For Part 2 of our Line Life Podcast series on mental health in the line trade, we are featuring an interview with Jennifer Lavin, the founder of Union Care Solutions, which supports mental health and peer support across the power industry.

She was featured in the article "Prioritizing the Mental Health of First Responders" in the 2025 T&D World Lineworker Supplement. Jenny also delivered the presentation, "Protection Under the Hard Hat: Mental Health and Safety in the Line Trade," at the 2025 International Lineman's Safety and Training Conference.

She has deep roots in the line trade. Two of her sons are fourth-generation lineworkers, and her father-in-law was the business manager for IBEW Local 47, and her husband is now in this role. As the CEO of Union Care Solutions, she is an advocate for critical incident response and suicide prevention. Her mission is to make care and connection part of the job — not an afterthought. For more information, visit her website, and if you or your coworkers need someone to talk to, call 988 to be connected to local mental health resources.

To listen to Part 1, which is a narrated version of the article from the 2025 Lineworker Supplement in our ICYMI series, go to Podbean. Also look for Part 3, which provides strategies and resources to help you get the support you need.

Line work is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, with fatality rates in the line trade more than six times those in all other occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To come home safely to their families every night, lineworkers must not only follow safe work practices and wear proper personal protective equipment, but also safeguard their mental health. Oftentimes, lineworkers experience a near-miss themselves or the loss of a coworker, and the toll can be complete self-destruction, said Ken Lulow of Line Worker Solutions. Rather than trying to self-cope and hold it all in, they can reach out for help from their coworkers, company and community mental health professionals.

This episode, narrated from the article "Prioritizing the Mental Health of First Responders" in the 2025 T&D World Lineworker Supplement, delves beneath the surface of safety in the line trade to offer six strategies to help lineworkers focus on their mental health and wellness.

For more information, stay tuned to Part 2, which will feature an interview with Jenny Lavin, founder of Union Care Solutions and Part 3, which will offer more tips on how to break the silence on mental health struggles and get help. Line Life Podcast listeners in the United States can also dial "988" to be immediately connected to local resources in their community. Thanks for listening and sharing this special episode.

Hurricane Helene washed out roads and bridges, toppled trees and made it nearly impossible for line crews to access certain areas for restoration. Part 2 of our two-part series on this hurricane looks back at the storm response one year ago, when line crews had to rely on everything from paper maps to walkie-talkies to get the job done.

This episode features the 2025 International Lineman's Rodeo Duke Energy team of Miles Bell, Jordan Henderson and Heath Burrell, who share stories of working in the Bat Cave and Chimney Rock areas, setting poles by helicopter and partnering with the community and tree crews to clear fallen trees.

To learn more about the restoration, listen to Part 1 or look for a future two-part series in T&D World's print magazine. You can also tune in to the episode, "Hurricane Helene: Voices from the Field." Thanks for listening to the Line Life Podcast!