One email
“Construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry”.
One Response
What are we doing about it?
Kwest Group is an award-winning civil construction and environmental services company providing proven engineering expertise and excellence to a broad roster of clients in distinct markets across the U.S. and the Caribbean.
Spark Storytellers partnered with Kwest Group to create an integrated HR campaign to address mental health awareness within their organization as a part of their team’s EAP and employee wellness program.
"Under The Hard Hat is a award winning mental health awareness integrated campaign that highlights our employees' journey to mental wellness and the challenges they have personally overcome. This campaign aims to spread awareness in the construction industry and beyond to dissolve the stigma about mental health through authentic expression, openness, and vulnerability.
Our goal was to make our team members look like vulnerable badasses."
- Kathryn Coulson, Human Resources Director | Kwest Group
Derick’s Story
Derick Adkins shares how he and his hometown of Elkhorn City have a lot in common when it comes to overcoming adversity.
Adam’s Story
After a near fatal ATV accident, Adam shares his journey on the road to recovery and overcoming mental health roadblocks along the way.
John’s Story
Kwest employee, John, shares his story about his relationship with his father, a WWII veteran, his struggles with Depression and Anxiety, and how his experience has led him to be a better father.
Joel’s Story
Joel Ayers shares his journey on the road to recovery and finding the light from darkness
The How
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Spark Storytellers developed visually appealing branding elements for "Under the Hard Hat" and designed an employee story submission form. The video production team at Spark Storytellers, led by Joey Viola, reached out to all individuals who submitted their stories and gathered their narratives. Through collaboration between Kwest Group, and Spark Storytellers, storyboards were created, and a plan was established for producing three documentary-style shorts. A high level of consideration was given to ensuring the comfort and ease of the Kwest team members throughout the production process.
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Production dates for the shorts were scheduled for 2022. Spark Storytellers then executed the filming of in-studio interviews and captured supplementary footage, including interactions with participants and their families.
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The footage was then meticulously gathered by Spark Storytellers, who began the process of crafting the story's narrative. Singer-songwriter Joey Viola was commissioned to produce a personalized score, including original compositions tailored to each individual story.
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During the production phase, Spark Storytellers designed and distributed "It's Time to Talk" tagline T-shirts for all Kwest employees, as well as curated thank-you kits for each participant. The premiere of "Under The Hard Hat" was held at the annual All Hands company-wide training, attended by over 400 individuals. The three produced shorts were subsequently launched through Kwest Group's various social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, generating both internal and external exposure for the organization and its industry.
>100K Organic Reach
>70K Video Views
>1K Shares
Immeasurable human impact.
The metrics are great, but the immeasurable impact has been felt within Kwest’s culture, in the industry, and beyond. The power of bravery and vulnerability of sharing these stories has helped make people feel that they are not alone and helped to dissolve the stigma of mental health in the construction industry and beyond.