Episode 1994
Building Hope: Oregon's Bold Move to Tackle Construction Suicides
We're diving into some serious stuff this week, folks! First up, we tackle a critical initiative from Oregon aimed at combating the alarmingly high suicide rates among construction workers. The Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership is here to shake things up and foster a culture of support in the construction industry. You can check out more about it at suicide-stops-here.org—it's a game-changer for those in the trades. Then we switch gears to celebrate the Viking House's 50th anniversary, a stellar program that’s been teaching high schoolers the ropes of construction while they literally build homes! It’s all about equipping the next generation with skills and hope for the future. So, buckle up as we blend heartfelt discussions with some uplifting stories in this mid-week update!
In a world where the construction industry is seeing alarming rates of suicide, Oregon has rolled out a groundbreaking initiative to tackle this crisis head-on. The Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership is the brainchild of the nonprofit Lines for Life, aiming to transform the job site culture and provide essential support for those working in construction. This week, we dive deep into the grim statistics that have brought attention to this issue, discussing how the program is designed not just to save lives but to foster an environment where mental health is prioritized. The conversation touches on the stigma surrounding mental health in the traditionally 'tough guy' culture of construction, making it clear that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. We also share the inspiring mission of this partnership and how it seeks to change the narrative, encouraging open discussions about mental health and substance abuse among workers. If you or anyone you know is in the construction industry, this could be a vital resource. Check out the details at suicide-stops-here.org and help spread the word about this crucial initiative.
Takeaways:
- The Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership in Oregon aims to tackle a shocking suicide rate among construction workers by fostering a supportive community.
- Celebrating 50 years of the Viking House program, high school students in Oregon are learning vital construction skills while building homes for real-world experience.
- The construction industry is working hard to shift its tough-guy culture, encouraging open conversations about mental health and support among workers.
- With the new initiative, there’s hope that fewer construction workers will feel isolated and overwhelmed, potentially saving lives through simple conversations.
- The Viking House program is not just about building houses; it's about constructing futures for students, giving them hands-on experience in trades that can lead to fulfilling careers.
- Mental health discussions are finally making their way onto job sites, making it a safer space for everyone involved in the construction industry.
Links referenced in this episode:
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Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:The House with Eric G.
Speaker B:Your go to source for everything home improvement.
Speaker B:Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or just looking to make your space shine, Eric G.
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Speaker A:Eric G.
Speaker A:Welcome to the Round the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G.
Speaker A:Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker A:This is our midweek update.
Speaker A:This is the show that we do between weekends that really covers the stuff that we didn't cover last weekend, which I was way under the weather.
Speaker A:Still fighting it a little bit this week, but at least I can talk.
Speaker A:And next weekend show which we've got a great one coming up this weekend.
Speaker A:All new content that I can't wait to share with you this hour is brought to you by our friends at Monty McGrills.
Speaker A:Check them out at montymcgrills.com for my around the house Northwest television show yesterday we filmed putting together a beautiful Monument Grill Omniseries M and S Series 405.
Speaker A:They're smaller one and it is still a big grill.
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Speaker A:Since I'm going to be putting my house up for sale that is going to be my new barbecue grill here until I get the next house over at my girlfriend's place.
Speaker A:We needed to upgrade hers because I'm putting my big house up, not big house for sale, but my house up for sale with the big outdoor kitchen.
Speaker A:So that's going to be going on the market here this summer.
Speaker A:So I needed to get something that was going to be solid.
Speaker A:And I tell you what, if you're thinking about something for dear old dad for Father's Day or you just need A new barbecue grill.
Speaker A:Check them out@monument grills.com today I wanted to talk about something that I saw here that my buddy Pete Ferriman here locally in the Portland area has been running a special, just a whole series on suicide prevention in the construction industry.
Speaker A:And I saw something that is really cool and it's something that they've been really chasing down here in Oregon.
Speaker A:And I like it because here, right now, professionally, construction suicides are number two, outside of people working in the coal and oil rig stuff.
Speaker A:So that is how high this is.
Speaker A:And there is a cool new group.
Speaker A:And you can find out more information, head over to suicide-stops-here.org and they have the Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership, a program, Lines of Life.
Speaker A:And this is so cool.
Speaker A:And this is something that I really want to support.
Speaker A:I'm going to work on getting these guys on the show because it's a big deal because we've got this staggering rate of suicide deaths among construction industry workers.
Speaker A:And the Lines for Life, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to substance abuse and suicide prevention here in Oregon, partner with the construction industry to form this construction suicide prevention project.
Speaker A:And so this represents large and small construction companies, subcontractors, building trades union, safety specialists, OSHA safe and healthcare partners.
Speaker A:And so they've been changing the job site culture here to be able to help people.
Speaker A:That is the one thing about us guys in the construction industry.
Speaker A:And I think the problem is that we have transferred this culture over to the wonderful women that are working just as hard as the guys out there in this same industry.
Speaker A:And it's a tough guy thing.
Speaker A:And the women have to be twice as tough because they got to show that they're tougher.
Speaker A:And this is a death spiral for so many people out there.
Speaker A:They can't talk to their buddy, their friend, their coworker, rub some dirt on it, get back to it.
Speaker A:And I think this is going to be a step of changing the culture of people.
Speaker A:And I'm not saying that, oh, I got a hangnail, I'm calling in sick to work.
Speaker A:What I'm saying is when somebody is struggling, they're going to be able to maybe have an easier conversation to be able to do stuff with that.
Speaker A:And so it's been really interesting.
Speaker A:Their focus here is to really help people out.
Speaker A:And their purpose that they put out or their anthem, it says, our purpose is to prevent suicide.
Speaker A:We know that many people from all walks of life think about suicide, but when we know that for every person who dies by suicide, there are 280 People who think seriously about it but don't act on it.
Speaker A:Folks who find a way forward, who see hope, who say not today.
Speaker A:Those who have found that is very important, buried deep, one last ounce of resilience and possibility.
Speaker A:This is a space where our hope lives.
Speaker A:This is our moment, our most important action to create a space for life, to pour light into a new path.
Speaker A:Let's restore belief, refocus what is recover a flame of self worth that warms up a fragile existence together.
Speaker A:Let's prepare tomorrow that welcomes a fellow human being to arrive as perfect as they are.
Speaker A:I love this.
Speaker A:This is a great thing and there are so many people in Oregon that I want to give credit to on this.
Speaker A:This is such a great idea.
Speaker A:We should be doing this across the country.
Speaker A:Acme Construction Supply, Aggregate Resource Industries.
Speaker A:You get down this, there are dozens of companies that are playing in here.
Speaker A:Benson Industries.
Speaker A:I'm just going to go down the list of people that I know out there.
Speaker A:Asphalt Pavement Association, Oregon, Donald B.
Speaker A:Murphy Contractors.
Speaker A:We go down Hoffman Construction, Howard S.
Speaker A:Wright Construction, Independent Electrical Contractors of Oregon.
Speaker A:It's just awesome to see Lakeside Industries, all these different Portland Northwest Carpenter's Institute, OSHA Safety Climate Lab Anyway, this is all stuff that is super cool and I love that they're doing this.
Speaker A:This is a huge thing and I think that this could change the industry and help a lot of people out.
Speaker A:If you need help out there, take a look at this.
Speaker A:Suicide stops here.org for all of our friends out there.
Speaker A:I'm going to get these guys on the show one of these days.
Speaker A:I'm going to reach out to them today to see what we can do.
Speaker A:I love that they're really trying to get a shop talk going, talking about impacts of drug abuse, opioid addiction, mental health, and really even talking about people that are overusing alcohol out there.
Speaker A:These are all things that can really hurt and really help if people deal with it.
Speaker A:So I really like this.
Speaker A:This is a great program that they've started up here.
Speaker A:It's a great start.
Speaker A:So see if you're in the construction trades out there, start asking about what's going on in your state.
Speaker A:I'll put the name of this down in the show notes here on the podcast and the link there so you can find it on your favorite podcast, Blair.
Speaker A:But this is super cool that I see out there and I'm like, wow, all right, this is a big deal.
Speaker A:This is a really.
Speaker A:And another one that I've got that I want to give some really good credit to out there this week for a happy birthday.
Speaker A:And again, this is something local.
Speaker A:But if you've got a program that you want to highlight, send a message to me over@aroundthehouseonline.com.
Speaker A:i'd love to highlight these people doing it out there and doing what they can.
Speaker A:And this is just so cool.
Speaker A:So my buddy Chris Higginbotham here in Forest Grove and he runs the Viking House program.
Speaker A:So what this does is they have construction tech classes at the high school and every year they build a new house with these students.
Speaker A:Now this is the 50th year of this program.
Speaker A: They've been doing this since: Speaker A:It's a single family house project built by advanced construction students at Forest Grove High School here in Oregon.
Speaker A:These young builders perform all the major carpentry tasks from building cabinets to the house to getting it done.
Speaker A:It's completed every year, it's sold and it's self funded using profits from the previous sales of that home.
Speaker A:It is so awesome and I really love these guys of what they're doing.
Speaker A:Happy 50th birthday to those people out there at Forest Grove High School.
Speaker A:Chris and all the people before him that have done such an amazing program out there.
Speaker A:They have so many good industry partners out there from par lumber to rod of paint to certainteed.
Speaker A:I have had them on the show before.
Speaker A:I love talking to them.
Speaker A:They do so much fun stuff out there and I just love it.
Speaker A:I just absolutely love it.
Speaker A: id a whole thing here back in: Speaker A:And I tell you what, it is so cool to have some fun with that.
Speaker A:So big thanks to the Viking House crew out there at Forest Grove getting kids through the construction projects so they could learn how to do the trades and have a great job coming out of high school and they can continue that career in anything home related.
Speaker A:We got a great show coming up this weekend.
Speaker A:Boy, I can't wait to share that with you.
Speaker A:You'll see that on Thursday night or Friday morning here we'll talk about that.
Speaker A:But it's going to be a great one.
Speaker A:If you want to find out more about us here, head to aroundthehouse online.com and we'll have a brand new episode next week.
Speaker A:We're running a best of episode for the TV show this weekend because it was a holiday week and we're trying to get ahead for I'll let the secret out.
Speaker A:Our last four episodes of around the House Northwest on Fox 12 plus changes coming ahead.
Speaker A:I'm so excited for.
Speaker A:There's going to be some new stuff happening that we're in the middle of working out those details now, so can't wait for the next chapter in television that'll be coming up soon.
Speaker A:If you want to find out more, head over to aroundthehouse online.com have a great rest of the week out there, people.
Speaker A:Happy Summer.
Speaker A:Happy Post.
Speaker A:Memorial Day weekend.
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