Construction workers are among the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic and suicide. To tackle this, the Providence-based nonprofit Building Futures has launched a campaign to support workers struggling with these issues. The campaign, called We’ve Got Your Back, focuses on informing workers about available help and training their peers to provide on-site support.
Rachel Miller, the chief external relations officer for Building Futures, highlighted the twin epidemic of opioid abuse and suicide in construction. Michael Currier, the recovery director for Building Futures, shared details of the campaign with the Governor’s Overdose Task Force, emphasizing how fatal overdoses are affecting those in construction, maintenance, farming, and fishing.
Building Futures, founded in 2007 to create training programs and apprenticeships for the construction industry, added mental health support after recognizing the high rates of suicide and overdoses in the field. Currier frequently visits job sites to hand out Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and offer counseling. He works with unions and contractors, but admits there’s still much to do.
A report by the Rhode Island Department of Health shows that between 2016 and 2018, workers in construction and similar jobs had the highest rates of opioid-related deaths. In 2022, almost one in four fatal overdoses in Rhode Island involved someone from these industries.
Construction workers face many challenges, including physically demanding jobs, long hours, and periods of unemployment. Some turn to painkillers for relief, leading to addiction. The tough, macho culture can prevent workers from seeking help.
The We’ve Got Your Back campaign aims to change that by making help easy to find. Workers will see reminders everywhere—QR codes on hard hats and signs at job sites leading them to resources on the Building Futures website.
Currier and Miller believe that the strong union culture in the construction industry will help the program succeed, with peers helping peers through on-site support. For example, Joe, an electrician in recovery for 22 years, has become a recovery peer and has helped several colleagues in need.
Joe said, I’m confident we’ve changed at least some lives.