Community Partnerships for Improving Behavioral Health

Sanpete Valley Hospital, a critical access hospital in Mount Pleasant, Utah, is leading behavioral health outreach efforts in rural Sanpete County. In 2014, the 18-bed hospital helped launch the Sanpete Behavioral Community Health Network. About 15 different organizations are involved with the network, which includes church groups, school districts, the Central Utah Counseling Center, behavioral therapists, community leaders, and hospital staff. Sanpete Valley Hospital and the health network offer multiple behavioral health services, including grief support, resource groups for parents, mental health First Aid classes, and periodic screenings, and many services are offered at low or no cost to patients who qualify. Intermountain Healthcare provides a grant to the community that the hospital uses to provide free or discounted medications for patients. Sanpete Valley Hospital also helped start a subgroup of the health network to focus on adolescents. The Sanpete Behavioral Community Health Network served more than 130 patients in 2014 and more than 300 patients in 2015. The network's efforts have helped reduce stigma about mental health issues and led to open discussions throughout the community.

For more information, contact Brooke Heath, communications specialist, at brooke.heath@imail.org.