The Insulators Membership Assistance Program (IMAP) continues to progress and advocate for mental health initiatives to support the well-being of members of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers.
Recently, IMAP’s professional experts at Youturn provided separate awareness and training sessions to labor leaders from the Insulators Central States Conference and Insulators Local 17 in Chicago. The ultimate goal is to provide mental health programs and assistance services to each rank-and-file member in a confidential manner.
In May 2025, Local Union leaders from the Insulators Central States Conference, including International Vice President Michael Hickey and Conference President Daniel Poteet, invited the IMAP team to present mental health awareness and IMAP protocol during the conference meeting.
Locals affiliated with the Central States Conference include:
- Local 3 – Cleveland
- Local 8 – Cincinnati
- Local 18 – Indianapolis
- Local 25 – Detroit
- Local 37 – Evansville, IN
- Local 41 – Fort Wayne, IN
- Local 45 – Toledo, OH
- Local 46 – Knoxville, TN
- Local 47 – Grand Rapids, MI
- Local 50 – Columbus and Dayton, OH
- Local 51 – Louisville, KY
- Local 75 – South Bend, IN
- Local 80 – Charleston, WV
- Local 84 – Akron and Youngstown, OH
General Secretary-Treasurer Rober Reap kicked off the session by addressing Conference attendees.
“As construction workers, we are not accustomed to talking about or addressing mental health, so having a resource like Youturn for our membership to reach out to for confidential assistance is an excellent tool to enact positive change in our lives,” he said. “Youturn will also greatly assist our officers with learning to recognize when help may be needed and help them to navigate the difficult circumstances and conversations that may arise. I am proud that our organization is learning to address mental health so that our members can face the difficult challenges of today and continue to be productive and provide for their families.”
“We are thrilled to work with the Insulators Union,” said Richard Jones, Youturn Chief Clinic Officer. “The Insulators Union is willing to take action and invest in their people. That’s refreshing. We need to get this message to all members of the Insulators Heat and Frost union.”
Youturn is the primary company that offers professional services for IMAP.
The services provided have been modified from the initial days of the program. Now, Youturn offers focused and targeted services to help the members receive the assistance they need without sacrificing confidentiality. Members must be reassured that no one from the union or their employers will be aware of them seeking help from IMAP.
In addition to the presentation at the Central States Conference, IMAP presented a pilot interactive presentation exclusively for an individual Local Union. This pilot presentation was tailored to address the specific needs of Local 17 in Chicago.
Insulators Local 17 Business Manager Tom McGrath, along with Local officers, apprenticeship instructors and other Local 17 personnel, were on-hand for the pilot presentation from Jones and Julee Smith of Youturn.
“All our other presentations have always included leaders from different Locals in the same room,” said Jones. “This was the first time we had a session with one Local. It made the presentation more personable and focused to the needs of Local 17.
“We need to do more like this. I want to visit each Local individually to educate that Local on how we can help,” he added.
For LMCT Executive Director Pete Ielmini, the pilot presentation at Local a17 marked the beginning of the next step of IMAP’s transformation, which he believes will ultimately help more members.
“The sessions at the Local level will educate the professionals at Youturn on the particulars of what the members and families are dealing with,” Ielmini said. “We need to get Youturn to interact with more Locals, which will improve the membership. We have been saying we need to educate our leaders; we also need our leaders to educate Youturn on what the members and their families need and what Youturn should be focusing on. We need that collaboration between our labor leaders and professional mental health experts to facilitate a program that is beneficial and utilized.”
Both presentations – Central States Conference and Local 17 – included a breakdown of various topics, including but not limited to:
- Discussion of what mental health is:
- Suicide
- Substance addiction/dependencies
- Depression/anxiety
- Stress
- Types and warning signs of disorders
- How proper attention will lead to recovery
- Proper communication
- Understanding of outreach materials and connecting with professionals
- Understanding of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- IMAP Newsletter
- Contact information
- Utilization of Local Union App.
- Various comments and questions on how to get this in the hands of the members.
With the first Local Union pilot program completed, Youturn is looking to take the next steps to give IMAP a more local feel.
From left, Julee Smith, YouTurn Vice President of Operations; Rich Jones, YouTurn Chief Clinical Officer; Tom McGrath, Local 17 Business Manager; and Marcus O’ Reilly, Local 17 Apprentice Instructor.
“I’ve been honored to meet several business managers who are stepping up as true advocates for finding a solution,” said Julee Smith, Youturn Vice President of Operations. “We need more champions to come forward. We’re looking for leaders who are ready to build momentum, open doors to their apprentice groups and invite us to Local events so we can better understand their teams and share how our program can help.
“We’d also love to get Youturn Health information added to your Local apps so members and their families can easily access the support available to them. This isn’t just about improving workplace culture. It’s about saving lives,” she added.