I had completely given up on life and accepted that it simply wouldn’t get better. But I’m so happy with the care I received at Huntsman. Their approach to mental health has given me hope for an entirely new life without suffering. I attribute the tipping point of monumental change in my life to my 23 hours at Huntsman.
MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE PATIENT
Create the world’s first universitywide mental health institute to drive transformative change in patient care, education, research, and policy.
VALUES
CULTIVATE JOY
Share moments of joy to build trust and resilience.
EMBODY COMPASSION
Be kind and show empathy in every interaction.
UNIVERSAL ACCEPTANCE
Ensure belonging for people of all backgrounds and abilities.
BOLD COLLABORATIONS
Foster courageous and rewarding partnerships.
CHASE INNOVATIONS
Drive for insight, excellence, and the next discovery.
The Huntsmans’ philanthropic journey continues as a multigenerational commitment to help those in greatest need and to help end human suffering.
Jon M. Huntsman dedicated his philanthropic pursuits to combating cancer, and this legacy of compassion lives on in the next generation. In addition to the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, the family has decided to focus its Foundation resources on the pressing issue of mental health. Recognizing the significance of mental well-being, the Huntsman family not only continues Jon M. Huntsman’s legacy but also amplifies their impact by embracing the evolving needs of society.
The Huntsman family made a historic commitment of $150 million to the University of Utah in 2019. It was the largest single gift ever made to the university and one of the largest investments in mental health care in the United States, establishing Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah. Recognizing that the mental health crisis will take billions of dollars over decades to address, they launched the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation to raise the necessary resources to drive transformative work at the institute.
6,200 PEOPLE reached through outreach events
2,388 PEOPLE TRAINED in suicide prevention
FISCAL YEAR 2024
200,011
PATIENT VISITS from 45 US states
130,311 CALLS received for crisis and emotional support
27,365 CHATS AND TIPS across all SafeUT apps
5,777
MOBILE CRISIS patient interactions
79 RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS from 34 US states and 11 countries
7% INCREASE in psychiatry residency applications
4% INCREASE in fellowship applications
3.4B IMPRESSIONS from the “Love, Your Mind” public awareness campaign with the Ad Council
1.16M
WEBSITE VIEWS to hmhi.utah.edu with 591K new visitors
200 MEDIA INTERVIEWS with our experts
24% INCREASE in social media followers
270+
PEER-REVIEWED publications
90 ACTIVE GRANTS 46% from the National Institutes of Health
81+ RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS
No matter where we live, work, or play, we experience the complexity of mental health everyday. Collectively, we can see and understand the grip that mental health and substance use disorders hold on our society. These are not easy problems to solve. Fifty thousand Americans die by suicide each year. Fortyeight and a half million Americans battled substance use disorders in the past year. Seventy-five percent of mental disorders begin between the ages of 10 and 25.
This is why we’re creating something new—something that has never been done before in the field of mental health and substance use disorders. Huntsman Mental Health Institute is the prototype for how to drive transformative policy change, how to employ the breadth of disciplines at an Association of American Universitiesaffiliated university to accelerate new discoveries, and how to create new ways to treat those with mental health and substance use disorders.
We’re creating something new—something that has never been done before.
The stories within these pages not only celebrate the values that guide our work but also show the progress we’ve made toward our bold vision. Innovation and new ideas are germinating across our institute and the University of Utah. Here are a few examples that stand out as both unique and innovative:
Our public awareness campaign in partnership with the Ad Council to reduce the stigma that has plagued mental health and substance use disorders for decades is unprecedented for both its reach and impact. This campaign is bringing more attention to mental health than ever before, reaching 3.4 billion impressions and inspiring influencers, major sports leagues, organizations, religious leaders, and generous donors to get involved and encourage everyone to take care of their mental health.
Our work to develop elementary, middle, and high school curricula to help kids learn about the brain and mental health will inspire young people to take care of their mental health and inspire future generations. This work is in conjunction with faculty and staff from across the University of Utah, including the Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab. Our work, currently underway, is set to launch in 2025 and aims to combat stigma associated with mental health.
Working with the University of Utah Sorenson Impact Institute, we are capturing the fiscal and social benefits of mental health patient outcomes, as well as the positive impact on the community and society. This will be the first time this type of framework is implemented. The groundwork to gather data and stakeholder feedback, as well as to begin model-building, has been underway this year, with the full analysis set to be published in 2025. Our hope is that this model will help communities nationwide make informed decisions about the benefits of funding mental health and substance use disorder care programs
We are grateful for the continued trust and support of our community, partners, and donors who help to make this innovative work possible. Together, we sit at the forefront of transforming mental health care.
Thank you for joining us on this big, bold journey.
Sincerely yours,
Mark Hyman Rapaport, MD CEO, Huntsman Mental Health Institute
William
H.
and Edna D.
Stimson Presidential Endowed Chair Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry
It’s the middle of the night after another long day. The stress feels never-ending—maybe you’re caring for an aging parent, or your tooth aches from neglected dental work you can’t afford. The weight is unbearably overwhelming, and you start to question whether any of this is even worth it. So, what do you do?
In many communities, your only option would be a crowded emergency room, a place designed for broken bones and heart attacks, waiting hours to be seen. But in Utah, there is something different: a dedicated space that doesn’t ask if you’re “bad enough” to get help—and instead asks why you’re struggling and what kind of support you need.
This system served over 33,000 unique patients in the last year and provided nearly 80,000 visits across all services. With this innovative approach, Utah is setting a new gold standard for crisis care, one that is poised to help everyone regardless of where they live.
When you dial 988 in Utah—the three-digit number to access the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline— you’re greeted by a Huntsman Mental Health Institute crisis worker who tries to help you reach resolution right in the moment.
“When we make the small change from asking ‘Are you suicidal?’ to ‘Why are you suicidal?’ we make a big change in how a person responds,” explains Kevin Curtis, Director of Hospital Crisis Services at Huntsman Mental Health Institute. “Asking ‘why’ helps resolve the problems that bring people into crisis in the first place.”
This seemingly simple shift from gatekeeping to intervention is part of the reason that 83% of the 91,779 calls received by Utah’s crisis care team are resolved over the phone.
Rachel Kay Lucynski, Director of Community Crisis Intervention and Support Services at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, adds: “When someone calls 988, those calls last between 15 and 20 minutes on average because we’re actually doing crisis de-escalation, suicide risk assessment, and intervention.”
This approach stands in stark contrast to traditional emergency services.
“911 calls are usually about two minutes on average, and dispatchers are immediately deploying other resources. We don’t want to send law enforcement to your home and have a situation potentially escalate. We want to work with you in a collaborative way to understand what we can do to keep you safe,” Lucynski adds.
Utah’s integrated, solution-centered approach to mental health is built on a foundation of accessible and shame-free crisis services. The state has developed a comprehensive network of support programs, many of which are free, confidential, and available 24/7.
“We want people to understand that it’s okay to not be okay,” Lucynski says. “Whether you’re dealing with a major crisis or just feeling overwhelmed, there’s no shame in reaching out for support. And when you do reach out, we have resources ready to help you.”
In Utah, when someone is brave enough to reach out, they’re met with immediate, compassionate, and appropriate care.
Set to open in March 2025, the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center is an 81,600-square-foot facility that will bring all elements of crisis support together under one roof. It builds on the success of the current receiving center at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, which has helped over 2,000 unique patients in the past year.
“When designing the new crisis care center, we started by asking our community what they needed. We reached out to stakeholders including care providers, community agencies, law enforcement folks, and our Patient and Family Advisory Council. This is not our building. This is everyone’s building,” Curtis explains.
This collaborative approach led to surprising insights that guided planning. For instance, the center features a large, welcoming entry that feels more like a grand hotel than a traditional crisis facility. The result is a space that promotes healing and dignity, with features like comfortable seating, natural light, and soothing gardens.
75% OF PEOPLE WHO USED HUNTSMAN MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE’S WALK-IN CRISIS CARE are connected to resources and return to their communities without needing inpatient care.
28% OF PEOPLE USING WALK-IN CRISIS CARE would have had nowhere to go in the old system, as reported by law enforcement.
“This center isn’t just about crisis intervention—it’s about creating a space where people feel valued, respected, and hopeful about their recovery journey,” Lucynski says.
Improvements go beyond interior design, though. The space will also include a legal clinic in collaboration with the S.J. Quinney College of Law and dental care through the University of Utah School of Dentistry. By addressing basic needs, the center aims to resolve the underlying factors of mental health crises, leading to longer-term results.
“We believe that if we ask the ‘why’ and develop resources that can resolve the ‘why,’ we’ll be able to be that much more effective in the work that we do,” Curtis explains.
The impact of this comprehensive approach is clear and measurable.
• 75% of people who used Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s walk-in crisis care are connected to resources and return to their communities without needing inpatient care.
• Law enforcement reports that 28% of the people using walk-in crisis care would have had nowhere to go in the old system.
“Asking ‘why’ helps resolve the problems that bring people into crisis in the first place.”
KEVIN CURTIS Director of Hospital Crisis Services at Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s integrated crisis care model—backed by the state of Utah, which has supported more beneficial mental health care legislation than any other state—is more than a list of programs and services. It’s a life-saving paradigm shift on how to approach mental health. One that can be replicated across the country.
With the right approach, it’s possible to create a mental health care system that truly meets people where they are—whether that’s by way of a midnight phone call, a chat message from a distressed teen, or a welcoming space that feels more like a home than a hospital.
Because asking the right questions can be just as important as having the right answers.
MOBILE CRISIS OUTREACH TEAMS
Rapid in-person response to crises with 5,777 mobile crisis patient interactions
SAFEUT APP
A crisis support and school safety resource for students, parents, guardians, educators, frontline workers, and National Guard 27,365 chats and tips in the past year
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONDERS (MH1)
After-hours in-person mental health crisis support for University of Utah students
Help is just a call (or click) away
CRISIS CARE INTEGRATED SYSTEM
This care system is deeply integrated with a comprehensive psychiatric hospital and a network of outpatient services— and is supported by the full resources of a mental health hospital network.
83% stabilized on-site
988 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE
Trained professionals provide 24/7 assistance
91,779 calls received
SAFE CARE TRANSITION FOLLOW-UP
Post-crisis care and support, with 590 follow-up contacts
WARM LINE
Non-crisis support to prevent escalation +38,500 calls in the last year
RECEIVING CENTER
Walk-in short-term intensive care facility had 2,649 visits
the best minds in research
You’d expect neuroscientist Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, PhD, to go deep when talking about her research in mental health. And she’s happy to get right down to the neurons and synapses. But what excites her most is the big picture: how her research, and that of more than 40 others at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, is accelerating treatments for people with debilitating depression, substance use disorder, and other mental health conditions.
Yurgelun-Todd is Vice Chair of Research at Huntsman Mental Health Institute and a nationally recognized leader1 in the neuroscience of mental health. She studies brain activity as it relates to behavior, using exciting new technologies that allow her team to gain a deeper understanding of our brains to develop essential new interventions and treatments.
We sat down with her to chat about the next frontier of brain research—and what’s already happening today.
Breakthroughs in mental health research over the years have been few and far between. What do you attribute that to?
Initially, there wasn’t much recognition of the science of mental health. There was a general sense that if you just tried hard enough, you could get yourself healthy— and we didn’t need to study this because it was a matter of will. Second, there was a lot of stigma.
Even within the field?
As a researcher, you didn’t want to be seen as supportive of mental health. Sources of funding weren’t as great as they were for other medical illnesses. So together, those two forces held the field back.
How is your team changing that? And where do you see the biggest opportunities for innovation?
When we open the Utah Mental Health Translational Research building in 2026,2 it’s going to be a core example of what innovation can do in terms of understanding, treating, and advancing mental health. The building brings all disciplines together in one space that’s been designed for interaction, collaboration, and the sharing of ideas between research groups. It will have meeting spaces along with wet and dry labs and will take a whole-life approach from youth through adulthood in all disciplines. That’s never been done before.
One of the important and really innovative aspects of the building is that it will be a place to address genetics,3 the cultural environment, media, public policy, and the impact on the community. We’ll look at brain imaging and other technologies that are being developed for new treatments. We’ll explore different types of interventions with all the new technology we will have. And we’ll apply AI and big data analysis tools.
You mentioned technology. What’s new and cool?
That’s one of my favorite topics! Part of what we’ll be doing in our translational research building is creating a world-recognized imaging center because of its focus on the brain and human behavior.
1
Research.com named Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, PhD, one of the top woman scientists in the US for the second year in a row.
2
In September 2023, the leadership team broke ground for the Utah Mental Health Translational Research building in Salt Lake City set to open in 2026.
3
The world’s largest suicide study, conducted by Huntsman Mental Health Institute and others across the globe, identified 12 DNA variants associated with genetic risk of attempting suicide. It’s just one example of how studying genetics can lead to earlier care.
4
Researchers at the University of Utah were selected by Wellcome Leap to research a new treatment for substance use disorder as part of a $50 million commitment to develop innovative treatments.
5 In the HOPE trial, Benjamin R. Lewis, MD, looked at how pairing group therapy with psychedelic-assisted therapy can increase the sense of connection so vital to treating depressive symptoms. He gave an inspiring TEDx Talk about the results.
6
Yurgelun-Todd, PhD—along with fellow principal researcher Perry Renshaw, MD, PhD, and 20 other institutions—is following 10,000 children through adolescence. They’re examining how childhood experiences affect brain development, as well as social and behavioral health and other outcomes.
We’ll have the only 7 tesla MRI dedicated solely to brain research and mental health. That, along with our 3 tesla unit, will allow us to be highly focused on understanding the cellular and functional system changes in the brain that take place over the course of life.
What new research are you most excited about?
That’s a hard question. We have some exciting work going on with treatment-resistant depression and substance use disorder through a Wellcome Leap grant.4 It’s a collaboration with bioengineering that’s using a new technology—high-intensity focused ultrasound—to alter brain tissue, mood regulation, and reward circuitry. It’s a very important and innovative approach. It can take us away from just using medications to a technology we can use for other purposes as well. We also have several ongoing research projects by our team showing exciting potential. The HOPE trial5 and the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development6 study are two examples.
What do people misunderstand about brain research and mental health?
It ranges from even well-educated people thinking you can just pull yourself out of depression as if it were a matter of will to others who don’t understand the impact of sleep, healthy eating, community friendships, or the early symptoms of mental illness.
What research breakthroughs do you hope to see in your lifetime?
I’m very enthusiastic about prevention, and I expect to see advancements there. We’re already starting to see some progress—along with the potential for earlier intervention and identification of risk.
We also have exciting opportunities with the technology for data analysis and looking at the complexities of factors related to health as you go forward in life. Also, for making earlier discoveries that translate to identifying symptoms, syndromes, and behaviors— and ultimately new treatments.
When we think of rural America, we often picture pastoral towns, rolling farmlands, and unimpeded horizons. And while these small communities are as beautiful as they are tightknit, a large crisis looms. For the past two decades, suicides in rural areas have remained substantially higher than in urban areas, and they are climbing at a much faster rate, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the prevalence of mental illness itself is similar between rural and urban Americans, those in rural areas face a significant added hurdle that greatly increases their susceptibility to suicide: lack of access to care.
According to the National Rural Health Association, lack of access to mental health care is a main driver of rural suicide rates. Barriers to access include distance to a provider clinic, lack of provider availability, cost, and stigma. Huntsman Mental Health Institute knows that its neighbors in rural communities deserve better. This is why the institute is committed to comprehensively addressing these barriers—bringing parity to the underserved and expanding access for all.
Expanding the mental health workforce in rural areas is the most direct—and perhaps the most formidable—effort in the institute’s mission to eliminate barriers to care. The complexity of the problem requires new thinking, which is why Huntsman Mental Health Institute partnered with Idaho State University to create a specialized rural education track that embeds psychiatrists in training into rural communities.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both Utah and Idaho consistently rank in the top 15 states for highest annual suicide rates among adults and youth. Additionally, both states are considered “health care deserts”—meaning the existing mental health care workforce can only meet a fraction of the need.
University of Utah and Idaho State University—both recognized for their academic health care programs— stepped up to address this crisis. It took several years to plan the rural track program, with extensive involvement from both institutions’ health care leaders to address the logistics of funding, insurance, resident supervision, and creating new clinics.
For residents in this educational track, their first two years look just like those of other residents. They spend the majority of their time in Salt Lake City, working in the Adult Psychiatry program to master skills in general medicine and complete required inpatient and subspecialty psychiatric rotations.
By year three, residents transition to Pocatello, Idaho, and continue to refine their skills as psychiatric specialists. While year three focuses on outpatient training, year four is dedicated to trainee-specific interests, passions, and individualization.
The rural track has doubled the number of psychiatrists in the area and also helped to establish a mental health consult service with other hospitals. Where there were previously only a handful of sites in the area, there are now more than 10 sites where patients can access mental health care.
Though the need for rural mental health care providers has never been higher, the rural track remains one of a few of its kind in the country. Interest in the
program has more than tripled since its creation— while there are currently only three spots available, more than 550 people applied last year.
Beth Botts, MD, Associate Training Director for the rural track, believes the program can serve as a model for others.
“We can offer the best of both worlds for trainees who want in-depth experience in inpatient and consult psychiatry in an academic setting, along with exposure to subspecialties like addiction, geriatrics, and forensics. When trainees relocate to Idaho, they become fully immersed in rural psychiatry and the community—and then, they’re likely to continue living where they trained,” she says.
For Daisha Orchard, MD, the program’s first chief resident, this couldn’t be more true. Even before graduation, Orchard accepted a psychiatrist position with the new Idaho State University Community Psychiatric Center. As fate would have it, this new center was soon announced as another training site for Rural Track residents, whom Orchard will now supervise.
“It truly feels like a full-circle moment,” says Orchard. “I’m so excited to meet and train future cohorts—and to continue to build the network of rural psychiatrists.”
Mental health crises happen all the time, all around us. Building a rural mental health workforce takes long-term, dedicated planning to ensure viability and sustainability. Meanwhile, there’s still an immediate need for expanded mental health care.
To combat barriers to care here and now, Huntsman Mental Health Institute is committed to finding new approaches to expanding services. These approaches require a lot of fresh thinking, as well as a good deal of collaboration.
“In many ways, stigma is the last piece of the puzzle. Even in situations where distance, provider availability, and cost aren’t impeding care, stigma often prevents people from seeking help.”
BETH BOTTS, MD
Associate Training Director, rural track
Because mental health is a specialty area in which most primary care providers aren’t deeply trained, Huntsman Mental Health Institute established a program called CALL-UP in partnership with the Office of Substance Use and Mental Health. This statewide phone consult program gives primary health care providers across the state access to our psychiatrists for guidance in treating patients with mild to moderate mental health needs. Funded by the Utah State Legislature, the program serves patients at no cost to either providers or patients across the state.
The program is already impacting underserved communities. While rural Utahns make up only 10% of the state’s total population, 17% of all calls received by CALL-UP come from rural doctors tapping into crucial help for their patients.
Stigma is a powerful social mechanism, and in small communities where everyone knows everyone, concerns over privacy and confidentiality are often heightened. In 2023, in an effort to tackle that stigma head-on, Huntsman Mental Health Institute partnered with the Ad Council to develop a national communications campaign called “Love, Your Mind.” The campaign aimed to normalize conversations about mental health and connect people with needed resources.
Knowing rural Americans experience mental health challenges at disproportionate rates, the campaign soon released its first rural-centered public service announcement featuring World Champion Bareback Rider Kaycee Feild. Three additional ads for the rural demographic followed, garnering over 92 million impressions across television and radio.
From our patient care to our education programs, research grounds and drives the work we do, ensuring our efforts are concentrated and effective. This is why, in 2021, in partnership with University of Utah’s College of Education, we formed the Utah School Mental Health Collaborative to form a better understanding of the challenges that children and adults alike face within schools.
Our research aims to improve functional outcomes for students struggling with mental health symptoms. And through early detection and intervention of mental illness in youth, we can prevent the need for higher levels of care.
The current challenges of mental health and substance use disorders impact everyone— patients, doctors, hospitals, insurance providers, schools, governments, and more. By better understanding the challenges, we can work more effectively to find solutions.
CHALLENGE
Ignorance, shame, and prejudice keep people from getting the care they need
Stigma around mental health and substance use disorders also creates barriers to jobs, military service, licensure, and housing opportunities. Negative media portrayals of mental health and substance use disorders add to the problem.
• Make it safe and normal to talk about mental health
• Increase positive media presence through educational campaigns to news organizations, the entertainment industry, schools, workplaces, and the public
• Remove structural barriers, like a check box that requires someone to state if they’ve had a mental health illness
• “Love, Your Mind” campaign to normalize talking about mental health
• Stop Stigma Together coalition
• SafeUT partnership with the Utah Jazz for the “Take Note” anti-bullying and suicide prevention campaign
CHALLENGE
Mental health care isn’t treated equally
Our society and our systems don’t treat mental and physical health care the same. Insurance coverage for mental health care is limited, society places a lower value on mental health care, and despite as much or more training, mental health providers have lower status and pay.
• Use data to show how treating mental health improves physical health
• Develop better ways to quantify levels of patient illness
• Prioritize policies and legislation that elevate mental health
• Crisis care that makes it easier to get help and reduces costly emergency department visits
• New Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center with urgent and holistic care for all
• The Utah Behavioral Health Commission and the Utah Behavioral Health Master Plan through the Utah Hospital Association
• Create a social impact model in partnership with the Sorenson Impact Institute
Our physical bodies have been studied, scanned, and scrutinized to elevate our health. But when it comes to understanding our brains and mental health, more research is needed. Unfortunately, mental health research gets less funding than other aspects of health.
• Increase funding for mental health and substance use disorder research
• Conduct cross-functional and collaborative research
• Find innovative approaches to research and treatment
• Funding for university-wide projects
• Annual event for mental health, brain, and behavioral health research
• New translational research building for cross-discipline innovation
• New and exciting research collaborations across the University of Utah, nationally, and globally
• The 2019 Huntsman Family Foundation’s largest single gift toward mental health at the time, which set an example for future investment
CHALLENGE CHALLENGE
We need more people to meet the needs
A critical provider shortage is impacting our nation, resulting in patients waiting months to get an appointment and providers who are stressed and burned out. Furthermore, schooling and residency training are long, education is underfunded, and licensing is difficult, often with obstacles for providers who have their own mental health conditions.
• Expand the types of practitioners in the workforce
• Increase educational programs and opportunities
• Reduce stigma so more people want to join the profession
• Remove questions about mental health and medications from licensing applications
• More training sites for mental health trainees
• New training programs plus education tracks focused on rural, global, and forensic mental health
• New addiction medicine fellowships to serve in rural, tribal, and underserved areas
• Pilot models of care that allow practitioners to practice at their highest level of care in a teambased approach
• Integrated care training for psychiatry residents and social work interns aimed at expanding the reach of mental health professionals rather than just increasing the numbers
• The first interactive brain curriculum for elementary students through high school
• CALL-UP psychiatric consult service, funded by the Utah Legislature
Our current system makes it expensive to get preventive mental health care, costing the US economy billions of dollars a year in lost productivity. Poverty and a lack of affordable housing mean some people can’t access care, and untreated substance use disorder can lead to job loss, homelessness, and sometimes prison instead of treatment.
• Use data and case studies to prove the value of investing in mental health care and map a better way
• Create new models of care that lower costs and increase reimbursement
• Partnership with the Sorenson Impact Institute to quantify the financial and social benefits of mental health care
• Lower costs and barriers to crisis care with our receiving center model
• Continuum of care services that allow patients to move to the right level of care
• A stepped model of care, where the most effective yet least resource-intensive treatment is delivered first
• New models of primary prevention and preemptive early interventions to prevent or minimize the impact of psychiatric illness
Somewhere, right now, a teenager struggles with depression. Her parents, desperate to find help, discover the nearest psychiatrist is an hour away. The earliest appointment? Four months from now.
This scene is increasingly common across America: “We need 30,000 psychiatrists to address the mental health needs of just the United States,” says Kristi Kleinschmit, MD, Vice Chair of Education at Huntsman Mental Health Institute. “About 25% of that number is actually practicing right now.”
“We are a trifecta of clinical operations, research, and education to advance the human condition,” says Dave Eldredge, LCSW, Senior Director of Clinical Operations, Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
Even with innovative approaches and new programs, there are significant challenges to closing the mental health workforce gap.
"Our biggest challenge, to be perfectly fair, is funding,” Kleinschmit says. “When we have really good ideas and rotation sites that we want to try to build and develop, we need to find a way to pay for those residents to be able to rotate there.”
This financial hurdle is compounded by broader systemic issues, including high retirement rates with low entry rates among providers, cumbersome reimbursement methods, emotional burnout, and policy and credential restrictions.
Edwin E. Nyambi, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, and Huntsman Mental Health Institute Receiving Center clinician, who coordinates psychiatry clinical rotations for University of Utah physician assistant students, sees the impact firsthand: “The strength of our training is reflected in the interest by students to practice psychiatry or seek postgraduate training in psychiatry. Upon graduation, physician assistant students are equipped with the training to practice in small communities and be a part of the solution to closing the nation’s mental health workforce gap.”
By exposing trainees to diverse experiences and underserved areas, the institute is nurturing a generation of mental health professionals equipped to address disparities across different communities.
According to Kleinschmit, “Every year when we go through recruitment, we have residents and medical students who are so excited about their future. They are excited about the initiatives that we have and are hoping to develop that provide additional expertise beyond the general psychiatry or child psychiatry teaching that is required.”
This excitement, coupled with the institute’s innovative strategies, offers hope for the future of mental health care—and the real work of eventually closing the workforce shortage gap.
“My family inspired me to pursue this track as I have witnessed the multiple barriers to care, which often include having a physician who doesn’t speak your language or have any cultural curiosity.”
In her fourth year of the Triple Board program, Michele de Leon Jauregui is gaining specialized training to serve her community and address critical gaps in mental health care.
As a first-generation Latina immigrant, de Leon Jauregi was drawn to the Hispanic Mental Health Concentration, a unique offering that allows her to serve her community directly.
The Hispanic Mental Health Concentration has equipped Michele with the tools to navigate complex cases involving multigenerational trauma, cultural barriers, and substance use disorders.
Looking ahead, she sees a more inclusive future for mental health care: “I envision a more diverse workforce that allows patients to see providers who speak their language and understand their culture. For this to happen, we need to continue to support programs like the Hispanic Mental Health Concentration.”
Her training at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, particularly through the Hispanic Mental Health Concentration, is directly contributing to this vision.
Let’s reimagine the scenario of a teenager with depression. Instead of a months-long wait and a one-hour drive, her parents are able to connect with a local physician assistant trained in mental health care. Her treatment integrates insights from peer support specialists who understand her struggles firsthand.
While Huntsman Mental Health Institute alone cannot solve the entire mental health workforce shortage, the institute’s unique approach is making a significant impact in Utah and the surrounding region. By creating a model that combines diverse training programs, research opportunities, and community partnerships, Huntsman Mental Health Institute is creating a blueprint for addressing mental health care shortages nationwide. And when replicated, that blueprint can make a seismic impact.
Diverse training programs
• Psychiatry residencies
• Psychology internships
• Physician Assistant program (focused on rural and underserved communities)
• Utah School Mental Health Collaborative, in partnership with University of Utah College of Education
• West High School Clinic in Salt Lake City, in partnership with University of Utah Department of Pediatrics
• Behavioral Health Innovation and Dissemination Center for psychotherapy training, in collaboration with the University of Utah Department of Psychology
Multidisciplinary teams
• Integration of certified peer support specialists
• Collaboration between medical professionals and those with lived experience
The young teacher sat there, feeling frustrated. After all the progress he’d made with his therapist on his anxiety, he saw his insurance company had only covered 50% of his appointments—not the 80% he was used to for other health care visits. Since he was getting help for his brain, shouldn’t seeing a therapist be covered the same as seeing a neurologist?
It’s not only patients who are frustrated. Providers are frustrated, too. Lower coverage and limited visits mean many patients don’t get all the care they need. Anyone who has been discharged after just 30 days of inpatient substance use disorder treatment knows this all too well.
With physical health care, the more serious a patient’s condition is, the more health insurance companies typically cover. And not just two or three times more—exponentially more. One reason for this is medical health care has thousands more quantifiable measures of illness that can be billed than mental health care does. This disparity limits providers’ ability to demonstrate to insurance carriers what care their patients need.
If the teacher mentioned above had suffered a physical head injury, every test, blood draw, procedure, and surgery would have been billed separately, whereas his mental health visits probably had only one or two billable charges. That’s despite the duration of mental health care often being long and complicated due to the chronic nature of many mental health conditions.
Mental health care also takes time and personal attention from care providers, which is exactly why it’s so impactful—but also so economically challenging. The gold standard is still one-to-one care that can’t be easily delivered or streamlined through technology.
“ There’s a translation problem; there isn’t a complete language developed to support the span of mental health needs that exist.”
GINA HAWLEY, DrPH, MHA Chief Operating Officer University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics
“We want our patients to be able to get back to their lives as quickly as possible, and we celebrate when someone feels better,” says Ian Macdonald, MHA, MBA, acting Executive Director at Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
“But there isn’t one perfect mechanism to show the before and after in mental health, like seeing a broken bone in an X-ray and then seeing it healed in another. This lack of quantifiable measures of care feeds right back into the economic challenges of mental health care.”
To remedy these challenges, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, part of the world-class care system at University of Utah Health, is working to better define quantifiable measures of acuity, or sickness.
“We’re getting close to the point where we can prove these numbers with research and use them to improve the options that hospitals and insurers have to quantify the cost of care,” Macdonald says. “It’s where mental health care needs to go.”
Placing a dollar amount on the societal benefits of mental health is the panacea. A recent study showed that untreated mental health conditions cost the US economy $282 billion every year. But proving out the benefits is harder to measure. This year, Huntsman Mental Health Institute partnered with the Sorenson Impact Institute to research and quantify the societal and economic benefits of mental health.
“The early indicators are promising,” says Mark Rapaport, MD, CEO of Huntsman Mental Health Institute. “Building a monetization framework and conducting a socioeconomic impact analysis will help bring more attention and investment in this space, which can dramatically benefit society as a whole.”
Another solution to the economic challenges is the integration of behavioral health and medical health services. Huntsman Mental Health Institute now uses the Collaborative Care Model, which brings early mental health care intervention into all University of Utah Health primary care clinics.
39% more patients served with Collaborative Care 80%
lower cost per patient with Collaborative Care
All patients receive a mental health screening at a primary care visit. If care is indicated, behavioral health professionals collaborate with the primary care provider to treat mental health conditions in the same setting as medical problems—reducing stigma and siloed care. They also make referrals to the next level of treatment. It’s part of a stepped care model where the most effective yet least resourceintensive treatment is delivered first, which helps patients get care before symptoms get worse and are harder to treat. Outcome data show that 74% of patients receiving integrated care had clinically significant improvement, with a drop of over 5 points in depression scores. Last year, 17,641 screenings were completed as part of the Collaborative Care program.
Huntsman Mental Health Institute is unique in that it offers two models of care in the integrated health program: 1) Primary Care Behavioral Health and 2) Collaborative Care in both primary care and specialty care settings. Rarely do integrated programs offer both.
There is no health without mental health
Implementing more sustainable mental health care models pays dividends for our physical health, too. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when we’re mentally healthy, we’re much less likely to smoke, eat unhealthy food, use substances, and develop heart disease, diabetes, or other kinds of secondary physical ailments. And that’s good business for everyone.
The economic challenges of mental health care are influenced by more than just dollars and cents. For example, fear and prejudice weigh heavily on decisions to seek care. The brain is difficult to assess and measure. Mental health disorders are complex compared with the average medical condition. And many health systems aren’t keeping up with advances in treatments or using validated methods to measure symptoms and progress. Huntsman Mental Health Institute is working to change these dynamics by:
• Expanding a continuum of care so patients receive the right level of care for their specific needs.
• Understanding that many patients may only need one visit, while some will need multiple visits with different services across the continuum of care.
• Emphasizing preventive and primary intervention programs, such as school-based care programs.
• Using stepped models of care, such as the Collaborative Care Model first, followed by specialty care when needed.
These approaches help increase access to care while decreasing costs. And that’s better for everyone.
Sometimes, learning to trust yourself and others happens best when you’re standing 35 feet above the ground. Sometimes, expressing yourself through music or art is the best way to let out painful feelings. And sometimes, just having a shared experience can be powerfully healing.
Many patients find healing through music, art, or recreation. These effective ways to treat mental health and substance use disorders are known at Huntsman Mental Health Institute as expressive therapies. That’s because they tap into our innate need to express our thoughts and emotions—whether it’s through creating a song or a painting, building a sense of belonging in a group, or feeling a sense of accomplishment and control. Many patients—kids and adults alike—think it’s the best part of treatment. They can experience joy, do something that is more fun or more interesting than they thought, and learn from shared experiences.
Huntsman Mental Health Institute is unique in having 22 full-time and 16 part-time credentialed music, recreation, and art therapists on staff—more than anywhere else in Utah or surrounding states.
Emily Polichette, Neurologic Music Therapist at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, says there’s real science behind music therapy, which is why it helps so many people find success.
“Music engages throughout the cortex and white matter of the brain to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain. The same regions of the brain process emotions, memories, and autonomic physical sensations,” Polichette explained. “Music also improves emotional health by creating a safe container to tap into emotions.”
Huntsman Mental Health Institute is partnering with the University of Utah College of Fine Arts on several projects, many with the Arts and Health Innovation Lab and the Utah Center for Vocology. The work ranges from studying group drumming for cancer patients to developing a creative arts therapy curriculum and certificate programs to help more people engage in arts and health.
Art therapy provides a window into a new, stronger identity that many patients haven’t experienced for a long time—if ever.
Whether it’s painting, making a collage, or sculpting, art therapy helps patients express themselves in ways they often can’t with words. The creative process allows them to problem-solve as well as identify, work through, and manage emotions. From small children to adults, it’s not about the final product, but the healing that happens while they’re creating.
Patients often discover new insights about themselves while enhancing self-control and their ability to take control of their lives—especially when practicing mindfulness. Sharing their art with others helps them face uncomfortable feelings and provides a valuable sense of connectedness and the opportunity to appreciate others’ creativity.
Music, art, and recreation are powerful therapies for mental health and substance use disorders
ART
• Drawing
• Painting
• Collage
• Leisure education
• Psychoeducational games and puzzles
• Listening
• Singing
• Song writing
• Sculpture
• Coloring
• ROPES course
• Problem-solving tasks
• Playing instruments
• Relaxation techniques
The young woman stood there, staring up at the collection of ropes and cables high above the ground, shaking her head no, convinced she couldn’t do it. But her recreational therapist suggested she only climb as far as she wanted—explaining success comes in small steps.
“It’s important to know our edge of comfort vs. discomfort. A lot of things we want are just outside our comfort zones, and we have to push ourselves a little to get them—but not too far to panic.”
HOLLY BADGER, TRS, CTRS
Expressive Therapies Manager Huntsman Mental Health Institute
With the encouragement of her group, and her therapist holding the belay rope, she carefully inched her way up the ladder. After making it to the top, she paused for a long while, gaining courage from everyone cheering her on. Then she slowly stepped onto the foot cable and, little by little, made her way toward the other side of the climb. Focusing intently
on her breath and the goal she set for herself, she continued across the cable, gaining confidence with every step. She reached the end with a sigh of relief, a huge smile, and roaring cheers from her peers down below.
The ROPES course allows for participants to recognize opportunity through problem-solving during a supportive and positive therapeutic experience—flying in the face of the isolation those with substance use disorder and other mental health issues often feel. Activities in the air and on the ground help people find their edge of comfort, improve communication skills and trust, and gain a sense of belonging. When patients are not using the ROPES course, therapists and other team members use it to provide outreach to community members, educating them about ending mental health stigma and the resources offered by Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
Every kid deserves the chance to go to camp, including those with autism. More than 14 dedicated facilitators use recreational therapy to give autistic children a place where they can meet other kids in similar situations, make their own choices, be themselves, and have a fun camp experience without the social barriers and pressures that can exist in our society. One parent described through tearful eyes how her child introduced her to another camper, saying, “this is my best friend,” something her child had never said before.
1949
We’ve seen tremendous progress—and Huntsman Mental Health Institute has helped lead the way.
The National Institutes of Health establishes the National Institute of Mental Health as one of its first four institutes
1948
The Department of Psychiatry is established at the University of Utah
1952
The first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published, giving mental health professionals an established process to diagnose mental disorders
1950
University of Utah begins training adult psychiatrists with the aid of the National Institute of Mental Health
1959
University of Utah begins training in child psychiatry
1963
The Community Mental Health Act spurs a national movement to relocate those experiencing mental health conditions out of institutions and into care facilities
1967
Aaron T. Beck develops Cognitive Behavior Therapy based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected
1967
University of Utah School of Medicine’s Division of Child Psychiatry and Primary Children’s Hospital formally partners to augment child and adolescent psychiatric facilities and training
1970
The FDA approves lithium for the treatment of bipolar disorder
1979
Bernard I. Grosser, MD, appointed the third chair of the Department of Psychiatry, plays an integral role in the University of Utah Research Foundation purchasing the Western Institute of Neuropsychiatry in 1986, later renamed the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI)
1987
The FDA approves SSRIs for treating depression, drastically increasing the production and accessibility of this innovative treatment still used today
1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 extends legal protections to those with mental illnesses
1986
University of Utah is selected as one of the first five institutions to pilot triple board training (adult psychiatry, child psychiatry, and pediatrics)
1986
Western Institute of Neuropsychiatry, a 90-bed inpatient facility, opens in Research Park; is renamed University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute eight years later
2011
University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute undergoes expansion, nearly doubling its patient capacity with new 120,000-square-foot addition
2012
In partnership with Salt Lake County, community crisis services expand to include a hotline, mobile crisis outreach, and a walk-in receiving center
2010
The Affordable Care Act increases access to mental health care by making health insurance more affordable
2022
The national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is established, allowing users to connect via phone, text, or chat with a network of crisis call centers
2023
Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act prohibits health plans from imposing barriers on access to mental health or substance use disorder benefits
2015
SafeUT crisis chat and school safety application is launched, bringing mental health awareness and resources into schools
2017
Rural and Underserved Utah Training and Education Program is established, placing medical students in rural areas to provide needed care
2019
Following historic $150 million donation from the Huntsman family, University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute becomes the Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Huntsman Mental Health Institute begins managing a statewide crisis line, the precursor to the 988 national crisis hotline
2023
The Ad Council launches a national “Love, Your Mind” anti-stigma campaign in partnership with Huntsman Mental Health Institute
2024
Huntsman Mental Health Institute researcher authors largest-ever genetic study of suicide
Dear Friends and Supporters,
As we reflect on another year of progress, I am filled with a profound sense of hope and determination. The challenges we face in supporting mental health and substance use disorders are significant, but I believe our community is rising to meet them with unwavering resolve.
With your support, over the past year, we have channeled critical funding to Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s exceptional programs, expanding research, education, and clinical care while deepening our commitment to ensuring access to life-changing and life-saving mental health services.
We know there is so much more work to be done, and I am proud to share our bold goal: to raise $525 million by 2030 to fund advanced mental health research, expand education initiatives, and deliver critical care. We know the leadership responsibility we have in elevating this work across our nation. We need your partnership and generous commitment to generate these long-overdue transformative approaches at Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
This ambitious target represents our steadfast belief that everyone deserves access to compassionate, evidence-based care. It signals our refusal to accept the status quo and our determination to set a new standard for mental health and substance use disorder support for our communities.
I am inspired by the progress we have made thus far, and I am even more excited about the future. Together, we will demonstrate that investing in mental health is not only the right thing to do but also a wise and necessary investment in the well-being of our society.
The road ahead may be challenging, but I am confident and full of hope that with your support, we will achieve our ambitious goals and create a brighter, healthier future for all.
We have every reason to invest in mental health. What’s yours?
Grateful,
Becky Pickle CEO, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation
At West High School in Salt Lake City, a student walks into the school’s newly renovated health center. In addition to her routine physical, this young athlete receives a comprehensive mental health screening that could identify issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Miles away, in a state-of-the-art lab at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Eric Monson, MD, analyzes genetic data, searching for clues to predict severe mental health outcomes in trauma-exposed youth. This early identification could lead to timely interventions that have the potential to save lives.
These initiatives, among others, are made possible by generous donations to Huntsman Mental Health Institute through the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation. Two recent gifts, in particular, are making a profound impact.
“If we can understand these issues better, we might be able to help in ways we never thought possible.”
KIM BERTIN, MD
Generous donor to Huntsman Mental Health Foundation
At 73, Kim Bertin, MD, has seen how views on mental health have changed over time: “When I was a kid, people said there was no treatment for mental illness. They just sent people to the state hospital,” he recalls.
Today, Bertin and his wife, Jennifer, along with their family, are helping build a brighter future with their bold and impactful pledge to the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation.
The Bertins began with a series of smaller donations, but the more they learned about the institute’s mission and work, the more they wanted to contribute: “We were amazed by everything Huntsman Mental Health Institute was doing here in the valley and across the state and nation,” Bertin says.
A significant portion of their gift is earmarked for groundbreaking research by Eric Monson, MD, which dives into the complex relationship between psychological trauma and severe mental health outcomes, including suicide, in children and adolescents.
“If we can understand these issues better, we might be able to help in ways we never thought possible,” Bertin says.
The potential of this research extends far beyond Utah’s borders. Monson collaborates with national and international partners, including the prestigious Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, amplifying the impact of the Bertins’ gift.
The Bertin family’s pledge shows how much of a difference community support can make. Their generous pledge works toward a future where good mental health care is effective, readily available, and without shame.
When Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast in history, stepped back from competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health, it sparked a crucial conversation about the well-being of athletes.The Utah Sports Commission is turning that conversation into action through a gift.
“Sports and mental health have converged,” says Jeff Robbins, President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “We’ve seen high-profile athletes like Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Michael Phelps openly discuss their mental health challenges. If they can struggle with these issues and learn to manage them, they serve as great examples for all of us.”
The Commission’s gift supports the school-based health center at West High School, integrating mental health care into students’ daily lives. The goal? Making mental health screenings as routine as physical check-ups for student athletes.
It also funds a unique program featuring student athletes as ambassadors. These peer leaders help raise awareness about mental health issues and promote the center’s services to their classmates, aiming to reduce stigma and increase use of mental health resources.
Jeff Robison, MD, Associate Professor at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, emphasizes the impact of this approach:
“Student participation in sports has allowed us an initial touchpoint with them. We can screen for physical well-being beyond the basics of a pre-participation physical, plug them into the clinic for a
more expanded approach to preventive care, and screen for key markers of mental and behavioral health. This approach has been incredibly successful for linking us with students who may not otherwise be enrolled in care.”
Robbins sees this as a long-term strategy to normalize mental health care in sports: “It’s got to be viewed as a long-term process. How do we create a vision and program to put infrastructure in place so that if you have an issue, you can seek help without worrying about stigma or job security?”
As Utah prepares to host the 2034 Winter Olympics, this focus on mental health may well become a defining feature of the state’s sports legacy.
“It’s got to be viewed as a long-term process. How do we create a vision and program to put infrastructure in place so that if you have an issue, you can seek help without worrying about stigma or job security?”
JEFF ROBBINS President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission
From crisis intervention to longterm support, Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah combines patient care, research, and education to solve one of our nation’s greatest challenges: untreated mental health conditions.
6,200 patients under 18
33,894 patients served
5,077 patient experience surveys OUR PATIENTS +
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY IN CRISIS
70 MH1 campus outreaches at the University of Utah
27,365 chats from all SafeUT apps
2,649 visits to walk-in crisis care
130,311 crisis and support calls received
988, ANSWERING THE CALL FOR MENTAL HEALTH
MOMENTS OF CARE
At the heart of Huntsman Mental Health Institute is caring for people. The institute’s team of physicians and staff provide compassionate support across the 161-bed hospital and more than 85 locations throughout the Mountain West.
Eight care locations:
• 161-bed inpatient hospital
• Seven outpatient locations
• Mental health support services at more than 85 additional locations
• 910 employees with an average tenure of 7.7 years
• 342 consultations to doctors in 15 Utah counties through the CALL-UP program
12 Specialty care areas:
• Maternal mental health
• Geriatric mental health
• Treatment-resistant mood disorders
• Autism
• Collaborative Care Model
• Medical and mental health care
• Physical disability and mental health care
• Substance use disorder
• Child and youth partial hospitalization programs
• Comprehensive Assessment and Treatment programs
• Physical disability and mental health care through the HOME program
• Medical and mental health care in partnership with the emergency room
The SafeUT app has made a significant impact:
91,779 CRISIS CALLS RECEIVED THROUGH 988
10,217 CHATS + TEXTS RECEIVED THROUGH 988
93% IN-STATE ANSWER RATE
• 27,365 total chats were handled across all SafeUT apps in FY2024
• 87,369 new users accessed the SafeUT website
• For K–12 and Higher Education alone: 26,808 chats were initiated and 8,985 tips were received
• SafeUT Frontline provided 368 chats for health care workers, fire/EMS, law enforcement, and other first responders
• SafeUT National Guard offered 189 chats for National Guard members
Huntsman Mental Health Institute is dedicated to understanding the brain better—and developing treatments for addiction, anxiety, depression, and suicide. To drive new discoveries, researchers conduct a diverse portfolio of research, from basic science to clinical interventions, drawing from the world’s largest set of data on suicide mortality and leading numerous collaborations worldwide.
24 new awards in fiscal year 2024:
• Amanda Bakian, LinusBio
• Anna Docherty, National Institute of Mental Health
• Elizabeth Howell, Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration
• Erin Kaufman, National Institute of Mental Health, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
• Jeremy Kendrick, Health Resources and Services Administration
• Brent Kious, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• Douglas Kondo, Veterans Affairs (Two awards)
• Vincent Koppelmans, Utah State University Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center
• Ben Lewis, worldwide clinical trial
• Brian Mickey, PCORI/Brigham Women’s Hospital, Abbott, Wellcome Leap, Icon clinical research, Compass Pathways
• Warren Pettine, Dartmouth College
• Mark Rapaport, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• Perry Renshaw, Veterans Affairs
• Iris Titos, National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, Veterans Affairs (Four awards)
National Institutes of Health research career development (K) awards:
• Erin Kaufman: National Institute of Mental Health
• Vincent Koppelmans: National Institute on Aging
• Collin Merril: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
• Iris Titos: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Our research impact:
• 270+ peer-reviewed publications
• 81+ research collaborations
• 90 active grants, 46% from the National Institutes of Health
• 43 faculty, 62 staff
• $5.25 million in new awards budgeted
• 20% increase in total grant expenditures
• $12.9 million in total grant expenditures
90 active awards in fiscal year 2024:
• 41 awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• 13 government awarded (non-NIH)
• 17 awarded by Veterans Affairs
• 19 privately awarded
NUMBER OF PROJECTS FUNDED, BY FACULTY
49 PROFESSORS
25 ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS
27 ASSISTANT PROFESSORS
Every year, the institute equips hundreds of learners with the skills and compassion needed to tackle tomorrow’s mental health challenges and provides both a wide variety of learning programs and unique programs you won’t find anywhere else.
1,181 PSYCHIATRY RESIDENT AND FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS
246
FACULTY + STAFF
30 POSITIONS
79 RESIDENTS + FELLOWS FROM 11 COUNTRIES AND 34 US STATES
From classroom to clinic:
50 ROTATION SITES
• Building the foundation: Undergraduate and early training
• Advancing expertise: Graduate programs
• Specialized care training: Residencies and fellowships
• Expertise in focused areas: Specialty certifications
11 Education rotations:
• Undergraduate nursing students
• Physician’s Assistant students
• Recreation Therapy students
• Pharmacy residents
• Pediatric residents
• Pediatric Neurology residents
• Medical students
• Dental residents
• Psychology externship students
• Psychiatry Mental Health
• Nurse Practitioner students
11 Specialty training programs:
• Mental Health Officer training
• Registered Behavior Technician Certification
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst internships
• Dementia Certification
• Psychology Internship
• Postdoctoral Psychology Residency
• Recreation Therapy Internship
• Music Therapy Internship
• Art Therapy Internship
• Certified Crisis Worker
• Peer Support Specialist
7 Practicum sites:
• Master of Social Work students
• Psychiatry Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students
• Educational psychology students
• Medical Assistant students
• Expressive Therapies
• Occupational Therapy
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst
8 Graduate medical education programs:
• General Psychiatry Residency
• Rural Track, Idaho
• Research Track
• Triple Board Residency
• Child Psychiatry Fellowship
• Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship
• Addiction Medicine Fellowship
• Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship FOR
Huntsman Mental Health Institute is committed to reducing the stigma and shame that prevents people from seeking care for their mental health. We collaborate with partners locally and across the nation to promote accessible, clear information about mental health and substance use disorder prevention, care options, research, and education.
1.2M UNIQUE VISITORS TO WEBSITE
24% SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE GROWTH
Community engagement:
• 160 prevention outreach events reached more than 6,200 people
Public awareness:
• 592,000 new visitors to hmhi.utah.edu, with total views of 1.16 million
• 24% increase in social media followers
• 161,872 media mentions reaching 10.5 million people
Major initiatives:
One of the largest public awareness campaigns for mental health
• In October 2023, in partnership with the Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Institute launched a public awareness campaign called “Love, Your Mind”
In just the fi rst nine months, the campaign earned 3.4 billion impressions and reached more than 72 million people nationwide
National event to discuss mental health and substance use disorder stigma
• In June 2024, more than 200 organizations from across the country convened in Salt Lake City at the National Summit to End Stigma to share information, education, and data on how to fight the stigma facing mental health and substance use disorders.
Digital platforms to increase awareness and accessibility
• Huntsman Mental Health Institute refreshed its website to align with its mission and help patients and family members find the care they need quickly through a simplified design and language.
• The institute launched a new e-newsletter, called Heart and Mind, to 17,500 people with an average open rate of 31%.
TRIBUTE TO ROSS VAN VRANKEN
Thirty-three years. Countless changes. And immeasurable advances. It’s hard to quantify all that Ross Van Vranken, MSW, did for Huntsman Mental Health Institute during his time as Executive Director. He stepped down as Executive Director in March 2024, capping an illustrious career that impacted our institution, our community, and the delivery of mental health care overall.
Van Vranken received an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Utah, then joined Huntsman Mental Health Institute (formerly University Neuropsychiatric Institute) as a social worker. After working his way up through the organization, he was named Executive Director in 1991. He also co-chaired the Behavioral Health Committee for the Utah Hospital Association for more than two decades and chaired Utah’s Mental Health Crisis Response Commission. He received the Distinguished Hospital Executive Award
from the Utah Hospital Association and the Informed Decision Maker of the Year Award from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
As Executive Director, Van Vranken brought compassion and collaboration to everything he did. His leadership style inspired others to solve the most challenging issues facing our profession. Many of the programs, achievements, and research mentioned in this report are a result of his leadership—although he’ll insist it was great people and excellent teamwork.
“We tried new ideas, and we were not afraid to fail. That courage to innovate got us where we are today.”
ROSS VAN VRANKEN, MSW
Executive leadership team
James Ashworth
Jenny Bonk
Dave Eldredge
Geoff Erikson
Alijana Kahriman
Kristi Kleinschmit
Ian Macdonald
Mark Rapaport
William Smith
Debbye Yurgelun-Todd
Marketing, communications, and outreach
Monica Boice, Operations and Digital Strategy
Jenny Bonk, Director
Patricia Brandt, Public Relations
Caitlyn Harris, Social Media
Holli Hjelm, SafeUT Marketing
Geldona Lapi, Web and Digital Communications
Sarah Latta, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Aimee Myers, Marketing
Tanner Telford, Internal Communications
Danielle Valdez, Community Outreach
Design, layout, and content support
Right On
Photography
Charlie Ehlert
Kristan Jacobson
Andrea Medina
David Newkirk
Jen Pilgreen
Printing
SunPrint
Special thanks
Amy Albo
Sara Brown
Jessica Howsden
Nick McGregor
Jesse Colby
Contact us
Send feedback to hmhimarketing@hsc.utah.edu
501 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
801-583-2500
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