service awareness (PSA) campaign they were rolling out. Te campaign’s goal: to reduce suicide and addiction among construction workers by spreading awareness through videos that feature real industry professionals telling their stories. Pugh agreed to be part of the video campaign, released nation- wide in the fall of 2022. Te video series have since racked up thousands of views across the country (https://www.agc.org/ news/2022/12/06). “We are so excited to see our PSA cam- paign take flight in such a big way, with thousands of views and shares. It tells us that folks in our industry are ready to start talking and opening up,” said Kime and Anderson in joint statement. “Te reception to this video series has surpassed our expectations, and we are thrilled to have another one coming out very soon,” they added. “Te impact of bold vulnerability and sharing lived experiences, like Mike Pugh’s, is so very valuable! Show- casing people we relate to or look up to and hearing their stories of challenges, loss, as well as the hope and recovery is shining a light for those still in the struggle.”


Overwhelming Response During the past several months, Pugh has served as a panelist and speaker at several other forums, including a mental health in construction seminar held during AGC of California’s 2022 CONSTRUCT conference. Te response to his address there was over- whelming, he noted, and he met numerous student chapter members who have since invited him to speak at their future student chapter meetings on college and university campuses across California. He has also given presentations to “lunch and learn” sessions for several large contractors as well as to major corporate stakeholders with AGC of America, among other engagements. Speaking out at these industry events


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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR MAY/JUNE 2023


National AGC Task Force Focuses on Saving Lives BY CAROL EATON


At the national level, AGC of America is bringing mental health and substance use disorders into the spotlight in the construction industry through its AGC of America Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Task Force, currently co-chaired by Brandon Anderson, vice president of safety, AGC of Missouri, and Mandi Kime, director of safety, AGC of Washington. “The task force was formed to create a clearinghouse of content to assist


construction employers in addressing mental health (in all its facets) in order to save lives,” they said. “The challenge many people face when wanting to engage in mental health discussions in their workplaces, is that the work being done is very siloed. Our task force is making strides in collecting and creating more content on our website as well as encouraging individual chapters to begin featuring content as well.” To date the task force has fielded “many requests from chapters all around


the country to help them host kick-off events, enhance their existing resource libraries, or even train their teams/ members,” said Anderson and Kime. “It is all so very exciting!” Among the most impactful undertakings of the task force: the public ser-


vice announcement (PSA) campaign, with the personal videos like Mike Pugh’s drawing an “overwhelming response” and “countless folks wanting to engage with the work of the task force.” To learn more, visit AGC at www.agc.org/mental-health-suicide-prevention.


has added a new and rewarding chapter to Pugh’s journey, and he is happy to embrace the new opportunities on the horizon. Tat includes his role as a member of the AGC of California Mental Health Subcommittee for 2023. “Being of service is a vital part of my recovery,” he commented. “Doing this in a place I spent 40 years of my life in seems like a good place. Doing nothing is not an option.” Using the power of his personal ex-


perience and insight, Pugh has become a compelling advocate for workers who often suffer in silence. “Tere are millions of people in the


industry, in every industry, who are hurt- ing and suffering, and there are so many people that are just fighting like I was trying to figure it out,” he said. “If we can get the message out there that there are other people that have figured it out and can point them to resources, without judging them, then I think we can make some headway,” he said. “Saying something out loud like “how can I help you?” or “do you need help?” and then listening can make a big difference,” he concluded. “We need to help people feel heard and cared about. And then, help them.”


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