Intermountain Healthcare’s hospital emergency departments have seen a 300+ percent increase in pediatric mental health crises over the past 10 years, where it has been found that an estimated 40% of the children are not getting care.
Mental health services for children are expanding in Utah via an innovative mobile and telehealth program that is bringing stabilization services and follow-up visits directly to the family’s home, free of charge.
In person Stabilization Mobile Response (SMR) is expanding to urban and rural counties in Utah’s western region as part of a partnership with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services https://hs.utah.gov and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital https://Intermountainhealthcare.or/primary-childrens. SMR services are also available using telehealth via audio and video technology to connect with behavioral health specialists.
Expanding behavioral health services is a critical piece of our “Primary Promise” to create the nation’s model health system for children. Using SMR and telehealth is a good initial step towards this goal.”, reports Katy Welkie, RN, CEO of Primary Children’s Hospital and VP of Intermountain Children’s Health.
With SMR, if a child has an emergency related to mental distress, a parent or guardian can call for help. A trained professional will answer the call, help the family with de-escalation, and determine services that best fit the family’s needs.
When appropriate, a SMR response team of behavioral health specialists can come to the home. The team conducts an assessment by talking with the child and the parents and then creates a support plan.
In cases when families face compounded stressors and barriers to treatment, stabilization services continue for up to eight weeks. The stabilization services include home visits, coaching, therapy, skill-building, and connecting to other resources when appropriate