Wellness Workdays Launches BRAVE™ Certified Workplace Program to Advance Mental Health and Safety in Construction and Industrial Workplaces

BOSTON, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Wellness Workdays, a national leader in workplace wellness solutions, has launched BRAVE™ Certified Workplace, a workplace certification and culture transformation program that helps construction and industrial organizations integrate mental health, psychological safety, leadership accountability, training, policies, and support systems into their existing safety culture.

As mental health continues to emerge as a critical workplace safety issue, BRAVE Certified Workplace provides employers with a structured framework for building resilient teams, reducing stigma, and creating environments where workers feel supported both physically and psychologically.

The BRAVE framework teaches workers to Be aware, Reach out, Actively listen, Validate and inform, and Encourage next steps—providing a practical roadmap for recognizing when a coworker may be struggling and connecting them with appropriate support.

Organizations achieve BRAVE Certified Workplace status by training at least 20% of their workforce as BRAVE Frontline Certified and developing one BRAVE Ambassador for every 100 workers. Together, these trained employees help embed mental health awareness and peer support throughout the organization while building internal capacity to sustain the program over time.

Organizations that achieve BRAVE Certified Workplace status demonstrate a commitment to embedding mental health into everyday safety practices through trained employees, prepared supervisors, engaged leadership, clear referral pathways, and visible support systems.

The BRAVE Certified Workplace program helps organizations:

• Create a common language for discussing mental health, fatigue, stress, and job readiness.
• Strengthen early recognition and intervention before challenges affect safety, performance, or team dynamics.
• Equip supervisors and frontline leaders with practical tools to support employees and connect them with resources.
• Establish documented systems and best practices that can be shared with owners, general contractors, insurers, unions, and other stakeholders.
• Position mental health as an essential component of workplace safety rather than a one-time awareness initiative.
• Demonstrate to employees, prospective hires, partners and stakeholders that worker well-being is fundamental to your organization's culture and safety program.

The impact of the program is already evident. Following BRAVE training, 99% of participants reported feeling comfortable approaching a coworker who may need help, and pilot organizations found that supervisors identified employees at risk an average of three to four weeks earlier than before implementing the BRAVE framework.

"Construction workers experience some of the highest rates of suicide, substance use disorders, and mental health challenges of any profession," said Debra Wein, CEO and Founder of Wellness Workdays. "Mental health is workplace safety. The BRAVE Certified Workplace program gives organizations a practical roadmap for creating a culture where employees know how to recognize concerns, support one another, and access help early. By embedding these practices into existing safety systems, organizations can strengthen workforce well-being while improving safety, engagement, and retention."

Developed in collaboration with behavioral health clinicians, safety professionals, and construction leaders, BRAVE combines evidence-based mental health practices with the realities of today's jobsites. Built on more than two decades of Wellness Workdays' experience improving employee health and organizational performance, the program has already been adopted by several of the nation's leading general contractors.

For more information about the BRAVE Certified Workplace program or to learn how your organization can become certified, visit www.wellnessworkdays.com or email [email protected].

About Wellness Workdays

Wellness Workdays is a leading provider of integrated, outcome-based workplace health solutions that help employers improve workforce health, reduce healthcare and injury-related costs, and strengthen business performance. We partner with organizations across high-risk industrial environments, including construction and manufacturing, as well as corporate and professional workforces such as education, financial, and pharmaceutical settings. With more than two decades of experience, our customized onsite and virtual programs integrate physical health, mental and behavioral health, injury prevention, and population health management to deliver measurable results.

A Certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise, Wellness Workdays has earned industry recognition and best-practice awards for work with organizations such as New Balance, Turner Construction, Skanska USA Building, Shawmut Design & Construction, McCarthy Building, Messer, Brown University, the Maine Department of Transportation, Rockland Trust Bank, the Maine Bankers Association, and Harvard Business School. 

Visit us at http://www.wellnessworkdays.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

SOURCE Wellness Workdays