SALT LAKE CITY — Huntsman Mental Health Institute announced Thursday that they received a $5 million gift from Kem and Carolyn Gardner to support the Mental Health Crisis Care Center, which will bear the names of these donors.
It is slated to open in 2024 on 3300 South between 900 and 1000 West in South Salt Lake.
"Utah has the highest prevalence of mental illness in the country, impacting every family at some point," says Kem Gardner, philanthropist and chairman of Gardner Company.
"We have 30 grandchildren and have not known where to go or what treatment options are available when some of them have struggled. We have to do something different and find better ways to treat youth and adults."
Since the groundbreaking in 2021, HMHI has met with community leaders, community groups, patients, and stakeholders in focus groups to understand how the new center can best serve people in crisis.
"Their gift will transform the lives of thousands of people who walk through the doors of the center and help transform how we deliver mental health crisis care in our community and beyond,” said Dr. Mark H. Rapaport, CEO of HMHI.
"We are excited about the creative design, the input we received from the community, and the partnerships that have been brought together to make the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Crisis Care Center truly leading edge."
Crisis services and stabilizing treatment will include:
23-hour treatment and observation stay for those in the 30-bed receiving Center;
Short-term, rapid stabilization inpatient treatment in the 24-bed acute care unit;
Medication-assisted treatment clinic for individuals with opiate use disorders;
Intensive outpatient treatment for adults needing support for substance use disorders; and
- Mental health day treatment for adults that need more help than traditional outpatient care.
In partnership with community stakeholders, a floor in the building floor will be dedicated to supporting services, including:
A free law clinic to remove legal barriers that disrupt many families with a mental health crisis;
Primary care and dental care clinics;
Intensive case management; and
Connections to existing community programs for housing, health care, and employment.
"We're building a crisis care center that integrates training, research, and clinical care into one entity so that we are always evaluating and learning about the best approaches to treatment and creating new models of care," said Rapaport.
The new Center will located near the Salt Lake County jail and the South Salt Lake men's homeless resource center.
Go here for more information about the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Campus of Hope.
