September Suicide Prevention Awareness Month!

September Is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. We spend our careers looking out for one another. On the job, if you see a Brother or Sister about to step into a dangerous situation, you say something. If somebody needs a hand lifting a piece of glass, you help them. If something isn’t safe, we don’t ignore it.

Mental health should be no different. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and this is a conversation our union cannot afford to avoid. According to the CDC, more than 5,000 construction workers die by suicide each year, and construction workers are five times more likely to die by suicide than from a workplace injury.

Those aren’t just statistics. They are coworkers. Friends. Parents. Sons and daughters. Brothers and Sisters. And sometimes the person struggling the most is the person you would least expect.

Whether you are dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, addiction, alcoholism, family problems, or simply feel like life has become too much, there is help available to you.

Behavioral Healthcare Options provides resources for mental health and substance-use concerns, including counseling and treatment services, inpatient and outpatient services, crisis intervention, crisis stabilization, and employee assistance programs.

Behavioral Healthcare Options (BHO)
702-364-1484
1-800-873-2246

Don’t wait until things reach a breaking point. These resources exist to be used.

District Council 16 has made mental health, addiction, and recovery a priority through the DC16 Helping Hands Program.

James Boster, DC16 Director of Mental Health & Addiction, works directly with members and their families who are struggling with mental health issues, substance use, alcoholism, or addiction. He can help connect members with counseling, treatment programs, rehabilitation services, and other appropriate resources. This assistance is ALWAYS confidential.

Contact James Boster: (925) 409-1525

You don’t have to know exactly what kind of help you need before you call. Make the call. James can help point you in the right direction.

Sometimes what helps most is sitting in a room with people who understand what you’re going through. We hold a 12-Step Recovery Meeting every Thursday at 5:30 PM at our union hall. Whether you’re new to recovery, have years of sobriety, are struggling right now, or simply know you need to make a change, the door is open. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you walk through it.

Being union means more than wages, benefits, and working conditions. It means Brotherhood and Sisterhood. If someone you work with suddenly stops acting like themselves, starts isolating, seems overwhelmed, or tells you they don’t know how much more they can take—don’t ignore it. Check on them. Talk to them. Help them make the call.

If you are thinking about suicide or experiencing an immediate mental-health crisis call or text 988 

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

September may be Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, but this is something we need to talk about 12 months a year. There is no shame in asking for help. There is no weakness in recovery. And no member of this union should ever believe they have to fight this battle alone.

ONE UNION. ONE FAMILY. ONE FIGHT!