2025 Mental Health Awareness Month – Breaking the Stigma

WHAT: ABC’s Building Awareness to Break the Stigma

WHEN: Thursdays — May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2025
TIME: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

WHERE: Via Zoom (Link will be sent out after registration)

PRICE: Registration Fee: $100
**ALL proceeds donated to the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP)**

REGISTER THROUGH ABC NEW HAMPSHIRE/VERMONT HERE

Although most presenters reference New Hampshire in their presentations, the take-aways know no borders. Due to the personal nature of topics, we will not be recording these sessions.

Reach out to Jennifer Landon if you have questions or inquiries about bringing mental health awareness programming to your organization 603-657-4079.

All presentations run 11:30 – 12:30 (EST). The Zoom link for all presentations will be sent Tuesday, April 29

ABC Members and Chapter Staff Only

May 1 11:30 – 12:30 (EST)

Total Human Health – An ABC National Initiative

Presented by Joseph Xavier, ABC National Senior Director of Health & Safety

ABC members care about their employees. Not only do they want to send them home safe at the end of the shift, they also want them to live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the abundance life has to offer through their careers and beyond. The Total Human Health Initiative encompasses multiple dimensions of health organized within four, simple and easy to remember categories: Body, Heart, Mind, and Soul. Total human health is focused on building a resilient workforce connected though relationships and engaged in performing construction work to a high standard of safety, quality and effectiveness. Our workforce is our most important resource, highly skilled and ready to build the places where America lives, learns, works, heals, plays and prays. We cannot achieve anything without our workforce.

Joe is a safety and workforce expert with more than 30 years of experience. He leads and contributes to the development and deployment of the overall health, safety and environment strategy for the association, its 69 chapters and its more than 21,000 member companies

May 8 11:30 – 12:30 (EST)

Life Interrupted presented by Cheryl Guerin

Life Interrupted is an educational presentation given by trained presenters who have had their own lives interrupted due to the mental illness of a family member or a loved one. By speaking about their own experiences, the presenters address mental illness stigma and educate communities about mental illness, the impact of supporting a loved one, and the resources that are available for support.

This presentation is intended:

• To help audiences understand the family perspective on mental illness.
• To reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and to demonstrate that family recovery is possible.
• To encourage hope for families that are affected by mental illness.
• To educate communities about NAMI NH, its philosophy, services, and the benefits it provides to families.

Life Interrupted presentations are free and available to any group or organization in NH interested in learning more about mental illness and the support and education that NAMI NH provides. Participants from other states are encouraged to attend and reach out to their local NAMI organizations to learn more about the services and resources they provide

Cheryl Guerin has lived experience as the step mom of two adult children adopted from foster care and as a single mom with full custody of her two biological children.  One of her sons lives with major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and autism.  Cheryl’s currently the Associate Vice President for Human Resources at Dartmouth College and on the Board for NAMI NH.  She brings together a career in HR and her lived experience as a caregiver as a NAMI NH volunteer speaker, teacher, and role play participant.

May 15 11:30 – 12:30 (EST)

Recovery-Friendly Workplaces

Becoming a Recovery-Friendly Workplace offers numerous benefits for employers, employees, and society. These benefits include enhanced employee well-being, improved productivity, reduced turnover, and positive economic impacts. It also promotes a more inclusive and supportive work environment, fostering a culture that values recovery and reduces stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders. It is not only a retention and recruitment strategy – it’s the right thing to do. This presentation addresses:

• Recovery-friendly workplaces prioritize employee mental health, leading to a more engaged and productive workforce.
• Supporting employees in recovery can increase job satisfaction and loyalty, leading to lower turnover rates.
• By addressing mental health and substance use issues, employers can create a more productive and efficient work environment.
• Becoming a recovery-friendly workplace can improve the company’s reputation and brand image, attracting and retaining talent.
• By addressing underlying issues, employers can reduce healthcare costs associated with mental health and substance use.
• Recovery-friendly workplaces can expand the pool of qualified candidates, including individuals who may have struggled with substance use disorders or mental health issues.

Pam Carbee is a proud New Hampshire native who has spent her life volunteering and giving back to her community. She has a bachelor’s degree from Granite State College in Behavioral Science and a graduate certificate in Community Mental Health with a specialization in co-occurring disorders and families.  She is a dedicated non-profit management professional with extensive experience in planning and implementing programs, she excels at building and maintaining relationships with the state, public, and private agencies to drive meaningful impact. She accelerates the achievement of program goals and serves as a valuable resource in crisis services, trauma-informed care, substance use and recovery, and workforce development.  She is also an experienced trainer and presenter, providing education on these topics for fifteen years. With a deep understanding of community needs across New Hampshire, she specializes in substance use prevention and recovery, child protection, family services, and veteran support. Passionate about empowering individuals, supporting veterans and strengthening communities, she is committed to connecting individuals with essential resources to foster positive change.

May 22 11:30 – 12:30 (EST)

Stigma Free – Suicide Prevention

The Stigma Free presentation will raise awareness about mental health stigma, its impact on employees and employers. It also focuses on the importance of fostering mental health awareness, support, and community within organizations, equipping companies with resources to create stigma-free environments where employees can thrive.

Susan Ward is the Suicide Prevention and Postvention Manager at NAMI NH. In 2021, Susan began working at NAMI NH as the Garrett Lee Smith Grant Project Coordinator. The grant focused on suicide prevention for youth and young adults in three NH countries .Susan is a Connect trainer and has become more involved in providing Connect trainings and training others in NH and the US in become trainers in suicide prevention and postvention. Susan is a former first-grade teacher and previously held the position as the Career Development Coordinator at Beacon College, a college exclusively for students with learning disabilities. Susan received her master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling in 2019.

May 29 11:30 – 12:30 (EST)

Lived Experience

Eli’s wife was attacked and injured in their front yard by a man with a knife who tried to cut her throat. Eli ran down, disarmed, and rendered the attacker unconscious. Eli’s wife was pregnant with their 4th child at the time of the attack. He stopped working during the trial and combined with the results of the trauma to the family, he fell into a deep depression culminating in the decision to die by suicide.

Eli is now a facilitator for Vital Cog, a “Mental Health Champion” at Zachry, and just finished co-chairing the Construction Working Minds Summit for suicide and substance abuse prevention. He recently started sharing the story to give hope to those who are suffering.                                                                        

Eli Embleton is the Dream Manager for Zachry Construction where he helps employees thrive at home and at work. He currently leads learning and development and was a former bilingual safety trainer and certified safety and health official. Eli speaks 6 ancient and modern languages and co-created the FUNctional Spanish program offering language and cultural immersions at Zachry’s famous hotel, the Hilton Palacio Del Rio in San Antonio Texas.