Building a Culture That Saves Lives: Sonya Bohmann on Suicide Prevention in Construction

Did you know construction workers are 5 times more likely to die by suicide than from workplace injuries?In this powerful episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Sonya Bohmann, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP). With over a decade in construction and a deeply personal connection to suicide prevention as a loss survivor, Sonya brings both industry expertise and authentic advocacy to this critical conversation. She reveals the sobering reality that construction sees 5,000 deaths by suicide compared to just 1,000 fatal workplace injuries annually. Sonya discusses practical tools for building cultures of care, breaking down mental health stigma, and implementing mental health champions on job sites. As Sonya powerfully states, "Is it about the mission or is it about a monument?" This episode challenges every construction professional to ask: Are we doing enough?Sonya Bohmann is the Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP), where she leads national efforts to reduce suicide risk and promote mental health across the construction workforce. With over a decade of experience in construction and as a loss survivor who lost her sister to suicide 17 years ago, Sonya brings both professional expertise and personal advocacy to this critical mission. She works with contractors, unions, and industry leaders to build supportive cultures, expand awareness, and equip organizations with free resources to protect workers' well-being and make mental health a core component of construction safety.Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Talk the TAUC podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.  Discussion points: (00:00) The staggering statistics that reveal construction's hidden crisis (03:37) How a loss survivor found her calling leading CIASP (07:44) Mission versus monument: keeping suicide prevention work ego-free (09:49) Breaking the stigma starts with making mental health conversation commonplace (14:53) Mental health champions: creating identifiable allies on every job site (19:11) Building cultures of care that go beyond pizza parties (24:28) When you feel trapped: resources for workers with no way out (26:47) The future of mental health in construction: making it what we just do Share with someone who would be interested, like, and subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Resources: For more info visit: https://www.preventconstructionsuicide.com/988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988TAUC Website Kirk Westwood TAUC