6th Annual Construction Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference - Call for Pre-Conference Training Proposals

Pre-Conference Dates: February 22–23, 2027
Location: InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago, Illinois
Proposal Deadline: August 21, 2026
Decision Notifications: August 28, 2026

The Construction Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference is seeking proposals for immersive, full-day pre-conference training programs that build the knowledge, practical skills, and leadership capacity needed to advance mental health and wellbeing throughout the construction industry.

How Is a Pre-Conference Training Different from a Breakout Session?

A breakout session introduces participants to important ideas, promising practices, emerging research, or practical tools. A pre-conference training goes substantially further.

Pre-conference trainings are structured learning experiences designed to help participants develop and demonstrate skills they can apply, facilitate, teach, or lead after the conference. They should include active practice, construction-relevant scenarios, participant feedback, opportunities to assess learning, and resources that support continued application.

These are not extended lectures or awareness sessions. Participants should leave able to do something meaningful and specific that they could not confidently do before the training.

2027 Training Priorities

Priority consideration will be given to:

Full-day, eight-hour training programs focused on skill and competency development
Standardized, established, and replicable curricula
Programs with participant workbooks, facilitator guides, structured learning activities, and evaluation processes
Trainings that provide a meaningful certificate, certification, continuing education credit, instructor authorization, or other documented recognition of completion or competency
Programs with evidence of prior successful delivery and participant outcomes
Trainings that can be adapted to construction without compromising the fidelity of the core curriculum
Train-the-trainer programs that can be completed in one day and enable participants to deliver the training within their own companies, unions, associations, or communities
Programs that strengthen the leadership portfolios of people responsible for facilitating or advancing mental health, suicide prevention, substance-use prevention, peer support, crisis response, or workplace wellbeing in construction

Established programs such as Psychological First Aid, Mental Health First Aid at Work, QPR, VitalCog in Construction, and comparable evidence-informed or widely implemented models illustrate the level of structure we are seeking and past pre-confernce session examples. These examples are illustrative and do not guarantee selection.

Four- or six-hour programs may be considered when the proposed learning outcomes can be credibly achieved within that timeframe. However, preference will be given to eight-hour programs and one-day train-the-trainer opportunities.

Selection Considerations

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

Relevance to the current and future needs of the construction workforce
Clarity and significance of the skills or competencies participants will develop
Quality and maturity of the curriculum
Degree of participant interaction, practice, and feedback
Strength of the learning assessment and program evaluation approach
Qualifications and experience of the trainers
Transferability to construction workplaces
Potential for implementation and scale after the conference
Value of the certificate, credential, or instructor authorization offered
Feasibility of delivering the complete training within the proposed timeframe

Trainer Compensation and Enrollment Expectations

Pre-conference trainers receive an agreed-upon portion of ticket revenue from their session. Historically, individual pre-conference courses have averaged approximately 15–30 participants to assure a high quality training experience. Final scheduling and course offerings may depend on anticipated enrollment, space, and program balance.

Full Name (as you'd prefer it listed in Event Marketing Materials)

First NameLast Name

Email Address

example@example.com

Mobile Phone Number

Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.

Organization/Company/Affiliation

Job Title

Co-Presenter(s) Name(s) (if applicable) - (Full Name, Title, Affiliation)

Brief Presenter Bio(s) - Include all known Co-Presenters or Panelists. (Please limit each bio to no more than 200 words)

Please upload all Presenter(s) and Panelist headshot(s) to be used if chosen. (for use in marketing materials; must be PNG or JPEG/JPG)

Training program title: Please provide the title exactly as it should appear in conference marketing materials. Recommended maximum: 80 characters.

Type of training proposed: Select the option that best describes your program:

Other

Proposed training length:

Other

Public-facing course description: In 100–150 words, describe the training, who it is designed for, and what participants will gain. This description may be used in conference marketing if the proposal is selected.

0/150

Why does this content require a pre-conference training rather than a breakout session? Describe the skills, practice, feedback, assessment, or facilitated learning that require an extended training format. Maximum: 150 words.

0/150

Intended participants: Who will benefit most from this training? Select all that apply:

Participant competencies: Complete this sentence with three to five measurable outcomes: “By the end of this training, participants will be able to…”Please use observable action language such as demonstrate, facilitate, apply, assess, develop, practice, teach, or implement rather than understand, learn, or become aware of.

What will graduates be prepared or authorized to do after completing the training? For example: facilitate a structured conversation, teach an established curriculum, implement a workplace process, provide peer support, respond to a crisis, assess organizational needs, or lead a mental health initiative.

Timed course agenda: Provide a proposed agenda showing instructional topics, activities, breaks, skills practice, and assessment periods.

Instructional methods: Select all that apply:

Approximately what percentage of the instructional time will involve active participant practice, discussion, application, or feedback?

Participant materials: Describe the materials each participant will receive, such as a workbook, manual, facilitator guide, implementation toolkit, job aids, digital resources, or follow-up materials.

Please upload a sample workbook, facilitator guide, or supporting materials when permitted by the curriculum owner.

Is this an established or standardized training curriculum?

Curriculum ownership and authorization: Who owns the curriculum? Do the proposed trainers have permission and current authorization to deliver it and issue the stated certificate, credential, continuing education credit, or instructor status?

Prior delivery experience: Provide the approximate: Number of times the complete training has been delivered; Number of participants trained; Years the program has been offered; Types of industries or audiences reached; Number of construction audiences trained, if applicable.

Evidence and evaluation: Describe how the program has been evaluated. Include any available information about participant satisfaction, knowledge or confidence gains, demonstrated skills, behavior change, implementation outcomes, or longer-term impact.

Please upload a sample evaluation instrument or summary of findings, if available.

What formal recognition will participants receive? Select all that apply:

Completion requirements: What must participants do to receive the certificate, credential, credit, or instructor authorization? Examples may include full attendance, pre-work, passing a knowledge assessment, demonstrating a skill, completing a teach-back, or submitting an implementation plan.

Validity and renewal: Does the certificate, credential, or instructor authorization expire? Describe any renewal requirements, continuing education expectations, supervision requirements, or recurring costs.

Construction relevance: Why does this training matter for the construction industry now? Describe the workforce need or industry challenge it addresses. Maximum: 150 words.

0/150

Construction adaptation: How will the training reflect construction language, work environments, leadership structures, workforce diversity, and real-world scenarios?

Implementation after the conference: How can participants put the training into practice within 30–90 days after the conference?

Scalability: For train-the-trainer or instructor-development programs, describe: What participants will be authorized to teach; The audiences they may train; Any limits on delivery; Required materials or licenses; Ongoing supervision or quality-assurance expectations; Typical costs associated with delivering future courses.

Trainer qualifications: Describe each trainer’s qualifications to deliver this specific curriculum, including certifications, instructor status, relevant construction experience, and experience facilitating highly interactive adult learning.

Recommended class size: Provide the minimum, ideal, and maximum number of participants. Include any required trainer-to-participant ratio.

Training-room requirements: Identify room configuration, audiovisual equipment, internet access, breakout space, supplies, accessibility requirements, or other logistical needs.

Participant costs beyond conference registration: Disclose any required books, materials, licensing fees, certification fees, memberships, renewal fees, or post-training expenses.

Psychological safety and participant support: Some training topics may involve suicide, trauma, overdose, grief, substance use, discrimination, or other emotionally activating experiences. Describe how the training will establish psychological safety, support voluntary participation, respond to participant distress, and connect participants with appropriate resources.

Conflicts of interest and commercial interests: Disclose any commercial products, consulting services, subscriptions, licensing arrangements, or proprietary programs that will be promoted or offered during or following the training.

6th Annual Construction Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference - Call for Pre-Conference Training

Contact Information

Overview of Training

Participants and Outcomes

Curriculum and Learning Design

Curriculum Maturity and Evidence

Certificate, Credential, or Instructor Authorization

Construction Application and Scale

Trainer Qualifications and Logistics