Application for 5th Annual Construction Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards

Application for 5th Annual Construction Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference Awards
United Suicide Survivors International (USSI) is hosting the 5th Annual Construction Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference in Portland, Oregon, from February 23–26, 2026, and will be recognizing construction organizations and leaders that have advanced employee well-being.

Over the past several years, the construction industry has made substantial progress in addressing mental health challenges such as depression, substance use, addiction, and suicide. We want to honor those who have gone above and beyond in this important work.

Please use this form to submit your application for the 2026 Construction Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards in the category that best fits your organization.

Award Categories:

Mental Health Visionary Award for
- Large Construction Company (>1,500 employees)
- Mid-Size Construction Company (≤1,500 employees)
- National Association
- Regional/Chapter Organization
- Local Union
Additional Awards
- Shining Light Through Media Award
- Academic and/or Applied Research Award
Evaluation Criteria
- Instituted – When your program began and duration of commitment (20%)
- Innovation – Ingenuity and inventiveness (10%)
- Initiatives – Breadth and depth of offerings (30%)
- Impact – Total reach and effectiveness of adoption (40%)
Award applications close December 3, 2025. Winners will be announced December 15, 2025, and will receive an invitation to attend the conference and be recognized during the Awards Celebration Dinner on February 25, 2026, at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront.

Awardees will also be featured on social media and in other publicity efforts.

Both self-nominations and third-party nominations are welcome. For third-party nominations, please ensure the organization or individual being nominated is aware of and agrees to the nomination. Conference planners strongly prefer that all award recipients be present at the Awards Dinner to accept their awards.

See videos of past award winners HERE.
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Category Applying For*

Large Construction Company (>1,500 employees)
INSTITUTED (20%): When was your mental health initiative first implemented, and how long has your organization been committed to it? What factors influenced your decision to begin this initiative, and how has your organization maintained its commitment over time?*
INNOVATION (10%): What inventive or unique approaches have you taken to improve employee well-being? How do your initiatives differ from typical well-being programs in the industry? Provide specific examples of the innovative strategies you've employed.*
INITIATIVES (30%): Please outline the range and depth of your organization’s mental health and well-being initiatives. How do your initiatives cater to the unique needs of your workforce, and how do you measure their success and engagement?*
IMPACT (40%): How many employees have been reached by your initiatives, and what measurable outcomes or feedback have you seen as a result of your efforts? Can you share specific examples of how these initiatives have positively impacted individual employees or teams? Please provide data or anecdotes to support this.*
NARRATIVE (500 words or less): Please provide any additional context, insights, or stories that you believe will help the judges understand the full impact and importance of your organization's mental health initiatives. Feel free to include details not covered in the questions above.*
UPLOAD: Available as needed for any attachments to go along with submission. (Examples of your program as well as any products, policies, pictures and/or other relevant materials)

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Mid-Size Construction Company (≤1,500 employees)
INSTITUTED (20%): When was your mental health initiative first implemented, and how long has your organization been committed to it? What factors influenced your decision to begin this initiative, and how has your organization maintained its commitment over time?*
INNOVATION (10%): What inventive or unique approaches have you taken to improve employee well-being? How do your initiatives differ from typical well-being programs in the industry? Provide specific examples of the innovative strategies you've employed.*
INITIATIVES (30%): Please outline the range and depth of your organization’s mental health and well-being initiatives. How do your initiatives cater to the unique needs of your workforce, and how do you measure their success and engagement?*
IMPACT (40%): How many employees have been reached by your initiatives, and what measurable outcomes or feedback have you seen as a result of your efforts? Can you share specific examples of how these initiatives have positively impacted individual employees or teams? Please provide data or anecdotes to support this.*
NARRATIVE (500 words or less): Please provide any additional context, insights, or stories that you believe will help the judges understand the full impact and importance of your organization's mental health initiatives. Feel free to include details not covered in the questions above.*
UPLOAD: Available as needed for any attachments to go along with submission. (Examples of your program as well as any products, policies, pictures and/or other relevant materials)

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National Association
INSTITUTED (20%): When was your mental health initiative first implemented, and how long has your organization been committed to it? What factors influenced your decision to begin this initiative, and how has your organization maintained its commitment over time?*
INNOVATION (10%): What inventive or unique approaches have you taken to improve employee well-being? How do your initiatives differ from typical well-being programs in the industry? Provide specific examples of the innovative strategies you've employed.*
INITIATIVES (30%): Please outline the range and depth of your organization’s mental health and well-being initiatives. How do your initiatives cater to the unique needs of your workforce, and how do you measure their success and engagement?*
IMPACT (40%): How many employees have been reached by your initiatives, and what measurable outcomes or feedback have you seen as a result of your efforts? Can you share specific examples of how these initiatives have positively impacted individual employees or teams? Please provide data or anecdotes to support this.*
NARRATIVE (500 words or less): Please provide any additional context, insights, or stories that you believe will help the judges understand the full impact and importance of your organization's mental health initiatives. Feel free to include details not covered in the questions above.*
UPLOAD: Available as needed for any attachments to go along with submission. (Examples of your program as well as any products, policies, pictures and/or other relevant materials)

Cancelof

Regional/Chapter Organization
INSTITUTED (20%): When was your mental health initiative first implemented, and how long has your organization been committed to it? What factors influenced your decision to begin this initiative, and how has your organization maintained its commitment over time?*
INNOVATION (10%): What inventive or unique approaches have you taken to improve employee well-being? How do your initiatives differ from typical well-being programs in the industry? Provide specific examples of the innovative strategies you've employed.*
INITIATIVES (30%): Please outline the range and depth of your organization’s mental health and well-being initiatives. How do your initiatives cater to the unique needs of your workforce, and how do you measure their success and engagement?*
IMPACT (40%): How many employees have been reached by your initiatives, and what measurable outcomes or feedback have you seen as a result of your efforts? Can you share specific examples of how these initiatives have positively impacted individual employees or teams? Please provide data or anecdotes to support this.*
NARRATIVE (500 words or less): Please provide any additional context, insights, or stories that you believe will help the judges understand the full impact and importance of your organization's mental health initiatives. Feel free to include details not covered in the questions above.*
UPLOAD: Available as needed for any attachments to go along with submission. (Examples of your program as well as any products, policies, pictures and/or other relevant materials)

Cancelof

Local Union
INSTITUTED (20%): When was your mental health initiative first implemented, and how long has your organization been committed to it? What factors influenced your decision to begin this initiative, and how has your organization maintained its commitment over time?*
INNOVATION (10%): What inventive or unique approaches have you taken to improve employee well-being? How do your initiatives differ from typical well-being programs in the industry? Provide specific examples of the innovative strategies you've employed.*
INITIATIVES (30%): Please outline the range and depth of your organization’s mental health and well-being initiatives. How do your initiatives cater to the unique needs of your workforce, and how do you measure their success and engagement?*
IMPACT (40%): How many employees have been reached by your initiatives, and what measurable outcomes or feedback have you seen as a result of your efforts? Can you share specific examples of how these initiatives have positively impacted individual employees or teams? Please provide data or anecdotes to support this.*
NARRATIVE (500 words or less): Please provide any additional context, insights, or stories that you believe will help the judges understand the full impact and importance of your organization's mental health initiatives. Feel free to include details not covered in the questions above.*
UPLOAD: Available as needed for any attachments to go along with submission. (Examples of your program as well as any products, policies, pictures and/or other relevant materials)

Cancelof

Shining Light Through Media Award
INSTITUTED (20%): What prompted you to start reporting on this topic, and how have you maintained a focus on construction mental health over time?*
INNOVATION (10%): How does your media coverage stand out from other reporting on mental health or workplace well-being? Provide examples of the innovative storytelling or formats you’ve used.*
INITIATIVES (30%): Please outline the range and depth of your media coverage on construction mental health. How has your work helped to raise awareness or shift perceptions of mental health in the construction industry? What platforms or channels have you used to reach your audience?*
IMPACT (40%): How has your media coverage reached and influenced your audience, and what measurable outcomes or feedback have you received? Can you share specific examples of how your media coverage has prompted change or action within the construction industry and/or individual organizations?*
NARRATIVE (500 words or less): In addition to your media examples and answers to the criteria questions, please provide a narrative that reflects your journey or broader perspective on construction mental health. You may highlight key moments that shaped your commitment to this issue, significant challenges you’ve encountered, or the impact your media work has had on the construction industry. This section is an opportunity to share any details that might not have been covered in the questions above.*
UPLOADS: Please upload up to 5 media examples of your reporting on construction mental health.*

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Academic and/or Applied Research Award
INSTITUTED (20%): What inspired you to focus on mental health within the construction industry, and how long have you been committed to studying this issue? How has your research evolved since then?*
INNOVATION (10%): How does your research differ from traditional studies in this area? Have you introduced any new insights or frameworks?*
INITIATIVES (30%): Please outline the scope and focus of your body of work on construction mental health. How do your research projects address the unique challenges faced by the construction workforce? Have you collaborated with any industry partners or applied your research directly in practice?*
IMPACT (40%): How has your research reached and influenced the construction industry, and what measurable outcomes or feedback have you received? Can you provide any data or anecdotes that demonstrate the practical application and outcomes of your work?*
NARRATIVE (500 words or less): Please provide a narrative that outlines your outlines your overall approach to researching construction mental health. You may discuss the evolution of your work, the gaps in knowledge or industry needs you aim to address, and how your research has been applied or recognized in the field. Feel free to include any unique insights or experiences that demonstrate the impact of your contributions to advancing mental health in construction. This section is an opportunity to share any details that might not have been covered in the questions above.*
UPLOAD: Please upload your CV.*

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Application for 5th Annual Construction Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference Awards