Suicide prevention training for construction & the trades
Mental health safety is jobsite safety.
Rachel Barach brings QPR suicide prevention training to construction and trades teams — crews, supervisors, and leadership — so your people know how to spot the warning signs, start the hard conversation, and connect a coworker to help.
Certified QPR Instructor · NBC-HWC · CHCW · In suicide prevention since 2018 · On-site in the Bay Area, CA & virtual nationwide
The biggest risk on the job isn't always the one you can see.
Construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry. The same culture that makes crews tough — push through, don't complain, handle it yourself — can keep people from asking for help when they need it most.
Construction workers are estimated to be about five times more likely to die by suicide than from a fatal jobsite injury.
Higher suicide rate among men in construction than among working men overall, according to CDC data.
Conversation with someone who knows what to say can be the difference. That's what QPR teaches.
Sources: CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) and CPWR.
QPR: like CPR, for a mental health crisis.
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) is a nationally recognized, evidence-based suicide prevention training. Just as CPR prepares anyone to respond to a cardiac emergency, QPR prepares anyone on your team to respond when a coworker is struggling.
Question
Recognize the warning signs and ask directly about suicide — in plain language, without fear of making it worse.
Persuade
Listen, take it seriously, and encourage the person to accept help.
Refer
Connect them to the right resource — your EAP, a counselor, or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Make it part of your safety program. Like CPR, QPR skills fade without practice. Annual training keeps them fresh so your team is ready when it counts.
Skills they'll actually use.
- How to recognize the warning signs of suicide in a coworker, friend, or family member
- The words to ask the question directly — practiced out loud, so they're ready when it matters
- Confidence to step up, check in, and escalate concerns to a supervisor or resource
- A clear picture of the help available, from your EAP to 988
- Permission to reach out for help themselves, and the knowledge that there is hope
- A shared language your crews can keep using long after the training ends
Training details
- Length
- 90 minutes minimum; longer sessions available
- Format
- In person or virtual
- Where
- Your jobsite, yard, warehouse, or office trailer. Training comes to your crews.
- Service area
- On-site within about two hours of Oakland, CA (travel beyond on request). Virtual training nationwide.
- Audience
- Crews, supervisors, safety and HR teams, and leadership
- Group size
- Single teams or multiple sessions in one day for larger companies
A conversation, not a lecture.
Every crew has sat through a safety training they tuned out. Rachel's sessions are built to be different: a space for teams to talk about what they're seeing on the job and in their communities, share what they've been through, and get real answers to their questions.
Built for the trades
Grounded in the realities of construction work: long hours, time away from family, physical strain, seasonal layoffs, and a "tough it out" culture.
Engaging and real
Warm, clear, and even funny. Participants regularly say they left feeling hopeful and confident, not weighed down.
Trauma-informed
Everyone in the room has their own history with this topic. The training is designed to meet people where they are.
Lasting culture change
The goal is a team that keeps talking about mental health when the trainer is gone, and treats it like any other part of safety.
Practical. Relevant. Memorable.
Feedback from participants in Rachel's trainings.
This was the best suicide prevention training I have done! Rachel thoughtfully led the training and had us engaging with confidence. I left feeling energized and hopeful even after spending 4 hours talking about this heavy topic.
I told Rachel that I planned on just hiding in the background… but that isn't what happened. I participated and I was able to practice and now apply what I learned.
It is a hard topic and the facilitator made it light. Now I feel more comfortable navigating these scenarios.
Rachel was phenomenal. Her voice is so clear and her presence is so grounded. The information was digestible and I did not get bored.
Rachel Barach
Rachel Barach is a certified QPR Instructor, National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), and Clinical Health and Well-being Coach (CHCW). She has worked in suicide prevention since 2018 and has been training others since 2020.
As a mental health coach at a telehealth company, Rachel specialized in speaking with members flagged as at risk of suicide. Those hundreds of real, live conversations shaped everything about how she teaches today.
She has trained hundreds of people, including health coaches, healthcare and clinic teams, university staff, community organizations, and families. Since 2025, she has focused on bringing QPR training to the construction industry.
Rachel is based in Oakland, California, and trains on-site across the Bay Area and Northern California, and virtually nationwide.
Bring QPR training to your team.
Tell me a little about your company and crews, and I'll get back to you to talk through dates, format, and what would work best for your sites.
Prefer email? rachel@rbprevention.com