SIDNEY, Maine — Maine employers, supervisors, and workers in construction and other high-stress industries gathered with mental health professionals at the Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney to discuss a common struggle.
"If we're going to keep people well, if we're going to get people well, employers have to lead," Safety Director of Health Wellness for Turner Construction Jamie Evans said.
Evans has been in construction for most of his life and said he's witnessed first-hand what kind of mental health struggles high-stress work environments can create.
"Historically, there's not a lot of mentoring around healthy coping strategies. Historically for us, there's always been people saying, 'man up,'" Evans said.
But with help from local organizations like Wellness Workdays and other workplace wellness programs, Evans and other employers are hoping to create an environment where their employees can feel comfortable having conversations about their mental health.
"Being able to open the conversation and just offer a sense of support and just saying, 'I'm here for you, is there something you need,' can be really critical," Director of Wellness Workdays Debra Wein said.
According to Wein, her organization works directly with companies like Turner Construction to make mental health resources more accessible by bringing behavioral health professionals and other specialists to work sites.
"We're not here to just say, 'you can't work here anymore,' but instead say, 'we have these resources available to help you,'" Wein explained.
A significant part of the summit’s mission also involved educating employers on recognizing warning signs of mental health crises among employees.
Shamera Simpson with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention noted that many people experiencing mental health struggles don’t openly seek help.
"Most people who are struggling don’t ask for help," Simpson said. "But what they often really want is for somebody to ask them how they're doing, they want somebody to ask them if they're OK and if they're having thoughts of suicide."
With the support of organizations like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Wellness Workdays, Evans said he and other business owners can provide the employees, who give so much to them, the resources they need to stay happy and healthy.
"We're not going to maybe change the whole world, but we can impact our corner of the world," Evans said.