Lived Experience

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After the Unthinkable: Workplace Suicide Postvention, the First 48 Hours & Peer Support with Dr. John Gaal

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After the Unthinkable: Workplace Suicide Postvention, the First 48 Hours & Peer Support with Dr. John Gaal

When a suicide, overdose, or traumatic death happens in the workplace, the response in the first 48 hours can either stabilize the organization or unintentionally increase harm.

Yet most workplaces have no clear postvention plan.

In this Headspace for the Workplace conversation, Dr. John Gaal brings together lived experience, labor leadership, and research to explain why postvention is the missing leg of the three-legged stool of workplace mental health: prevention, intervention, and postvention.

Drawing from decades of workforce development, construction industry data, and peer-reviewed research, this episode explores:

  • What actually helps people in shock

  • Why EAPs are often underutilized in crisis

  • How trained peer supporters serve as “mental health first responders.”

  • Why partnerships — not silos — save lives


We talk about what leaders must do when the unthinkable happens.

A Lived Experience Perspective: A Construction Worker’s Story of Work-Related Suicide and Survival | Ep. 64

A Lived Experience Perspective: A Construction Worker’s Story of Work-Related Suicide and Survival | Ep. 64

Join Jorgen Gullestrup with guest speaker Justin Geange, as they discuss work-related suicide. Hosted by the IASP Suicide and the Workplace Special Interest Group. 

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Awareness to Action -- Getting a Quick Start on Building a Robust Workplace Mental Health Program: Interview with Steven Frost | Ep 18

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Awareness to Action -- Getting a Quick Start on Building a Robust Workplace Mental Health Program: Interview with Steven Frost | Ep 18

Raising awareness about mental health issues in the workplace is crucial, but it is not enough on its own. Taking action is equally important. Awareness alone does not create tangible changes or provide support for employees who are struggling. Workplace mental health program development should go beyond simply acknowledging the issue and actively work to implement strategies that promote mental well-being, reduce bias, and provide resources for support. By taking action, organizations can create a culture of care, where employees feel supported and empowered to seek help when needed. Action-oriented programs make a real difference in improving mental health outcomes and creating a healthier work environment for everyone involved.

In this interview I speak with workplace mental health advocate Steven Frost. Steven shares these three tips for a quick start to building a workplace mental health program are:

  1. Gain Leadership Buy-in: Messaging of unwavering support from key leaders empowers cultural shifts

  2. Develop a Diverse Team: Representative champion's voices must be heard. 

  3. Gather Resources: Upstream, midstream and downstream