Houck adds free mental health and care benefits through Tectonic Health

By AI, Created 6:25 PM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Houck has partnered with Tectonic Health to give employees and household members free access to primary care, urgent care and mental health support during Mental Health Awareness Month. The move targets construction’s elevated suicide risk and extends care to workers and families at home, on-site or virtually.

Why it matters: - Houck is tying employee health benefits directly to a major safety issue in construction. - The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates in the U.S., at nearly four times the national average, according to the CDC. - Free access to mental health support and basic care could help workers get help earlier and remove cost and scheduling barriers for families.

What happened: - Houck announced a partnership with Tectonic Health on May 21, 2026, during Mental Health Awareness Month. - The benefit gives all Houck employees and their household members free access to primary care, urgent care and mental health support. - Houck is a family-owned commercial contractor serving Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. - The program launched April 1, 2026 after a six-month pilot.

The details: - The Tectonic Health program includes primary care, urgent sick care, mental health counseling through Move Forward, wellness checks, medications and x-rays. - Care can be delivered virtually, at home, at the office or on a job site. - During the pilot, a routine wellness check identified one employee as pre-diabetic, creating a chance for early intervention. - Spouses and dependents can receive the same care, including weekend visits at home. - One employee’s husband received ongoing care and a physical without leaving home because of a demanding commute. - An employee also received an EpiPen at no cost after a prescription that would have cost more than $150 with insurance. - Kara McCaffrey, Houck’s chief wellness officer and 2026 chair of Construction Suicide Prevention Week, said the benefit can help remove barriers to care and could be lifesaving. - McCaffrey said her personal loss of her brother Gary to suicide in 2005 shapes her commitment to the effort. - Alex Kunz, CEO and founder of Tectonic Health, said the model is built so people do not have to choose between work and health.

Between the lines: - Houck is using a workplace benefit as a workforce retention and wellness strategy, but the announcement also reflects a broader industry response to mental health risk. - The in-home and on-site care model is designed to reach people who are most likely to delay appointments because of long commutes, scheduling pressure or cost. - The pilot results suggest the program is intended to catch issues before they become more serious and more expensive.

What’s next: - Houck employees and household members will continue using the Tectonic Health benefit as an ongoing care option. - The companies are positioning the partnership as part of a longer-term effort to improve access to care and support mental health in construction. - Tectonic Health directs readers to learn more. - Houck directs readers to learn more. - Tectonic Health also shared its LinkedIn page at Tectonic Health on LinkedIn.

The bottom line: - Houck is betting that making care free, flexible and family-inclusive can help address a serious mental health gap in construction.