Boom Goes The Stigma

Welcome to Boom Goes The Stigma! BGTS is a production of the Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership (CSPP). According to the CDC, the construction industry has the second-highest rate of suicide and has one of the highest rates of death from overdoses. Our country loses more construction workers to suicide than to Jobsite injuries or accidents. BGTS is a tool that normalizes and elevates the conversation around mental health. On every episode, guests from within and outside the construction industry discuss critical issues, share stories, and, most importantly, blow up the stigma of talking about mental wellness as a sign of weakness.

Contributors

Co-host

Anna Klein

Anna was born in Portland and was raised in rural towns in the area her whole life.

Anna's dad has been a sheet metal worker for as long as she can remember, and she has learned a lot about the industry and culture through him. Anna even spent a summer working in a sheet metal shop in her teens and saw firsthand just how difficult and rewarding the work is.

After graduating from Pacific University with a degree in Biology, Anna became an AmeriCorps member at Lines For Life in March 2022.

At Lines For Life, Anna assists in MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) and QPR (Question Persuade Refer) training as well as answering crisis lines. Anna has learned a lot in her time at Lines for Life and is excited to contribute both her personal and professional perspectives to these conversations.

Co-host

Hunter Moen

In February 2021, Hunter experienced a life-altering event that impacted his perspective on life. This prompted him to focus on improving his mental health and prioritizing the most essential aspects of his life: family, friends, and community.

In October 2021, Hunter began his AmeriCorps service with Lines for Life as part of the Healthy Minds Alliance program. He primarily supports community training initiatives, including Question Persuade Refer (QPR) and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. He also has experience as a crisis call taker.

Hunter was born and raised in Oregon's Willamette Valley. He has a B.A. in History from the University of Oregon.

Hunter enjoys reading, writing, exploring the planet, listening to podcasts and music, consuming copious amounts of coffee, engaging in complex dialogue, spending time with loved ones, and being an uncle to his niece and two nephews.

Co-host

Max Margolis

In July 2021, Max Margolis was hired by Lines for Life to coordinate the Construction Suicide Prevention Partnership (CSPP) project. CSPP is a new, innovative, and collaborative project between Lines for Life and Northwest Regions' Construction Industry.

Max grew up in Pittsburgh, PA., in a smoke-filled, chaotic, yet loving home with his four sisters.

Max has a B.A. in Political Science from Ohio University. Since moving to Portland in 1997, he has worked to help communities address public health, public safety, and education issues.

Max brings an empathetic, humorous, and energetic perspective to his work. While Max dislikes writing about himself in the third person, he does enjoy writing op-eds, discussing the paradoxes and contradictions of life, reading, debating, hiking, being a husband, and being a dad to his teenage daughter.