DESTIGMATIZING SUPPORT
The Wisconsin Construction Wellness Community provides a lifeline for vulnerable workers Construction workers across the U.S. are facing an unprecedented challenge. Suicide rates in the construction industry are four times greater than among the general public—roughly 15 lives are lost to suicide every day. The contributing factors are many: stress, long hours, workplace injury, financial instability—and it doesn’t help that many turn to alcohol to cope. Industry lead- ers have noticed and are working to turn the tide on this troubling trend. In Wisconsin, those efforts are led by the Wisconsin Construction Wellness Community (WCWC), formed in 2022 by Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) Senior Loss Control Consultant Bruce Morton. The idea for the WCWC first arose a couple years earlier. Morton works closely with construction companies on risk management in his role at MMA. He enlisted the help of industry lead- ers to develop practices and policies designed to destigmatize mental health challenges and help connect construction workers in need with resources to support mental health and well- being. The top-down effort includes industry- specific measures, such as free mental health first aid classes and informal group discussions
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YOUR FUTURE IS LIMITLESS.™
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