Building Hope: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry
Overview
Join us for an essential webinar focused on tackling mental health challenges and preventing suicide within the construction industry. With the alarming statistics highlighting construction as one of the leading industries for suicide rates, it’s critical to understand and address the underlying factors.
This session will cover key topics including the role and formation of CIASP (Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention), the specific risk factors faced by construction workers, and the crucial warning signs employers and colleagues should be aware of.
Additionally, we’ll explore the impact of opioids on suicide risks, effective response strategies for employees in crisis, and how to become a best-in-class employer by prioritizing mental health. Equip yourself with the knowledge to make a difference and foster a supportive workplace environment.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding CIASP and its mission.
- Identifying construction-specific risk factors for suicide
- Recognizing warning signs of suicidal behavior in the workplace.
- Responding effectively to an employee in crisis.
- Analyzing the impact of opioids on mental health and suicide risk.
- Implementing best practices for improving mental health and becoming a supportive employer.
Speakers
Moderator
Joseph Natarelli
Joseph Natarelli is office managing partner in the New Haven, Connecticut office and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. A specialist in accounting for construction contractors, Joseph also serves as national leader of Marcum’s Construction Services Group, overseeing audit, consulting, and taxation services to construction clients ranging from start-ups to multi-billion-dollar international enterprises.
Joseph Natarelli
Joseph Natarelli is office managing partner in the New Haven, Connecticut office and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. A specialist in accounting for construction contractors, Joseph also serves as national leader of Marcum’s Construction Services Group, overseeing audit, consulting, and taxation services to construction clients ranging from start-ups to multi-billion-dollar international enterprises.
He has extensive experience advising on mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. He has served as a technical reviewer for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) construction audit and taxation guides for more than two decades and had the privilege of chairing the AICPA National Construction Program Conference Committee from 2012-2014.
Joseph is a valued advisor on diverse construction projects, providing expertise on improving job performance and enhancing profitability. He also provides thought leadership on various accounting and auditing matters as a conference panelist and contributing author to construction publications. He has been interviewed by numerous trade and business media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Businessweek, and Fox Business, among others.
Under his leadership, Marcum’s national Construction Services Group has innovated a robust curriculum of industry summits and technical webinars focused on helping contractors continuously enhance their understanding of complex financial concepts and strategic planning. He also spearheaded several definitive industry resources for contractors, including the annual Marcum National Construction Survey, the quarterly Marcum Commercial Construction Index, the Marcum PAS Contractor Compensation Quarterly, and the annual Marcum JOLTS Analysis of construction employment trends. Construction Executive magazine has recognized Marcum as a Top Three construction services provider.
Speaker
Stuart Binstock
Stuart Binstock served as President and CEO of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) from 2011-2023. In that capacity, CFMA recognized that there was a serious problem related to Suicide in the construction industry and dedicated time and resources to that initiative beginning in 2016. Recognizing that the issue was far greater than just its members and extended to the entire construction industry, Binstock led the efforts to form the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP). CIASP was formed in 2018, with the goal of reducing suicides in the construction industry and bringing the entire industry together to see solutions to this serious problem.
Stuart Binstock
Stuart Binstock served as President and CEO of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) from 2011-2023. In that capacity, CFMA recognized that there was a serious problem related to Suicide in the construction industry and dedicated time and resources to that initiative beginning in 2016. Recognizing that the issue was far greater than just its members and extended to the entire construction industry, Binstock led the efforts to form the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP). CIASP was formed in 2018, with the goal of reducing suicides in the construction industry and bringing the entire industry together to see solutions to this serious problem.
Since 2018, Binstock has served on the board of trustees of CIASP. Since his retirement from CFMA in 2023, he has focused his attention on traveling the country and speaking about suicide prevention to a variety of groups, including associations, general contractors, subcontractors, and others connected to the industry. In 2023, Binstock received the first ever CIASP Champion Award for “his unmatched dedication and passion for suicide prevention and mental health promotion in the construction industry.”
Stuart received his JD from the Catholic University School of Law in Washington DC and has a BS in industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.
Bob Kunz
Bob Kunz is the Corporate Safety Director for Dimeo Construction Company, an ENR top 100 Construction Manager At-Risk with offices in Boston – New Haven – Providence. Kunz has over 34 years of building and civil construction, and surface mining experience. He has held his current position for 17 years. Kunz has assumed several leadership positions in the safety community, including serving as the past chairperson of the AGC RI safety committee, as the chairperson of the AGC MA safety committee, as a member of the Board of Directors and AGC America Board of Governors for the AGC MA, and serving as the steering committee chairperson of Building SAFER in RI an OSHA alliance with the RI construction industry. He is a lifelong learner and has identified new ways to strengthen jobsite safety climate and safety leadership and improve worker mental health by implementing innovative training, educational, and assessment tools. He is also dedicated to training the new generation of safety professionals as a member of the America Society of Safety Professionals and as advisory board member for the Construction Safety Sciences degree program at Keene State College. Kunz was recognized as the Construction Safety Professional of the Year by both, the AGC CT in 2012 and the AGC of America in 2023.
Bob is a certified American Heart Association First Aid/CPR/AED/Naloxone, Mental Health First Aid, Psychological First Aid and Recovery First Aid Responder.