Intermountain Health Mental Health Services Awareness Night Provided Individuals with Resources, Advice

Knowing how to access mental health resources has never been more important. That’s why Intermountain Health and Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital sponsored a Mental Health Services Awareness Night to help connect people with vital available resources.

The recent event took place at Utah Valley University, bringing together more than 40 groups and resources. Participants also listened to two keynote speakers that provided encouragement and guidance in addressing mental health concerns.

Keynote speaker Donia Jessop, mayor of Hildale City, Utah, discussed personal challenges she faced and how vital resources were in place to support her in her transition from an oppressive community to become the first non-FLDS endorsed as well as female mayor.

For her, normalizing conversations about mental health are vital. “I talk about it in public meetings. I talk about my therapist and how I go to therapy because I want her to be a normal conversation,” said Jessop. The other piece of advice she shared? “Be kind.”

Second keynote speaker Ashley Schlaich, RN, pediatric behavioral health outpatient services director for the soon to open Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital campus in Lehi, announced some exciting new services that will be coming to Utah Valley when the hospital opens next year. Besides more inpatient treatment beds, Schlaich shared plans for intensive outpatient and group therapy programs.

“And we are now adding crisis partial hospitalization,” said Schlaich. She described this program as mirroring in-patient care, except that patients with strong home support systems that don’t require the higher level of clinical support wouldn’t need an inpatient bed. “These individuals see the same talented caregivers and receive the same robust level of care, but since they have strong home support-systems, we can provide that care on a much smaller footprint and for more patients.”

Finally – and one Schlaich was most excited for – she shared the Stabilization Mobile Response unit. Funded by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and staff by Primary Children’s caregivers, families of youth experiencing mental health crisis or concerns can call 1-833-SAFE-FAM, or 833-723-3326, and a team of mental health professionals will be deployed to wherever their services are need. “These are almost the same services you would receive in the emergency room,” said Schlaich, saying the team would do a crisis assessment, provide stabilizing, and guide families to services. The program is for youth up to 18 years-of-age and is free.

Other community partners involved in the event included Intermountain Health, the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, Utah Valley University, Aspen Grove Behavioral Hospital, and the Comprehensive Clinic at Brigham Young University.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.