or text 988 for free, confidential crisis support. If there is immediate physical danger or a medical emergency, call 911.
Strong crews check in.Before it becomes a crisis.
Private, practical routes for construction workers, independent contractors, crew leaders, and their families.
The risk is measurable. Silence is not a control.
drug-related overdose deaths in 2024 among people ages 16–64 whose usual industry was construction; the rate was 94.8 per 100,000.
CPWR Data Centerof construction workers met CPWR's anxiety measure in the 2024 National Health Interview Survey; 8.0% met its depression measure.
CPWR Data CenterPublication year and data year are shown separately. National mortality files and health surveys are released after a reporting lag. Mortality is classified by usual industry, not necessarily employment at death. These population measures describe industry risk; they do not predict an individual worker's health.
Start with what is true today.
You do not need the perfect words or a diagnosis before using support.
I need support now
Use a live crisis line when distress feels overwhelming, safety is uncertain, or you are worried about someone else.
I want ongoing care
Use treatment navigation, benefits, or local clinics for therapy, psychiatry, recovery, and follow-up support.
I am helping a crew
Use construction-specific training, peer-support systems, naloxone, and a written response plan.
Talk to a person.
These services provide live crisis support or human navigation. Their roles are not interchangeable.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call, text, or chat with a trained crisis counselor during emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, or concern for someone else.
- Access
- Free and confidential
- Availability
- 24 hours a day, every day
- Languages
- English and Spanish by call, text, and chat; interpretation by phone
Integral Care 24/7 Helpline
Travis County crisis support plus a 24/7 walk-in psychiatric emergency clinic at 1165 Airport Boulevard in Austin.
- Access
- For adults and children in Travis County
- Availability
- Crisis help 24/7
- Languages
- English, Spanish, and interpreters
Veterans Crisis Line
Confidential crisis support for veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and people who support them. VA enrollment is not required.
- Access
- Free; no VA enrollment required
- Availability
- 24 hours a day, every day
- Languages
- English; accessibility options available
Find treatment that fits the real situation.
Insurance, location, union benefits, and the kind of support needed all change the best next step.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Treatment referral and information for mental-health and substance-use concerns. It connects callers with local facilities, support groups, and community organizations; it does not provide counseling.
- Access
- Free and confidential; routes uninsured callers toward state-funded or sliding-scale care
- Availability
- 24 hours a day, every day
- Languages
- English and Spanish by phone
FindTreatment.gov
Anonymous national search for mental-health, substance-use, outpatient, residential, and medication-assisted treatment facilities.
- Access
- Free directory; treatment costs vary
- Availability
- Online at any time
- Languages
- English and Spanish
NAMI HelpLine
Peer emotional support, education, and resource navigation for individuals and families. It is not a crisis line, counseling service, or individual provider-referral service.
- Access
- Free and confidential
- Availability
- Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Eastern
- Languages
- English and Spanish specialty support
Bring mental health into the safety system.
These organizations translate prevention into toolbox talks, supervisor skills, peer support, and incident planning.
Hard Hat Courage
Construction-specific worker education, a free self-paced course, supervisor training, critical-incident planning, toolbox talks, and 988 jobsite materials.
- Access
- Public resources; some delivered training is arranged
- Availability
- Online resources available anytime
- Languages
- English with key Spanish jobsite materials
Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention
A construction-specific pathway model, jobsite conversation tools, company needs assessment, crisis communication, and postvention guidance.
- Access
- Public resource library
- Availability
- Online resources available anytime
- Languages
- English with selected Spanish tools
CPWR Mental Health and Addiction Resources
Free construction toolbox talks, hazard alerts, resilience training, opioid and chronic-pain materials, naloxone guidance, and research.
- Access
- Free public resources
- Availability
- Online resources available anytime
- Languages
- English with bilingual materials
Preventing Suicides in Construction
The federal starting point for construction suicide-prevention posters, employer guidance, videos, and vetted industry partners.
- Access
- Free public resources
- Availability
- Online resources available anytime
- Languages
- English and Spanish materials
AGC Contractor Mental-Health Resources
A public 12-part toolbox-talk set, naloxone guidance, webinars, a best-practice guide, and a free sample company mental-health program.
- Access
- Many public resources; some programs require membership or purchase
- Availability
- Online resources available anytime
- Languages
- Primarily English
Construction Working Minds
Construction-tailored presentations, 60–90 minute workshops, manager skills, peer-support development, and workplace planning.
- Access
- Organization-arranged training; not a worker helpline
- Availability
- Scheduling required for live training
- Languages
- Confirm language availability when scheduling
Use the public-care owner for your county.
Local mental-health authorities cover different counties. A Travis County route is not automatically the right route for Williamson or Hays County.
Travis County
Integral Care for crisis services; Central Health MAP and CommUnityCare for qualifying ongoing care.
Williamson County
Bluebonnet Trails is the local public mental-health authority and offers 24/7 crisis support.
Hays County
Hill Country MHDD Centers is the local public mental-health authority and offers 24/7 crisis support.
Anywhere in Texas
Texas HHS routes local services; Naloxone Texas supplies free overdose-reversal medication and training.
Check the hall and the health-and-welfare fund.
Some of the strongest trade-specific help is member-only and varies by local, region, or benefit plan. Verify eligibility before relying on it.
SMOHIT Helpline
Mental-health professionals support SMART members and families with grief, trauma, substance use, depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, family problems, work stress, and debt.
- Access
- Free SMART member and family benefit in the U.S. and Canada
- Availability
- 24 hours a day, every day
- Languages
- Confirm language support when calling
BAC Member Assistance Program
A licensed mental-health professional provides confidential telephone crisis intervention, information, and care referrals for active and retired BAC members and their families, including uninsured members.
- Access
- Free BAC member and family benefit in the U.S. and Canada
- Availability
- Generally weekdays, 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Eastern
- Languages
- Ask about language support when calling
LEAN LIUNA
Laborer-to-laborer peer support for mental health, substance use, benefits navigation, treatment connection, and recovery support.
- Access
- LIUNA members and families; availability varies by region and local
- Availability
- Contact the local, district council, or benefit fund
- Languages
- Varies by region
IUPAT Helping Hand
District Council champions, peer-support education, and connections among members, contractors, insurers, EAPs, and appropriate levels of care.
- Access
- IUPAT members and families through their District Council
- Availability
- Contact the District Council Helping Hand champion
- Languages
- Varies by District Council
Build a response path before someone needs it.
A poster is useful only when the crew also knows who will answer, what stays private, and how work and safety will be handled.
Publish the live routes
Put 988, the local crisis authority, the EAP or MAP, and the insurance behavioral-health number in phones and common areas.
Train the first conversation
Teach supervisors and peer allies to notice changes, ask directly, listen without diagnosing, and connect—not investigate.
Plan for overdose
Keep naloxone where the crew can reach it, train more than one person, and call emergency services after use.
Write the incident plan
Define who stays with the worker, who calls for help, who secures the work area, and how privacy is protected.
Support the crew afterward
Use qualified postvention guidance after a suicide, attempt, overdose, fatality, or other traumatic event.
Know what each service can do.
Do I have to be suicidal to call 988?
No. 988 supports people experiencing emotional distress, mental-health or substance-use crises, suicidal thoughts, or concern about someone else.
Is the SAMHSA National Helpline a counseling line?
No. It provides confidential information and treatment referrals. For live crisis counseling, use 988; for ongoing treatment, use the referral to contact a provider.
What if I do not have insurance?
SAMHSA can route uninsured callers toward state-funded or sliding-scale care. In Travis County, Central Health MAP and MAP Basic may cover qualifying uninsured residents.
Are construction programs a substitute for treatment?
No. Toolbox talks and peer training help crews recognize risk and connect people to care. They do not diagnose, counsel, or replace licensed treatment.
Does every union member have the same mental-health benefit?
No. Benefits can differ by trade, local, region, and health-and-welfare plan. SMART and BAC publish national member lines; other programs may require local routing.
What should a small contractor put on the jobsite today?
Post 988 and the local crisis number, identify the EAP or member benefit, give supervisors a conversation protocol, keep naloxone accessible, and write a critical-incident response path.
Open the organization that owns the service.
Completa does not accept payment for placement. Review dates show when the link and public description were checked—not a guarantee of appointment availability.
Crisis support
3
Crisis support
3988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call, text, or chat with a trained crisis counselor during emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, or concern for someone else.
Integral Care 24/7 Helpline
Travis County crisis support plus a 24/7 walk-in psychiatric emergency clinic at 1165 Airport Boulevard in Austin.
Veterans Crisis Line
Confidential crisis support for veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and people who support them. VA enrollment is not required.
Care navigation
3
Care navigation
3SAMHSA National Helpline
Treatment referral and information for mental-health and substance-use concerns. It connects callers with local facilities, support groups, and community organizations; it does not provide counseling.
FindTreatment.gov
Anonymous national search for mental-health, substance-use, outpatient, residential, and medication-assisted treatment facilities.
NAMI HelpLine
Peer emotional support, education, and resource navigation for individuals and families. It is not a crisis line, counseling service, or individual provider-referral service.
Construction programs
6
Construction programs
6Hard Hat Courage
Construction-specific worker education, a free self-paced course, supervisor training, critical-incident planning, toolbox talks, and 988 jobsite materials.
Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention
A construction-specific pathway model, jobsite conversation tools, company needs assessment, crisis communication, and postvention guidance.
CPWR Mental Health and Addiction Resources
Free construction toolbox talks, hazard alerts, resilience training, opioid and chronic-pain materials, naloxone guidance, and research.
Preventing Suicides in Construction
The federal starting point for construction suicide-prevention posters, employer guidance, videos, and vetted industry partners.
AGC Contractor Mental-Health Resources
A public 12-part toolbox-talk set, naloxone guidance, webinars, a best-practice guide, and a free sample company mental-health program.
Construction Working Minds
Construction-tailored presentations, 60–90 minute workshops, manager skills, peer-support development, and workplace planning.
Texas and local care
7
Texas and local care
7Texas Mental Health and Substance Use Services
Statewide routing to local mental-health authorities, peer support, crisis services, and adult substance-use treatment.
Central Health MAP and MAP Basic
Health coverage connecting qualifying uninsured, low-income Travis County residents with local doctors, behavioral-health services, and prescriptions.
CommUnityCare Behavioral Health
Brief behavioral-health care integrated with primary care, plus psychiatry and connections to longer-term counseling when appropriate.
NAMI Central Texas
Free support groups, classes, family education, and workplace resources for Central Texas. It is not crisis care or clinical treatment.
Naloxone Texas
Free naloxone for Texas individuals and organizations, regional pickup hubs, overdose-response education, and train-the-trainer materials.
Bluebonnet Trails Community Services
The local public mental-health authority for Williamson and several surrounding counties, with crisis services and financial assistance screening.
Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers
The local public mental-health authority for Hays and listed surrounding counties, including crisis support and ongoing services.
Union benefits
4
Union benefits
4SMOHIT Helpline
Mental-health professionals support SMART members and families with grief, trauma, substance use, depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, family problems, work stress, and debt.
BAC Member Assistance Program
A licensed mental-health professional provides confidential telephone crisis intervention, information, and care referrals for active and retired BAC members and their families, including uninsured members.
LEAN LIUNA
Laborer-to-laborer peer support for mental health, substance use, benefits navigation, treatment connection, and recovery support.
IUPAT Helping Hand
District Council champions, peer-support education, and connections among members, contractors, insurers, EAPs, and appropriate levels of care.
Research and context
5
Research and context
5Construction Worker Overdose Deaths Plummet, Suicides Decline — 2026
February 2026 update of 2024 national mortality data reporting 11.3K drug-related overdose deaths and 5.0K suicide deaths among people ages 16–64 whose usual industry was construction.
Mental Health among Construction Workers — 2025 Dashboard
Interactive 2025 dashboard using 2018–2024 National Health Interview Survey data on anxiety, depression, and psychological distress among construction workers.
Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation — 2021
National Vital Statistics analysis reporting elevated suicide rates in construction and extraction occupations.
Suicides Among Construction Workers in the United States, 2021
Peer-reviewed analysis of the disproportionate share and characteristics of construction-worker suicide deaths.
Drug Overdose Death Rates by Occupation — 2020
National Vital Statistics analysis reporting the highest occupational overdose death rate among construction and extraction workers.
Make support part of how the crew operates.
Save the numbers, choose a trained point person, stock naloxone, and revisit the plan with the same regularity as physical safety controls.
