The Tragic News
Utah ranks worst in the nation in critical mental health issues! According to Summit County Health Director Rich Bullough, Utah has the highest rate of suicide in the nation! Utah also ranks at or near the top in depression and substance abuse. If you think this doesn’t affect everyone, think again. Statistics indicate that one in five Americans suffers from some form of mental illness.
These are shocking statements. The good news is that local health and civic leaders are taking action, but they need your help.
Speaking to a packed audience at the Park City Sunrise Rotary Club meeting, Director Bullough outlined the facts and talked about the efforts being taken by our local mental health professionals and government agencies to address these life-threatening issues.
What You Can Do
I want to make you aware of 2 initiatives directed at improving the mental health and substance abuse services throughout Utah and in particular, Summit County.
A large group of citizens and health professionals have a created a comprehensive online survey to help identify the mental health needs of Summit County residents. Like all surveys, the data is only as good as the number of replies. Your help will be critical in spreading the word about this survey so that high participation and a representative sample can be obtained from the community.
Please, take this confidential survey and share the link with your circle of friends and family. Share it on social media as well. Remember, the survey is for all residents! Here is the link.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/summit-health
A New Mental Health Resource for Summit County
The second initiative is called CONNECT. To quote the Connect press release, “CONNECT brings together Summit County residents who are concerned about mental health issues facing our community. We are family members, loved ones and friends of people struggling with mental illness” CONNECT also includes representatives from the mental health service providers in Summit County.
The CONNECT Mission Statement says…”CONNECT was formed to de-stigmatize mental illness, to increase awareness of existing behavioral health services and to build public support for increased spending on behavioral health in Summit County”.
For further information about CONNECT email [email protected]
For further information about the Mental Health Assessment survey, please contact Katie Mullaly at the Summit County Health Department. (435)333-1503 or email [email protected]
Please, take the survey and share the link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/summit-health It’s worth your time.
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