NY Construction Peer Network Targets Worker Suicide
A new peer-led support program aims to reduce suicide risk and promote mental wellness among unionized construction workers in New York City.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Mar 05, 2026
The Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York has launched a new initiative aimed at addressing mental health challenges and reducing suicide rates among construction workers in the city’s unionized workforce.
The Building Trades Peer Support Network is designed to create a system of trained workers who can provide confidential peer-to-peer support on job sites and connect colleagues with professional help when needed. The program was developed through a partnership involving the NYC Building & Construction Trades Council, the Worker Institute at Cornell and Local Unions’ Member Assistance Program directors.
Funding for the initiative was provided by the New York Building Foundation, the charitable arm of the New York Building Congress, which supported the development of the training curriculum.
The network will train approximately 1,000 rank-and-file construction workers to serve as peer supporters across job sites. Participants will offer confidential conversations with coworkers, conduct basic risk assessments and refer workers experiencing higher levels of distress to union-designated support staff or counseling resources.
Construction workers face one of the highest suicide rates of any industry. Research has found the suicide rate in construction is significantly higher than the national average and exceeds deaths from jobsite injuries.
Organizers say the program is intended to create a culture shift within the construction industry by treating mental health with the same urgency as physical safety and encouraging workers to seek help and support one another.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco brings a strong and varied journalism background to her role at Occupational Health & Safety, having previously served as a multimedia editor, broadcast journalist, professor and reviewer across major news organizations. As Content Editor, she writes news and feature articles, hosts sponsor and editorial webinars, co-hosts the SafetyPod worker health and safety podcast, and manages the brand’s digital and social media presence. She is committed to informing and engaging the safety community through compelling reporting and conversations that support safer, healthier workplaces.