Breaking the Mental Health Stigma in the Roofing Industry

By Evelyn Witterholt.

We speak with members of the roofing industry about their experience with the unseen danger of the construction industry: mental health issues. 

Did you know that 83% of construction workers have experienced a mental health issue? Did you also know that the construction industry has one of the highest rates of suicide than most other professions? It’s for these reasons and more that a discussion must be had about mental health in the roofing industry. That’s why for a recent episode of Coffee Conversations we spoke with Mandy McIntyre, owner and CEO of Level Up Consultants, and Paul and Kimberly Reed, co-founders of Roofers in Recovery, about their experiences with mental health and the construction industry. 

Mandy discusses the work she does with her company, Level Up Consultants, to consult with leaders and help them promote a positive work environment that retains employees. She says that focusing on workers’ mental health plays a big role in expanding the industry and helping people stay in it. She has seen how mental health issues impacts roofers directly. 

“I saw a lot of mental health issues. I think if you're in the industry, you've just kind of become jaded. It's just part of the culture of construction,” she said. “It was at that time that I really started researching, looking into mental health more as a company culture aspect to do mental health toolbox talks, to just have an open discussion with my team.”  

Paul and Kimberly have decades of construction industry experience under their belts, but four years ago they founded Roofers in Recovery, a nonprofit organization that helps roofers struggling with addiction. They encourage any roofer who is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction to contact them and they will help them get set up with a facility or counselor. 

“Currently, there isn't really a facility out there that is designated just for construction and for roofing to put people in and let them know that there is an outlet specifically for this industry. So that's what we've worked very hard on putting together,” Kimberly said. 

“We want to break that stigma of addiction and say that, ‘Hey, it happens and it's not the end of the world’ and there are people like us that have recovered and work every day to help people,” Paul added. “Our biggest goal is to just get the message out and break that stigma.” 

Watch the entire episode of Coffee Conversations to learn how you can help your crew with their mental health.