Tools and Resources for Suicide Prevention

At McCraren Compliance we have long been interested in how we can help reduce the incidence of death by suicide in the workplace and in the community. This desires goes way back in our very beginnings when our founder, Sean McCraren, lost a close friend to suicide. Through our long time safety pro, Allan Henson, Sean connected with local leader in Suicide Prevention Diana Jimenez-Young to train our staff. Later I (Sarah) was also introduced to Diana and the ASIST training, after my own loss. Several years later I deepened my understanding of the topic through a Train the Trainer opportunity via Working Minds (now VitalCog).  McCraren Compliance has been offering Suicide Prevention in the Workplace training ever since.

Over the last several years, and possibly somewhat as a result of the attention COVid brought to mental health overall, many many new recourses have been published to help support workplaces and their surrounding communities combat this issue.  With construction and extraction industries consistently being in the top 10 across all industries for fatalities from suicide, many of these tools are tailored to the causes and messaging appropriate to our workforce.

Here are a list of some of the tools available which we believe to be the most useful for our industries:

1. Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741 – Community resource for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. This line is manned 24/7 and can be the initial bridge from immediate crisis to needed resources.
2. CIASP – MindWise Screening (preventconstructionsuicide.com)  – free online mental health check-up for employees to use as a self assessment tool. Can help employees self identify when they should seek support.
3. Interventions database: – proven solutions you can introduce on your jobsite to support worker wellbeing. Part of the Construction Wellbeing Initiative from SkillSignal
4. VitalCog: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace – This is the 2 hour training McCraren Compliance can provide to our clients
5. Toolbox Talks – BTEA (bteany.com)
6. How to Reduce Stigma Through Safe Language.pdf  – Can be incorporated into training or as a toolbox talk.
7. How to Say the Right Thing to Someone Struggling – MindWise  – Can be incorporated into training or as a toolbox talk.
8. MindWise Library – Online library of resources including a section of articles focused on the construction and extraction industries
9. Mental health and substance use trainings for workplaces – MindWise provides many mental health and substance use related trainings for employers and their employees.
10. 2023 SAFEBUILD VIDEOS – BTEA (bteany.com)  – Videos which can be incorporated into other trainings.
11. International Association for Suicide Prevention – IASP -Expand your understanding beyond the United States to see what is working across the globe.

For more information on how to incorporate Worker Wellbeing and Mental Health associated workplace risks into your health and safety programs or to schedule Suicide Prevention in the workforce training, give us a call at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com