Construction Workers Get Anonymous Mental Health Scans
Workers at participating New Jersey and New York job sites can scan a QR code to take a private survey and find help.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Substance Abuse
Live Poll
Should employers do more to support workers' mental health on the job?
New Jersey Institute of Technology and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 launched a pilot mental health platform for construction workers, which uses QR codes to connect anonymous users with private surveys and support. By Oct. 23, 2026, 202 people had tried the platform at sites in Essex and Hudson counties and across the pilot's wider network of about a dozen sites in New Jersey and New York.
Why it matters
Construction workers face elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and substance-use problems, and the pilot targets the gap between those needs and the willingness of workers to seek help. Because the tool requires no name and sits where workers already are, it aims to reach people who might not otherwise contact a counselor.
The 202 scans come from an early pilot without a control group, so they show uptake rather than outcomes. Industry survey figures come from a 2025 Clayco-funded survey, while suicide and overdose trends come from federal and NIOSH-linked analyses, and whether the platform influences those trends remains untested.
The players
New Jersey Institute of Technology
A public research university in Newark known for engineering and applied technology programs, partnering on the pilot as a research and development institution.
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825
A construction trades union representing heavy equipment operators, which runs a Member Assistance Program serving active members and retirees.
Clayco
A national construction and real estate development firm that funded a 2025 survey on mental health and substance use among U.S. construction workers.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The U.S. federal public health agency that tracks injury, suicide, and occupational health data, including construction-industry suicide rates.
The details
Each poster or sticker carries a unique QR code, so the team can tell which site a scan came from while keeping every response anonymous. Workers answer a survey and are directed to help based on their answers, which can cover depression, substance use, or gambling problems. Stickers go inside restrooms and posters hang outdoors, and project lead Chris Lalevee distributes the materials. The team expects stickers to generate more scans than posters and plans to add employee assistance programs to the platform.
Timeline
2019: Chris Lalevee began running the union's Member Assistance Program.
2025: Clayco released a survey on construction worker anxiety and depression.
Start of 2026: A working prototype of the platform was completed.
Spring 2026: The platform went live at sites in Essex and Hudson counties.
Oct. 23, 2026: 202 people had tried the platform.
Health Landscape
Construction has long shown some of the highest suicide rates among U.S. occupations, and NIOSH surveillance has documented the scale of the problem for years. Workplace-delivered, anonymous screening tools are a newer approach that sits alongside traditional employee assistance programs and union-based counseling.
If you work in construction, the pilot offers a way to check in on your mental health and substance use anonymously, which may be useful if you have been reluctant to talk with someone. For anyone experiencing persistent anxiety, depression, or substance-use concerns, it is worth raising these with your doctor or a counselor rather than waiting.
The takeaway
Construction workers face some of the highest rates of suicide and substance-use problems of any occupation, and workplace tools that remove the need for a name may help more people reach support. If you are concerned about your own mental health or substance use, a conversation with a primary care provider is a sensible first step.
Further reading
For related coverage of the addiction and overdose trends behind this effort, explore more in Substance Abuse.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Magic 98.3 FM.
Live Poll
Should employers do more to support workers' mental health on the job?
