The Young Construction Worker Study is working to understand how construction jobs/trades and work environments affect the mental health and well-being of young and early-career construction workers before any musculoskeletal injury diagnosis. Findings will contribute to recommendations and programs aimed at preserving the health of young construction workers throughout their careers.
Download a PDF version of this guide.
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911.
Mental Health and Counselling Support Services
HeadsUpGuys
An online, anonymous resource specifically designed for men, and their families, to prevent the continued erosion of men’s mental health and deaths by suicide.
Help Starts Here
Online resource listing mental health, substance use, and social support resources across BC.
MindHealthBC
Provides easy access to information and resources related to mental health and substance use conditions.
Wellness Together Canada
Provides phone-based professional counselling service for adults (18+). Call 1-866-585-0445, or text “WELLNESS” to 741741.
Bounce Back®
A program that teaches effective skills to help adults overcome early symptoms of depression, and improve their mental health. Provided by Canadian Mental Health Association – British Columbia Division.
AnxietyBC
Provides self-help, peer reviewed and trusted resources on anxiety. Online resources include educational videos on YouTube, information exchange on Facebook, downloadable articles and resources, and the Mindshift App.
Construction-Focused Support
WorkSafeBC Staying Safe at Work
Written for people who are new to Canada, this pamphlet outlines workers’ health and safety rights. It also describes the role of WorkSafeBC and the steps workers need to take if they are injured on the job.
RE-MIND Work to Wellness
RE-MIND is a collaboration between the BC Construction Safety Association and Work to Wellness Rehabilitation Inc to improve construction worker’s access to mental health information and services.
Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan
A treatment program that provides care to the construction industry with a focus on destigmatizing mental health and substance use.
Mental Health Support for Construction Workers
A document put together by the BC Construction Safety Association and the Scott Construction Mental Health Committee. It provides recommendations and resources for BC construction workers who may be experiencing increasing levels of mental unease due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indigenous-Focused Support
First Nations Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service
Health and Wellness providers call 1-833-456-7655 for assistance or to make a referral. If a client doesn’t have a health and wellness provider and needs a referral, call the First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day at 1-855-344-3800.
First Nations Health Authority mental health provider list
Call 1-800-317-7878.
Youth-Focused Support
Youth in BC Chat
A free online crisis, suicide prevention, and emotional support service for youth under 25. They offer a safe space to listen without judgment. Chats are private and confidential.
The Foundry
A province-wide network of health and wellness services for young people ages 12-24. They provide mental health support online and via phone as well as information, education, and resources on life, school, work, substance use, sex, and sexuality topics. They also have drop-in centres around the province.
AnxietyBC Youth
A resource to help young people cope with anxiety disorders and to educate anyone wanting to learn more about this common type of mental health problem.
2SLGBTQI+ Focused Support
Know Your Rights: A Guide for LGBTQ2+ Employees (Pride at Work)
This resource is a guide for LGBTQ2+ workers seeking information about their rights in the workplace, uncertain whether they have experienced discrimination at work, or are looking for ways to hold their employers accountable.
QMUNITY: Resources for the Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Community
QMUNITY is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC that works to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives. They provide employment support, inclusivity training and education, and counselling services.
Multilingual Support
SUCCESS – Individual and Family Counselling
Call 604-408-7266 or 604-684-1628. Counselling is offered in Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Farsi and English with a focus on helping new immigrants of Chinese and other ethnic origins. Play and art therapy are also available. Fees are charged on a sliding scale based on income.
Crisis Services
WorkSafeBC Critical Incident Response
Call 1-888-922-3700 (9 am – 11 pm, 7 days per week). Crisis intervention and response for workers who have witnessed a traumatic incident in the workplace. Free.
Talk Suicide Canada
9-8-8 is a Suicide Crisis Helpline for if you are feeling like you have lost hope and are struggling to cope, if you are dealing with thoughts of suicide, or if you are worried about someone else.
Health Link BC – Nurse Line
24/7. Call 8-1-1 or 7-1-1 (hearing impaired).
Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC
24/7. Phone 604-872-3311 (Vancouver) or 1-866-661-3311 (toll-free); Chat (noon-1 am) or youth chat: (noon-1 am)
First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line and On-line Counselling Service
Toll-Free: 1-855-242-3310. Immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention for all Indigenous people across Canada.
KUU-US (Indigenous) Crisis Line: 1-800-588-8717
Métis Crisis Line: 1-833-638-4722
Indian Residential School Survivors Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Overdose Prevention and Response
Lifeguard Digital Health App
A smartphone app that assists emergency responders in the event of an overdose. The Lifeguard App is best known for the ‘Use Alone’ timer that will send emergency services to a user’s location if they become unresponsive after consuming substances.
BC Alcohol & Drug Information Referral Service
Free 24/7 confidential multilingual information and referral to community resources. Information about detox, counselling, treatment, recovery, and support groups. Call 1-800-663-1441 (604-660-9382 in the Lower Mainland) for information about substance use treatments or supports in your area.
Vancouver Island Health Authority: Overdose Prevention Services
Provides information on ways to prevent and treat an overdose, where and how to check your drugs (confidentially and for free), how to find support for substance use and more.
