Huntsman Mental Health Institute will open Youth Crisis Care Center in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — On Monday, the Huntsman Mental Health Institute held an open house for the new walk-in Youth Crisis Care Center that is opening on July 28.

Natalie McClintock, LCSW and Behavioral Health Science Manager for Huntsman Mental Health Institute, spoke with ABC4.com and explained what the Youth Crisis Care Center is and what kind of care it will provide.

“It’s going to be a place for youth and their families to come and meet with professionals for youth that are in crisis and be connected with a continuum of care,” she said.

According to a press release, it is a specialized 24/7 crisis stabilization program designed for children and teens experiencing mental health emergencies. This center will address a critical service gap in Utah, according to the press release, where the suicide rate ranks among the nation’s top 10.

McClintock added that it will be the middle ground between inpatient and outpatient care, “so it allows further evaluation and observation to determine best next steps. That can be inpatient or further outpatient or other levels of care.”

In March, Huntsman Mental Health Institute opened the Kem and Carolyn Mental Health Crisis Care Center in South Salt Lake, which is for adults. This Youth Crisis Care Center is going to do the same thing, but for youth. Youth ages 5-17 will be able receive crisis interventions at this new center.

The Youth Crisis Care Center will be located on the first floor of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. It will be a walk-in center open 24/7, and there is no need to call ahead, McClintock said. “Just bring them in, and we will assess, and they will receive care.” This center provides a better alternative to taking a child in crisis to the emergency room.

“The ER is great for medical emergencies, it’s not great for psychiatric emergencies,” McClintock said. “And so what we’re really trying to do is take away patients that don’t need to be in the ER and have them come here and get the actual crisis services that they need.”

According to the press release, emergency rooms across the state have reported feeling overwhelmed by the number of youths presenting with mental health concerns. Reportedly, in 2024, Huntsman Mental Health Institute treated nearly 3,000 individual youth patients in their inpatient program.

Youth who go to the Crisis Care Center will meet with a provider, a social worker, a certified crisis worker, peer support specialists, and nursing staff. “They will get a wraparound care for evaluation, and the certified crisis worker will help with disposition planning in support with a social worker,” McClintock explained.

The center was made to serve the Salt Lake County community, “but we’re not going to turn anyone away,” McClintock said.

“We are seeing an increase in crisis across age ranges, and so we really want to make sure that we provide care for any age range, and this will allow us to hit the youth population,” McClintock stated.

The center will have a 12-patient capacity, but they can be assessing any number of patients at any time who can stay up to 23 hours, McClintock explained. They will not be turning anyone away.

“What I really hope is that the community is made aware of this service and to utilize it. We’re here, we’re gonna be open on July 28th, and just come in. If you’re concerned about a family member or your child, bring them in. We will assess, we will get them care, and we will direct next best steps,” McClintock concluded.