UTAH: Utah Lt. Gov. Hopes Ceremonial Signing of Eight Mental Health-Related Bills Spurs Conversations in Families

May 18, 2018

News Type:  Weekly Spark, Weekly Spark News
Speaker:  Utah

Deseret News

Utah has passed eight bills in 2018 to promote mental health and prevent suicide across the state. The new bills will increase the number of counselors in schools, strengthen the work of mental health crisis workers, and expand youth suicide prevention programs in public education. One piece of legislation also establishes a state suicide prevention fund for grants and donations that support prevention efforts. In April, the Utah governor held a ceremonial bill signing to help encourage open conversation about mental health and suicide prevention. “A mom is going to go down to her kid’s room tonight and ask if they’ve been thinking about suicide,” said Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox, who serves as co-chairman of the Suicide Prevention Task Force. “It’s going to start some really important conversations . . . and give people permission to have those conversations and have them more often.”

Spark Extra! Learn more about suicide prevention in Utah.