'Don't hesitate to reach out': Utah offers suicide prevention resources for those in crisis

SALT LAKE CITY — September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services wants to help more Utahns learn about the resources available right now for crisis situations, or any mental health situations ahead of National 988 Day on Sunday.

"It's important to know if things get tough, you aren't alone. You can get help for yourself or someone else by calling or texting 988. There is always someone available to help you," said Brent Kelsey, director of the department's mental health office.

Utah has multiple new resources to help people going through a mental health crisis, and people involved with providing those resources are encouraging anyone in need to reach out.

988 hotline

The 988 number, a national suicide prevention hotline, received 91,779 calls and 10,217 chats in Utah over the last year. Specialists in Utah answered 93% of those, while others were transferred to a national team, Kelsey said in a statement.

Carol Ruddell, administrator of Live On Utah and the health department's Office of Substance Use and Mental Health, said in an interview the number of people using the hotline grows each month as people learn about it. The number has been available since July 2022.

She said having a different number for mental health is important because it brings responders who specialize in mental health — they know how to deescalate the situation, what conversations to have and the resources available.

Ruddell said the hotline is not just for those with suicidal thoughts.

"There's never a wrong time to call 988," she said. "They have the resources, they can give you the information."

She said the national hotline will be answered in Utah automatically when a call is made from a number with a Utah area code. Utahns with other area codes can ask to be directed to Utah-specific resources.

Ruddell said the number can be also used by friends or family members who want to help someone going through a mental health struggle

"Every Utahn can make a difference. ... It's up to us to listen to what people are saying, how they're acting. If something's up then we should be worried. We should talk with them, we should connect with them and have conversations," she said.

She recommends people start a conversation about mental health using what initiated their concern.

"It shows you care, it shows you notice people, they feel valued — and that right there is suicide prevention," Ruddell said.

Crisis outreach

Todd Soutor, director of Davis Behavioral Health, said anyone in the community can get help by calling directly or through the 988 hotline. He said they help with immediate crisis situations and connecting people with long-term resources.

The crisis outreach center at Davis Behavioral Health gets roughly 25 calls a day, and typically responds in person to a few calls each day that don't resolve over the phone, Soutor said. Its teams include a licensed mental health therapist and a trained peer who are able to meet someone in a crisis where they are or at another comfortable location.

"Don't be afraid, or ashamed, or embarrassed about asking for help," he said. "Life is challenging. ... Struggles, life challenges, difficulties are everywhere — for all of us."

He said Davis Behavioral Health loves receiving calls because it can help. The program is funded by the government, so callers don't have to worry about the cost.

Soutor said some Utah counties have similar resources available through their mental health centers, but not all counties have been able to staff the center with therapists 24/7 like Davis County.

As Soutor has taught people around the U.S. about the program, he has learned Utah stands out in immediate responses for mental health crises.

"It's something I think our state can be really be proud of," he said.

SafeUT app

In addition to the national 988 hotline, the SafeUT app is available to students, parents, teachers, and in separate apps to first responders and members of the National Guard.

Diana Ballesteros, an outreach coordinator with SafeUT, said if people have a resource available to contact someone, like this app, they are not alone. A person will respond to messages in an average of 90 seconds.

"If you're ever feeling stressed, anxious, lonely, or just need someone to talk to because it's been that type of day, please don't hesitate to reach out," she said.

She teaches students, teachers, law enforcement, health care workers, emergency responders and their family members about the app, encouraging them to download the app onto their phones before it's needed.

Ballesteros said students can use it when they're stressed in a math class, or a nurse could use it after a long day to help her not bring work stress to her home. She said a crisis looks different for everyone.

In the last year, Ballesteros said 539 students' lives were saved because of the app.

When she visits schools, she said the students typically already know about the app, but parents and educators don't always know about it or realize they can use it too.

"To make sure that our youth are emotionally healthy and well, the adults in their lives also have to be emotionally healthy and well," Ballesteros said.

Crisis receiving center

Cacilia Jensen, director of the crisis receiving center in Price, part of Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, said it helps individuals from three counties for up to 24 hours during a crisis. She said those 24 hours are enough to make a big difference.

"It feels like forever when you're in it and experiencing (a crisis), but when you have somebody who's there to help you through it, it's really a pretty quick process to come down," she said.

Jensen said there is hope and help, and encouraged people not to give up. She said it is "transformational" to watch people come in struggling and leave with hope just one day later.

"Don't let that moment decide what your future is going to be. Be willing to reach out for help, be willing to be brave, to say, 'I need help in this moment,'" she said. "There absolutely is hope and help out there, and we want to help."

There are six crisis centers open in Utah right now, including the one in Price that opened in July, and Jensen said others are in development.

At the center, people going through a crisis work with a therapist, a medical provider and others to assess their needs and create a plan for what they should do when they leave. She said the center will schedule appointments for them, help find jobs for them to apply for, or help them sign up for insurance.

Like the 988 hotline, this program is fully funded, so visitors at the crisis center will not receive a bill when they leave.

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