Take Action Mental Health in Your State

Utah

By The Numbers

712,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

56,000
Children with major depressionii
25,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:2,720

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:8,198

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:591

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in Utah

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW UTAH COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

23

32

32

32

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

27,000 / 10.17%

47,000 / 15.48%

51,600 / 16.64%

56,000 / 17.77%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

24,000 / 53.8%

22,000 / 45.2%

25,000 / 45.4%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

31,000 / 10.7%

36,000 / 11.9%

45,000 / 14.5%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

11,000 / 27.3%

8,000 / 24.5%

11,000 27.3%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

2,263 / 4.21%

1,889 / 3.17%

1,918 / 3.17%

1,933 / 3.12%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

15,745 / 33.8%

10,000 / 4.7%

16,000 / 7.8%

10,000 / 4.7%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

12,000 / 4.65%

12,000 / 3.84%

10,000 / 3.16%

12,000 / 3.77%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
Utah

By The Numbers

712,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

56,000
Children with major depressionii
25,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:2,720

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:8,198

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:591

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in Utah

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW UTAH COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

23

32

32

32

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

27,000 / 10.17%

47,000 / 15.48%

51,600 / 16.64%

56,000 / 17.77%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

24,000 / 53.8%

22,000 / 45.2%

25,000 / 45.4%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

31,000 / 10.7%

36,000 / 11.9%

45,000 / 14.5%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

11,000 / 27.3%

8,000 / 24.5%

11,000 27.3%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

2,263 / 4.21%

1,889 / 3.17%

1,918 / 3.17%

1,933 / 3.12%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

15,745 / 33.8%

10,000 / 4.7%

16,000 / 7.8%

10,000 / 4.7%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

12,000 / 4.65%

12,000 / 3.84%

10,000 / 3.16%

12,000 / 3.77%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.

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School Mental Health Professionals

Little or no progress achieved

School psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools.

 

Current Policy:

  • School Psychologists: Utah has one school psychologist for every 2,720 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).
  • School Social Workers: Utah has one school social worker for every 8,198 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
  • School Counselors: Utah has one school counselor for every 591 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Invest in significantly improving the ratios of school psychologists, school social workers, and counselors in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in mental health. 

School-Family-Community Partnerships

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that support and enable schools to engage with families and community partners.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Family/community engagement: State statutes require districts to adopt plans, policies, or strategies to engage parents and families in the educational process.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require partnerships between school districts and community mental health providers that ensure access to services for students with ongoing needs.

Teacher and Staff Training:

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that support training of teachers and staff in mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention.

 

Current Policy:

  • Teacher/staff training:
    • 53G-9-704 (2020) requires school districts and charter schools to require licensed employees to complete a minimum of two hours of professional development training on youth suicide prevention every three years. 
    • 53G-8-802 (2020) requires the Board of Education to provide training in identifying an individual who may be showing signs or symptoms of mental illness.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand on existing training requirements to ensure K-12 teachers and staff training includes substance use conditions and available school and community-based services and resources. .

Funding Supports

Some progress achieved

Policies that help support funding of school mental health services for Medicaid-eligible students.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Medicaid coverage: B. 106 (2019) requires the Department of Health to submit a Medicaid state program amendment to allow coverage of school mental health services. H.B. 373 (2019) required a report, which recommends allowing local school districts to receive Medicaid coverage for allowable services provided to students who do not have an IEP.
  • Medicaid telehealth: State Medicaid plan covers school-based mental health services delivered via telehealth for all EPSDT services, which include mental health.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand Medicaid billing to include school-based mental health services, including via telehealth, for all Medicaid eligible students (beyond students with an IEP).
  • Ensure the state Medicaid program covers services delivered by school psychologists, social workers, and school counselors.

Well-Being Checks

Little or no progress achieved

Regular checks of mental wellness that help identify students and staff who may need support.  

 

Current Policy:

  • No well-being checks required.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require annual well-being checks for all students and staff in K-12.

Healthy School Climate

Meaningful progress achieved

  • School climate survey: Every two years, Utah conducts a Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey.  The survey is given to students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 and is designed to measure adolescent substance use, mental health needs, and other risk and protective factors.
  • Mental health excused absences: B. 81 (effective May 2021) added “mental or behavioral health” of the student as a valid excused absence.
  • Alternatives to exclusionary discipline: 
    • 53G-8-207 (2019) requires local school boards and charter schools to establish alternatives to suspension, including in-school suspension or a program allowing the parent to attend class with the student.
    • 53G-8-211(3)(b) (2021) provides that if a minor student is alleged to have committed certain offenses, the a school district, school, or law enforcement officer or agency may refer the minor to evidence-based alternative interventions, including a mobile crisis outreach team, a youth services center, a youth court or comparable restorative justice program, evidence-based interventions created by the school or school district, or other evidence-based interventions that may exist.
  • Suicide prevention: 53G-9-702 (2021) requires school districts and charter schools to implement youth suicide prevention programs and trainings for elementary and secondary grades.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Enact legislation to address additional healthy school climate policies, such as adopting anti-bullying policies and promoting an inclusive environment through anti-discrimination policies.

Skills for Life Success

Little or no progress achieved

Skills, such as responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and self-management, that help students succeed in school and life.  

 

Current Policy:

  • No recommended life skills competencies in K-12 (CASEL).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require adoption of evidence-based life skills education for K-12, including making training in the curriculum available to parents and caregivers.

Mental Health Education

Meaningful progress achieved

Health education in K-12 that includes instruction on mental health.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Mental health education: Utah’s K-12 core state standards for health education include mental health.

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require K-12 health education to explicitly include education on mental health, similar to legislation passed by New York and Virginia.