November 2026

Building Careers, Changing Futures, Saving Lives

For more than two decades, Building Futures has been creating pathways to economic opportunity through workforce development and registered apprenticeships. Led by President and CEO Andrew Cortés, the organization helps individuals overcome barriers to employment and establish meaningful, financially sustainable careers in the skilled trades.

At the heart of its work is a five-week, hands-on pre-apprenticeship program that introduces participants to various construction trades while preparing them for the expectations of the industry. Participants receive practical training, career guidance, and financial stipends, with the goal of entering registered apprenticeship programs where they can earn a living while learning a trade.

Building Futures also creates opportunities for young adults, incarcerated individuals preparing for reentry, and women pursuing careers in traditionally male-dominated trades. The impact is lasting: more than 500 individuals have been placed into construction careers, with graduates going on to complete apprenticeships, establish businesses, employ fellow graduates, and introduce their own children to the program.

For Cortés, who began his own apprenticeship at just 17, the value of this model is personal. He understands how access to a skilled trade can change someone's financial future and create opportunities that extend across generations.

But Building Futures' commitment to its participants and the construction industry doesn't end with career training. Through its longstanding relationships with unions and employers, the organization recognized another pressing need—one that required an entirely different kind of support.

Construction workers have been disproportionately affected by substance use, overdose, and suicide. The physical demands of the profession, workplace injuries, financial pressures, and a longstanding culture of self-reliance can create enormous challenges. And in a predominantly male workforce where strength and toughness are often valued, admitting that something is wrong may feel particularly difficult.

Having access to help and feeling comfortable asking for it are two very different things.

That distinction became central to Building Futures' response.

Working with the RI Building and Construction Trades Council, Rhode Island Associated General Contractors, and state, the organization began examining the resources already available to workers and, more importantly, the barriers preventing those resources from reaching the people who needed them.

The result was a deeper commitment to mental health, substance use recovery, suicide prevention, and direct connections to care—including the creation of a dedicated Recovery Director position.

Approximately three years ago, Michael Currier stepped into that role, bringing professional commitment and something equally valuable: lived experience. Having recently celebrated 20 years in recovery, Currier understands both the challenges of substance use and the life-changing possibilities of receiving the right support.

His position, funded through opioid settlement resources, allows Building Futures to work directly with construction unions, employers, and workers to identify gaps in care, provide education, respond to crises, and connect individuals with treatment and recovery resources.

But Currier's work goes beyond making referrals.

"The goal is to shift the culture from help seeking to help offering," the Recovery Director explained.

Rather than expecting someone in crisis to approach a supervisor, disclose a deeply personal struggle, or navigate complicated behavioral health systems alone, Building Futures is bringing the message directly to the places where trade workers spend their days. Just as importantly, the initiative reinforces a critical message: asking for help should be met with support, not consequences. Recognizing that a person's livelihood is often one of their greatest concerns/barriers, Building Futures works with individuals and employers to explore options that allow workers to receive treatment with greater peace of mind, knowing that every effort is being made to help them return to their jobs without sacrificing the careers and stability they have worked so hard to build.

Through their We've Got Your Back initiative, workers encounter reminders that support is available on jobsites, hard hats, banners, and even inside portable restrooms.

The portable restroom stickers are an especially thoughtful example of understanding the people they are trying to reach. Each includes a QR code that allows someone to privately connect with resources and a direct line to Currier without having to announce their struggles to coworkers or supervisors. During our conversation, the team jokingly summed up the message behind the restroom stickers with a phrase that certainly gets the point across: "We give a shit about you." While the humor brought a laugh, the sentiment behind it couldn't be more sincere. Building Futures wants every worker to know that someone genuinely cares about their well-being and is ready to help.

It is a simple concept that, when put into action, delivers life-changing results.

Someone who would never raise their hand during a workplace presentation or openly admit they need treatment can quietly scan a code, explore their options, and reach out when they feel ready.

And when that moment comes, Currier understands how important it is to respond.

During the interview, he shared that a worker he had been communicating with reached out while experiencing a particularly difficult time. Because connections and resources were already in place, that individual was able to enter treatment that very day.

For Currier, these moments reinforce why accessibility, trust, and timing matter so much. Sometimes the difference between someone continuing to struggle and someone receiving help is simply knowing who to call when they're ready.

The initiative also recognizes that meaningful change cannot depend on one person.

Building Futures offers peer and ally training, mental health education, suicide prevention resources, and support following traumatic incidents or losses. Workers learn how to recognize when a colleague may be struggling, how to begin a conversation without judgment, and how to connect someone with appropriate support.

That visibility matters. A sticker on a hard hat, a familiar logo on a shirt, or a coworker trained to offer support can help make conversations that were once avoided feel possible.

Currier also emphasizes that recovery is not one-size-fits-all. His approach recognizes that individuals have different experiences, needs, and pathways to wellness. The goal is not to dictate someone's recovery journey, but to make sure they know support exists and help them find an approach that works for them.

For Cortés, the pride he feels in this program is unmistakable. He spoke warmly about the partnerships that make these initiatives possible, recognizing that lasting change requires collaboration among unions, employers, state agencies, healthcare providers, and the workers themselves.

And when speaking about Currier's contribution, his admiration was especially clear.

"The work that Michael's done is not just life-changing, it's life-saving," Cortés said.

That sentiment captures what makes Building Futures so distinctive. The organization recognized an urgent need within an industry it knows intimately, refused to accept that suffering in silence should be part of the job, and responded with practical, compassionate solutions.

Building Futures continues to provide individuals with the skills, training, and opportunities to establish successful careers. With Michael Currier's leadership and the collective commitment behind We've Got Your Back, it is also helping redefine what it means to support the people who build our communities.

Because behind every hard hat is a human being—with a family, a future, and challenges that may not be visible to anyone else.

Building Futures is helping people build careers worth pursuing, while making sure they know their lives are worth protecting.

To learn more, visit Building Futures RI, call 401-919-5919, or find them at 1 Acorn St, Providence, RI 02903.

Finding Strength in the Everyday

As Thanksgiving approaches, November offers an opportunity to reflect on the people, experiences, and moments that bring meaning to our lives. But gratitude is more than a seasonal tradition—it is a practice that can positively influence our mental health and emotional well-being.

Research suggests that regularly practicing gratitude can help improve mood, strengthen relationships, and encourage a more positive outlook. In mental health and substance use recovery, gratitude can also serve as a valuable tool for building resilience, recognizing personal progress, and maintaining hope during difficult times.

Gratitude doesn't mean ignoring life's challenges. It means making room to recognize the good, even when things are difficult.

Sometimes, gratitude is found in the smallest moments: a supportive conversation, a second chance, a personal accomplishment, or simply getting through a challenging day.

Practicing gratitude doesn't have to be complicated. Taking a few minutes to reflect on something positive, expressing appreciation to someone who has made a difference, or acknowledging personal growth can help shift our attention toward what matters most.

This November, consider making gratitude part of your everyday routine—not just on Thanksgiving, but throughout the year.

Because sometimes the smallest things give us the greatest reasons to be thankful.

Recovery TV: The Voice of Hope, hosted by John J. Tassoni Jr., airs every week on five Rhode Island stations. See the schedule and watch past episodes.