BDFP Wraps up 4-Day Mental Health Awareness Campaign for the Holidays

At most project sites, the end of the year is a time for celebration—Thanksgiving potlucks, holiday lunches, team gift exchanges, etc.

For many, however, “the most wonderful time of the year” is something much heavier—a time that compounds stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. In an industry as demanding and fast-paced as construction, facing those struggles, let alone actively seeking support, can feel even more impossible.

With that in mind, the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project (BDFP) decided to go beyond their typical holiday luncheon with a four-day mental health awareness campaign spanning five weeks (Nov. 13 — Dec. 18). Throughout the series, BDFP hosted 15-minute site-wide stand-downs focused on various mental health topics.  

• Project leaders and guest speakers explored the plethora of mental health resources available to workers, including Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), crisis hotlines, and counseling services. Informational posters with QR codes to the full list of resources were also posted throughout the project site for easy access.

“Whether it’s financial stress associated with the holidays, the anniversary of a family member’s passing, or just overall fatigue, this time of year is challenging for a lot of people,” says Project Outreach Manager Chris Bardales, who co-planned the campaign. “We wanted to break down the stigma of mental health and start talking about these issues, especially considering our industry’s high suicide rate. It’s important that our workers feel heard and supported.”

Chris partnered with Sr. Project Director Rowena Domingo, BDFP’s safety team (led by Safety Manager Kendall Cantave and Sr. Field Outreach Manager Tyrone Evans) on organizing the below site-wide events with support from Construction Manager Colin Azevedo, Sr. Project Coordinator Rene Navarro, and Sr. Project Coordinator Nicole Rangel:

Mental Health Safety Stand-Down Kick-off (Nov. 13): MWH/Webcor’s safety team discussed the upcoming holiday season’s impact on mental health, encouraging team members to check in with one another and genuinely share how they were doing.

• Tradespeople Benefits Overview & Union Support (Nov. 20): Rudy Gonzalez from the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council and We Rise SF dove into the mental health resources/benefits available for tradespeople.
  
  • Representatives from both organizations stayed on-site to discuss additional topics with those interested, including immigration services available to union workers.
• Resource Support With Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) (Dec. 11): Superintendent Doug Drayton introduced Success Centers, one of BDFP’s CBO partners.
  
  • After discussing the significance of support resources, representatives from Success Centers and Westside Community Services distributed detailed handouts on mental health resources and explained how to access them.
• Final Mental Health Safety Stand-Down & Holiday BBQ: Sr. Superintendent Chris Salmon and Project Director Lisa Thomas kicked off the final stand-down—a collaborative effort between the MWH/Webcor JV and Critchfield Mechanical.
  
  • Speakers from both teams discussed their personal experiences with suicide prevention and ways to navigate holiday stress before commemorating a team member who died by suicide last year.
  • The series wrapped up with a holiday BBQ celebrating the project’s entire workforce.

“This campaign was proof that small-scale initiatives can hold significant value,” Chris says. “We hope everyone left these stand-downs feeling empowered to seek support.

“We want the whole BDFP team to know that whether they’re battling seasonal depression, financial burdens, stress associated with current events, or anything else, resources are available. If even one person received the help they were looking for, I’m happy.”

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