A Relentless Ally
Steven Frost is championing suicide prevention and better
mental health for construction workers in Portland
Steven Frost, the safety, health and
environmental manager at Balfour
Beatty’s Portland office, has taken
up a new cause. And it’s a cause that is
long overdue.
When Frost stepped into his current role
at Balfour Beatty – a large infrastructure
group that operates around the world and a
long-standing contractor member of PDCA
– he expected to hand out first aid kits and
address job site safety concerns. What he
didn’t realize at the time was just how much
his position would evolve.
Frost recently won the American
Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)’s
Columbia Willamette’s President’s Award
for his efforts in leading a new program
in Balfour Beatty’s Portland office called
Need to Talk, which addresses suicide
prevention and better mental health for
construction workers.
However, Frost will be the first to tell
you that he’s not a therapist. He’s simply
a liaison.
“By no means do I try to solve their
problems or do any type of counseling,” said
Frost. “I’m just there to encourage them to
start the conversation, let them know I’m
available to listen and direct them to people
who can help them.”
A great program that addresses a
great need
Suicide prevention and mental health are
gaining acceptance in the national discourse.
Once taboo, it’s becoming normalized
to talk openly about these issues. And
for construction workers, who experience
a much higher rate of suicide, the need for
programs like Need to Talk is great.
“There are a lot of stressors for everyone,”
said Frost. “But when it comes to construction
workers, there are a whole other
set of factors, like scheduling pressures,
MENTAL HEALTH
major skills gaps, sleep problems and injuries
that can contribute to a higher than
average suicide rate.”
Frost also mentioned isolation as a driving
factor. Construction workers are often
away from their family, friends and normal
routines for extended periods. Routines
often keep people grounded and contribute
to better mental health.
The Need to Talk program, which originated
in Balfour Beatty’s Seattle office and
that Frost implemented in Portland in
2019, addresses mental health and suicide
prevention immediately with newly hired
employees during orientation. Frost and his
team let new workers know that resources
are available if they ever need them.
“I give out stickers to every worker,” said
Frost. “The stickers go inside their hard hats
and include information beyond the normal
job site address and superintendent phone
numbers. Every sticker includes mental
health resources, my phone number and
the See Something, Say Something slogan.”
Frost lets everyone know that the door
to his office is always open and he’s available
24/7. He and some of his team members
have been trained to help and all of
them can easily be spotted by the visual
indicators on their hard hats.
“Workers always know who they can
approach to talk to,” said Frost. “It’s as
simple as tapping one of us on the shoulder
and saying, ‘Hey, I need to talk about
something.’ It’s amazing how many people
during orientation hang back and tell me
they could use some help. And it doesn’t
have to be a critical conversation; we’re just
providing resources.”
The training Frost has undergone
is known as QPR (Question, Persuade,
Refer). Developed by QPR Institute, QPR
By Nick Mistretta
From banners to Need to Talk logos to crisis hotline phone numbers, everywhere workers turn,
they’re exposed to vital mental health resources
Photo: Balfour Beatty
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