loading . . . Nancy still remembers the moment she made the call. Her 19-year-old son Steve was in the middle of a sudden mental health crisis—disoriented, spiraling, and unrecognizable. She dialed 911.
“I didn’t know what else to do. But I knew he needed help,” says Nancy. Police arrived and took Steve to jail. “He wasn’t a criminal,” she adds. “He was sick. And there was no place to go that could actually help.”
Now, families in Utah have a new option.
The Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center, which opened in March, offers 24/7 walk-in help for any adult experiencing a mental health crisis, regardless of insurance status, no appointment needed. Part of Huntsman Mental Health Institute, which was dedicated in 2021 following a historic $150 million gift from the Huntsman family to the University Neuropsychiatric Institute, the Crisis Care Center is the latest step in reimagining how Utah responds to mental illness.
Today, Steve is doing better. With support from the institute, he’s back on his feet. But Nancy hasn’t stopped thinking about how differently things could have gone. “If this new center had existed back then, we might have avoided so much trauma—for him, and for us,” she says.
Funded in part by a significant gift from Kem BA’67 JD’70 and Carolyn Gardner BS’69, the center embraces a philosophy that people deserve compassion in deeply vulnerable moments, says Kem Gardner, who also received an honorary doctorate of business from the U in 2016. “This isn’t just a building,” he reflects. “It’s a turning point and lifeline for so many. We saw the example of the Huntsman family and chose to support this center to say that mental health matters, and so do the people who struggle with it.”
The staff was hand-selected to foster a culture of dignity, kindness, and hope, adds Dave Eldredge BS’94, the institute’s executive director. “Two barriers have haunted behavioral health my entire career: stigma and access. The Crisis Care Center takes direct aim at both,” he notes. “This wouldn’t be possible without the Gardner and Huntsman families, as well as key stakeholders in our community. Their vision turned an urgent need into a lasting resource for our community.”
Take a look inside the center to see how it operates, who it serves, and how it’s reshaping mental health crisis care.
### Who can access Crisis Care Center services?
Everyone—regardless of insurance coverage, background, or housing situation. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, you’re welcome here.
Located at 955 West on 3300 South in South Salt Lake, the center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No appointment or referral is needed, and no one is turned away.
### **How do I know if I should come to the Crisis Care Center?**
Come in if you’re having thoughts of self-harm, extreme anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or emotional distress that makes it hard to function.
“A mental health crisis can mean a lot of things to different people,” says Chris Adams BA’13 MSW’16, the center’s behavioral health supervisor. For some people, it’s their first panic attack or first episode of depression. For others with lifelong mental illness, it could be psychosis, mania, a relapse into substances, or an acute episode of suicidality. “Mental illness feels isolating, but you’re not alone here,” adds Adams. “Most of our staff has been personally touched by it, and that shows in how we treat people.”
### What if I’m not nearby or can’t make it in but still need support?
Call or text 988—Utah’s statewide crisis helpline.
The institute operates a statewide mental health network, and the free, confidential helpline offers 24/7 support from trained crisis workers and mobile response teams.
### What happens when I walk through the doors?
You’re greeted at the front desk before entering the patient area. Next, you undergo a medical screening to address any urgent physical health needs. From there, some guests meet with a provider and go home the same day with medication or connections for next steps. Others stay in the 23-hour observation unit for more intensive support. Those who need longer-term care are connected to inpatient psychiatric services.
### What if I don’t have insurance or don’t know what my insurance covers?
You can still be seen. No one is turned away, and emergency mental health stabilization services are provided regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Other outpatient and inpatient services at the center operate on standard insurance billing models. On-site financial counseling helps guests connect to applicable insurance coverage and navigate payment plans when needed. “The goal is care first, always,” notes Kevin Curtis, the institute’s director of hospital crisis services. Once guests are stabilized, the team will help coordinate follow-up based on individual situations.
### What if I need more than one night of help?
At the Crisis Care Center, stabilization is just the starting point. Every guest receives a personalized care plan, connecting them to on-site services or longer-term help from Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah Health, or other facilities, says Curtis. “We can walk guests down the hall to a surprising number of resources—legal help, dental care, and transitional outpatient services, with medical care, benefits applications, and employment support soon to come in the next phase of development,” he notes. Additionally, guests can be connected to other community organizations like Fourth Street Clinic, Volunteers of America, The Road Home, and Valley Behavioral Health.
### How does the center support me after I leave?
Staff will call you in the days following your visit. Often, guests are quickly connected to primary care providers, who can facilitate ongoing mental health care and coordinate specialist referrals. The center also offers specialized programs including opioid addiction treatment, intensive outpatient services for other substance use disorders, and additional mental health intensive outpatient care for those needing more support than traditional therapy.
### What if English isn’t my first language?
You’ll still be understood—and cared for.
The center has bilingual staff fluent in several languages, particularly Spanish. And as part of U of U Health, the center can access 24/7 translation services for dozens of languages.
### How is this building special?
It was purpose-built for healing.
The center features soft lighting, open spaces, and private rooms that feel like a warm blanket. Even the lighting syncs with natural circadian rhythms to support sleep. The building includes 24 beds for short-term crisis stabilization and 30 beds for patients who need up to 23-hour care. A patient and family advisory council weighed in on every aspect—from furniture to layout to programming and culture—to ensure the space was truly person-centered and welcoming.
It’s also strategically located at a major transportation hub near the county jail complex, offering law enforcement another option and bringing care into the community.
### Why does this place exist now?
Because a group of Utahns believed we could—and must—do better.
Led by the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, the institute, and the Gardner family, this center represents a unique partnership among the U, Salt Lake County, the State of Utah, and dedicated philanthropists. For Christena Huntsman Durham, who lost a sister to a mental health-related crisis, this mission is deeply personal. “We built this center because we believe that mental health care should be as immediate and compassionate as any other form of emergency care,” says Huntsman Durham, chair of the board of the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation. “No one should suffer in silence or be turned away due to stigma or lack of resources. Our hope is that this becomes a model for communities everywhere—a place where healing begins with dignity and understanding.”
### Is this approach making a difference?
Yes. The center is setting the standard for compassionate mental health crisis care nationwide.
Demand has been significant, reaching near 100 percent capacity almost immediately after opening. “This is what crisis care should look like everywhere,” says Bob Carter, senior vice president for Health Sciences and CEO for U of U Health. It’s also training tomorrow’s mental health leaders and advancing research-backed innovations that improve outcomes for guests and families.
### What’s next?
In July, a new Youth Crisis Care Program opened at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute facility near the U campus (501 Chipeta Way) for youth ages 5-17. Walk-in care is available 24/7.
Visit _hmhf.org_to support this work and _healthcare.utah.edu/hmhi_ to learn more.
## Who Does This Center Help?
The Crisis Care Center serves people from all walks of life, often in their most vulnerable moments. These examples illustrate who might walk through its doors and what happens next. These hypothetical scenarios reflect real patterns of care and have been reviewed by clinicians.
### James, 46
Struggles with alcohol withdrawal and depression, recently evicted
**What happens:** Evaluated for withdrawal risk, started on medication, and connected with a social worker to plan next steps. Ready to engage in treatment, he’s referred to a residential detox program.
### Maria, 21
Experiences a panic attack at 3 a.m. after weeks of insomnia
**What happens:** Greeted and stabilized in a private room, evaluated for medication needs, connected to outpatient therapy, and given behavioral health strategies for sleep. Leaves with a plan and a follow-up appointment.
### Danielle, 38
Is brought in by police instead of being booked into jail after a psychotic episode
**What happens:** Assessed by clinicians, who determine she needs additional support and connect her to inpatient care. Referral made for legal support to resolve outstanding fines and prevent re-incarceration.
### Leo, 21
Arrives overwhelmed by panic and insomnia, with persistent tooth pain
**What happens:** Referred to the on-site dental clinic, where resolving his physical pain helps ease his anxiety. After indicating he’s no longer in crisis, he’s connected with ongoing outpatient mental health support.
### Eddie, 63
Veteran, unhoused, dealing with untreated PTSD
**What happens:** Assessed, stabilized, and provided with a warm meal, connected with a VA caseworker, and assisted with obtaining benefits and long-term care resources.
### **Tasha, 29**
New mom overwhelmed by postpartum anxiety and intrusive thoughts
**What happens:** Welcomed into a safe, stigma-free space, she meets with a clinician trained in perinatal mental health. Concerned about being separated from her child, she’s referred to a maternal mental health intensive outpatient program, with family engaged in building a safety plan.
### Ashley, 51
Recently laid off, experiencing a depressive episode and expressing passive suicidal thoughts
**What happens:** Stabilized on-site, then referred to a community mental health provider and to Workforce Services for help applying for unemployment and SNAP benefits through an on-site care navigator.
### Malik, 19
College student experiencing a manic episode for the first time
**What happens:** Assessed by the clinical team, started on medication, and referred for inpatient care. Family receives support and education. At discharge, he’s referred to a young adult outpatient program with psychiatric care and peer support. Once he’s safely back on campus, a Mental Health First Responder team makes contact and helps him establish a safety plan.
### Bill, 45
Facing eviction while managing severe anxiety and unable to navigate the court system on his own
**What happens:** Stabilized at the center and referred to the on-site legal clinic. Receives support from a legal advocate in filing paperwork and negotiating a resolution, reducing his stress and allowing him to focus on recovery.
****_Seth Bracken is editor of_ Utah Magazine _._
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### Web Extra https://magazine.utah.edu/issues/fall-2025/a-new-emergency-room-for-mental-health/
