Get the kNACk : A National Academy of Construction Podcast

Get the kNACk : A National Academy of Construction Podcast

From Awareness to Action: Construction Suicide Prevention Week

Sep 8, 2026 · 34 min · 10 segments

In honor of **Construction Suicide Prevention Week, September 14–18, 2026**, and **National Suicide Prevention Month**, this episode of *Get the kNACk* highlights the construction industry’s continued…

In honor of **Construction Suicide Prevention Week, September 14–18, 2026**, and **National Suicide Prevention Month**, this episode of *Get the kNACk* highlights the construction industry’s continued commitment to mental health and suicide prevention. Host **Sue Steele** is joined by NAC member **Cal Beyer**, **Angela Crawford**, Executive Director of *Construction Suicide Prevention*, and **Kara McCaffrey**, Chief Wellness Officer at *Houck* and Chair of the *2026 Construction Suicide Prevention Week* initiative. Together, they discuss the growth of *Construction Suicide Prevention Week* and the industry-wide effort to make mental health and suicide prevention a priority. The guests highlight practical ways construction leaders and organizations can take action, from participating in the **national stand-down** and **taking the pledge** to using toolbox talks and promoting available mental health resources. They also share personal experiences and leadership lessons that demonstrate how creating a **culture of care, connection, and open conversation** can help save lives and build a healthier construction industry. **Resources:** Construction Suicide Prevention Week**:** · Register Your 2026 Participation · 2026 Stand Down · 2026 Webinars · Toolbox Talks SAFE Project**:** · NoShame Pledge · Treatment, Family Support and Recovery Housing Locator

In honor of **Construction Suicide Prevention Week, September 14–18, 2026**, and **National Suicide Prevention Month**, this episode of *Get the kNACk* highlights the construction industry’s continued…

Introducing the Suicide Prevention Discussion0:08 – 2:21

0:08

In an industry defined by what we create, it's the people who lead that make good things great.

0:18

This is Get the Knack, a podcast by the National Academy of Construction, where we connect you with insights from experienced industry leaders to develop your skills and experience and help you achieve your fullest career potential.

0:37

Welcome to today's session of Get the Knack.

0:40

My name is Sue Steele, and I'll be your host.

0:43

I joined the Construction Academy in 2021, and I'm very excited to have this podcast today with three guests, and we're gonna talk about Construction Suicide Prevention Week, which is coming up in September, and I won't steal their thunder.

0:58

So we'll jump into it right away.

1:01

We have Cal Beyer, who's a fellow member of the NAC, and Cal will give you a brief self-introduction when we get to that stage.

1:08

We have Angela Crawford, and she comes to us from Kansas City, where she's VP of Membership and Marketing for Builders, which is a division of the Associated General Contractors, and she'll tell you more about other things she's involved with.

1:22

Our third guest is Kara McCaffrey, who comes to us from Wisconsin.

1:27

And Kara got an amazing job.

1:29

I'm very interested in finding out more about it.

1:31

Chief Wellness Officer for the Hout Group, which is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

1:36

So that's just a very high level about our three guests.

1:39

And what we'll do is start with self-introductions.

1:42

Then we want to talk about specific plans that are happening this year, 2026. for the Construction Suicide Prevention Week.

1:50

And I just went on their website and there's some amazing things happening.

1:53

So we want to just highlight all those for you and for your fellow employees and partners.

1:58

And then we're going to close with some leadership challenges.

2:01

What are the implications? What can we do as leaders and peers in the construction industry? So with that, I'm going to turn it over to Cal because Cal was the person who brought these wonderful industry partners together for us.

2:15

So Cal, why don't you... kick it off with an introduction, and then we'll move to Angela and Kara.

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