May 8, 2026 — The Military, Veteran and Family Center of Excellence (MVF COE), deployed by A-G Associates, is honored to announce its selection as the Research and Program Evaluation Lead for the MATES North America Pilot, which launched in the United States in March 2026.
MATES is recognized by the World Health Organization as a leading, evidence-informed suicide prevention program. Through this partnership, the MVF COE will design and implement a tailored evaluation framework to support the pilot and inform future national expansion.
“The MVF COE team is thrilled to collaborate with the MATES North America Pilot,” said Matt Miller, Vice President of the MVF COE. “By applying a rigorous and adaptive evaluation framework, we will help generate insights that strengthen program delivery and guide the national scale-up of this life-saving work.”
Suicide remains a critical issue in the construction industry. In the United States, more than 46 per 100,000 male construction workers die by suicide each year—one of the highest rates across all professions. MATES aims to address this crisis with a simple but powerful mission: “to end suicide in construction, one conversation at a time.”
Modeled after almost 20 years of successful MATES programming in Australia and New Zealand, the effort is built by the construction industry, for the construction industry. Its approach emphasizes peer-led engagement and positions trusted relationships as the foundation of effective suicide prevention.
“MATES has a strong history of delivering an industry-owned program, that is backed by evidence and continually evaluated to ensure it remains effective and relevant over time,” shares Shal Yi, Executive Manager for the MATES North America Pilot. “Through our research partnership with A-G Associates, we will know whether our North American adaptation is fit for its new environment before we scale across industry.”
The MATES approach includes 7 key components:
- Engagement
- Developing Program Workforce
- Raising Awareness
- Building Capacity
- Connecting to Help
- Advocacy and Leadership
- Research and Evaluation
About MATES North America: MATES North America is a comprehensive, WHO-recognized suicide prevention initiative designed specifically for the construction industry. Built by construction, for construction, MATES works to save lives through early intervention and by fostering a culture where mental health conversations are normalized across jobsites. By uniting employers, unions, and advocates, MATES delivers a coordinated, industry-wide response grounded in trust, safety, and shared responsibility.
About the Military, Veteran and Family Center of Excellence: The Military, Veteran & Family Center of Excellence (MVF COE), deployed by A-G Associates, brings together practical insight and deep domain expertise from across our team to help organizations strengthen outcomes for the military-connected population. Over 60% of our team is military-connected, and that lived experience shapes how we engage, how we lead, and how we show up for the communities we serve.
We leverage lived experience, innovation, and data to build a future where every service member, veteran, caregiver, survivor, and family can thrive in healthy, connected, and supportive communities.
About A-G Associates: A-G Associates is an award-winning Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and SBA 8(a) firm trusted by federal, state, and mission-driven organizations to solve complex challenges and deliver measurable results. Founded nearly two decades ago, A-G Associates brings together experts in public health, behavioral health, data science, and organizational transformation to help clients align strategy, people, and performance for lasting impact.