GUNNISON, Utah — As Mental Health Awareness Month approaches, one rural Utah coalition is working to connect people with resources before they reach a crisis point.
Inside Gunnison City Hall on Tuesday, members of the Gunnison Valley CARES Coalition gathered to plan outreach efforts and discuss challenges impacting communities across Sanpete County.
The coalition includes local schools, law enforcement, businesses, counselors, and community leaders focused on issues including youth vaping, substance abuse prevention, and suicide awareness.
“My question now is who would be interested in being a part of our Community Night Out committee?” asked Jocie Rojas with the Central Utah Counseling Center during the monthly meeting.
For coalition president Colleen Ogden, the work is deeply personal. “I got started because my husband took his own life in 1999,” Ogden said as she began to cry, “In 1999, there were no resources. I knew he needed help, and I didn’t know where to turn.”
Ogden lost her husband, local police officer Blake Edwards, to suicide 27 years ago. He was 42 years old and left behind his wife and two children.
She says that tragedy pushed her to become involved in mental health advocacy and community outreach.
“Something needs to be done,” Ogden said. “Something more needs to be done.”
After retiring from her position at Gunnison Valley High School, where she worked in the front office, Ogden began volunteering with the local counseling center. It was work that eventually grew into a larger role helping connect families with support and information.
“I just started to volunteer, and it snowballed into something more and more,” she said.
School counselors in the area say they are also closely tracking mental health trends among students. “The SHARP survey is to get a long-term picture of what is going on in our students’ lives,” said Gunnison Valley High School counselor Lori Dunne.
She had been reviewing data this week and sharing some of that with other community leaders. She said suicide is something that affects rural schools and areas more than their urban counterparts.
According to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, rural Utah experiences higher suicide rates than urban areas. In 2023, rural Utah’s suicide rate was 26 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 18 per 100,000 in urban areas. Officials point to stigma, limited access to care, and high-stress industries as contributing factors.
Coalition leaders say one of their biggest goals is making sure people know help is available. “To find out what resources are out there and then get it out into the public so they know where to turn if they need help,” Ogden said.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24 hours a day through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Veterans can press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.
If you’d like to contact the Central Utah Counseling Center in Ephraim, they can be reached online and on their Facebook page.
