COMPASS

• Contact union leadership to discuss the new suicide prevention program and get buy-in for participation in trainings and other events. Solicit support for workers to attend safeTALK peer connector training; discuss how these workers will be chosen.
• Developing a joint labor-management program for suicide prevention training or having a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) may be beneficial for buy-in.
• Have trades review and assess their Member Assistance Programs (MAPs), as outlined in step 6 below.
• Review the joint labor-management benefits program if one is in place. Create a list of MAP benefits and contact numbers so that workers covered under different unions’ benefit plans can be appropriately referred.

Go through the organizational readiness for implementing change (ORIC) checklist to determine if the company is ready to implement the program or if more needs to be done to prepare before implementing the program. (See attached ORIC questions)

• Evaluate how your company currently addresses mental health and suicide prevention. (CIASP’s Needs Analysis & Implementation Tool is a useful guide)
• Identify the activities your company is currently engaged in to promote suicide awareness.
• Identify suicide prevention and mental health assistance resources that are currently available to employees.
• Identify and assess gaps in current resources.
• Assess the current process of supporting employees who are contemplating suicide or having a mental health crisis. For example, is there a process to refer employees who are contemplating suicide or having a mental health crisis? Does the referral process account for different employee/member assistance programs or differences in health benefits that may exist for different segments of the workforce?

1. Is there a plan for how your company will respond in the event of a suicide or other accidental death of an employee?
2. If there is no plan currently in place, use the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) “After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Construction Workplaces” as a template for developing your own postvention plan. If there is a plan in place, great work – you are already starting from a strong position! Review your existing plan, consult the AFSP toolkit, and revise as needed.
3. Ensure your company takes action within the first 48 hours of a suicide death. For more information, visit the visit the C-A-S-P-R website.

• Review available benefits and determine if the benefits meet employee needs.
  • Solicit feedback from employees who have utilized the EAP. What are they saying?
  • Solicit feedback from employees who are not utilizing the EAP. What are they saying?
• Review reports from the EAP provider to assess utilization of services. Most EAP programs are underutilized given the level of need to address mental health / substance use / other issues among the workforce.
• CIASP provides this evaluation tool to audit your current EAP provider.
• Contact EAP programs, as needed, to discuss needed improvement in services and address any other issues.

• Schedule safeTALK and ASIST Training for employees through LivingWorks, an international organization that teaches suicide prevention skills and has partnered with the MATES program in Australia. In the U.S., LivingWorks has partnered with CIASP and other organizations to provide suicide prevention and intervention skills training to individuals and organizations across the United States. You can learn more about LivingWorks and submit a training inquiry form to schedule a training session on their website at: https://livingworks.net.
• Identify contractor employees and union members who are best suited to take the ASIST (navigator) and safeTALK (peer connector) training and recruit them for voluntary involvement – it is important to get employees to volunteer for this training.
  • Workers who take the 4-hour safeTALK training to become Peer Connectors should include foremen as well as safety champions and workers outside of formal leadership positions who are trusted and easily approached by other workers. Approximately 5% of employees should take the safeTALK training.
  • Employees who take the two-day ASIST training to become navigators should usually include people on the safety team, Human Resources, foremen, project managers and others who may be involved in implementing a suicide prevention program at the contractor. Union personnel engaged in health and safety programs may also be appropriate for this training.
• Schedule key employees to take the ASIST and safeTALK trainings through LivingWorks. We recommend that workers complete the trainings on company time to encourage greater worker participation and engagement.
• Alternative trainings: LivingWorks trainings are pragmatic, have been well received within the construction industry, and are used by the MATES program. LivingWorks trainings are thus recommended in the COMPASS framework. There is a growing number of other good general training options for suicide prevention, including programs specific to the construction industry. If more appropriate for local needs, similar trainings may be substituted for safeTALK and ASIST. A list of alternative trainings is provided in the “Trainings” section at the end of this document.

(Note: Current rates for LivingWorks training are ~$300/person for ASIST and ~$100/person for safeTALK; some states may subsidize this training through grants)

• Create a list of local or regional resources with contact information and make it easily accessible to all workers. The list should include contractor and union health plans and EAP / MAPs. Other resources may include crisis centers (e.g., suicide prevention, crisis centers, rape/sexual assault, veterans), hotlines (e.g., suicide prevention, sexual abuse, child abuse), mental health clinics, sexual assault/abuse, children/teen services, shelters, family support, substance abuse, and emergency contacts. (See attached resource referral template – these resources should be reviewed and updated quarterly.)
• Create ways to promote the suicide prevention program (e.g., hardhat stickers, medallions, wrist bands, laminated cards, posters with QR codes, t-shirts, safety vests, etc.), using input and assistance from identified champions. (This can be done in house, or with an outside graphic designer.)

• Deliver the series of toolbox talks OR provide a 1-hour presentation for the general awareness training on suicide awareness and prevention. (Templates for both are attached; additional alternative training resources are located in the trainings section below). Choose the method that works best for your organization.
• If facilitating the toolbox talks, the delivery can be done by a foreman, safety trainer, or other personnel who usually deliver toolbox talks at the worksite. People delivering the training should have taken the safeTALK or ASIST training before delivering general awareness training. If feasible, it may be helpful to have a peer with lived experience co-present with the trainer.
  • If facilitating a 1-hour presentation, the delivery can be done by a trusted safety leader or by an outside trainer. Buy-in from labor representatives is important for worker trust and acceptance; co-presentation may work well in some situations.
• Having someone talk about a recent mental health/suicide event or share a personal story helps make the General Awareness Training more effective.
• Opportune times to promote suicide awareness are during mental health awareness month (May) and suicide awareness month (September).

• Review program every 6-12 months, and revise based on feedback. What is working/not working and what changes, if any, need to be made?
• Deliver General Awareness Training annually to all workers.
• Offer safeTALK annually to maintain an adequate number of Peer Connectors (goal is 5% of the workforce).
• Offer ASIST Training periodically to maintain enough people with navigation skills in the organization.
• Consider having regular meetings with safeTALK and ASIST trained employees to provide support to these key personnel and allow them to share experiences.
• Annual refresher training may include using other trainings that are listed in the Trainings section below.