As the new school year approaches, families across Utah are busy gathering school supplies, backpacks, and clothes. However, experts at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital suggest adding something vital to your back-to-school checklist: a mental health toolkit. With the rising number of children needing mental health support, especially as they return to school, it’s essential to prioritize mental well-being alongside physical preparedness.
The Growing Need for Mental Health Support
Nationally, one in five children aged 3 to 17 faces a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. In Utah, suicide remains a leading cause of death among youth, with a staggering 43 percent of young people who felt sad, hopeless, or suicidal last year not seeking help. This alarming statistic highlights the importance of proactive mental health support for children.
Intermountain Primary Children’s experts emphasize that parents should not hesitate to act if they have concerns about their child’s mental well-being. To assist families, the hospital has developed a comprehensive mental health toolkit that parents should include in their back-to-school preparations.
Mental Health Toolkit Contents
Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital Talk to Tweens Resources
These resources are designed to help parents and teachers initiate conversations with children, helping them identify, express, and manage their feelings healthily. The “Talk to Tweens” tools, available in English and Spanish at TalkToTweens.org and hableconsusjovenes.org, include conversation starters, a downloadable Feelings Wheel, and additional tips for families.
Free Assessment, Referral, Consultation Service (ARCS): 801-313-7711
This statewide service connects families to available services for children within their communities.
Free In-Home Stabilization and Mobile Response: 1-833-SAFE-FAM
A team is dispatched to homes during crises to stabilize children in need.
Utah Crisis Hotline: 988
Offers free support for anyone, adult or child, in crisis.
Pediatric Crisis Assessments Available 24/7
Available through the emergency departments at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital campuses in Salt Lake City and Lehi.
Partial Hospitalization Programs at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital
These programs are available at several Intermountain locations, including the Miller Family Campus in Lehi, Salt Lake Campus, Wasatch Canyons campus in Taylorsville, and soon at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital.
Call 911 or Take Your Child to the Nearest Hospital Emergency Department
This step is crucial in the event of self-harm, a suicide attempt, or any other life-threatening emergency.
Expanded Support and Resources
“Sometimes, parents don’t know where to turn for help,” said Amanda Choudhary, senior director of pediatric behavioral health at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. She encourages parents with concerns to utilize the expanded Assessment, Referral Consultation Service at 801-313-7711. The goal is to connect families to the necessary services either within their community or through Primary Children’s Hospital.
Recognizing the growing need for mental health services, Intermountain Children’s Health is expanding its offerings for children and teens in crisis. The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Campus in Lehi already dedicates an entire floor to behavioral health services, and more support is on the way.
A new 90,000-square-foot Behavioral Health Center is under construction at the hospital’s Wasatch Canyons campus in Taylorsville, set to open in 2025. This facility will include:
A nearly 50 percent increase in inpatient beds
A walk-in-crisis center
The state’s first dedicated behavioral health inpatient unit for youth with autism and neuro-diverse needs
Family-centered behavioral healthcare, with overnight stays for parents
Outpatient spaces designed for more intensive outpatient treatment, day treatment, and group therapy programs
A Community Effort
Behavioral health is a critical focus under Primary Promise, Intermountain’s campaign to build a model health system for children in the nation. Philanthropic support is crucial to completing the new facility and expanding these essential services, ultimately helping more children grow up stronger and healthier. As the school year begins, this mental health toolkit serves as a vital resource for ensuring the mental and emotional well-being of Utah’s children.
Related topics:
