CONNECT Summit County is the uncensored voice of the people to advocate for resources that will support our community members’ mental health. Over the past five years, we have invested in collecting complex information via open-source data, community assessments, and feedback surveys. In 2020, CONNECT Summit County conducted our own Mental Health Attitudes and Access Survey as well as supported the Annual Provider Survey and the Community-Wide Assessment which is well underway.

Over this three-day event, we are excited to share with you our analysis as well as bring together Meeting of the Minds on policy-specific topics such as school-based mental wellness, promising practices for mental health, the implication of housing on recovery, and exploration of mental health impacts on businesses. We will wrap up our symposium by attending the Summit County Council Meeting and presenting our Mental Health Attitudes and Access Survey Report.

This event is sponsored by the Park City Board of REALTORs Philanthropic Foundation.

Register HERE!

Monday, February 22, 9a – 10a

Utah State of Mind | Attitudes and Access Survey Release

The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Utah Hospital Association confirm that one in five Utahn’s will experience a mental illness and yet there is still a stigma associated with mental illness and its treatment. (Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Utah Hospital Association, 2019). Extrapolating by population for the Summit County community, this means that about 8,000 of our residents could be suffering from a mental health condition at any given time. This does not include the significant ripple effect on their families and friends.

Join us to dig into the findings of our most recent Attitudes and Access Survey. We will provide a white paper of our study and highlight the most interesting conclusions. We will also have a Q&A to engage a dialogue about our findings. We want to hear from you!

Monday, February 22, 2p -3p

Meeting of the Minds | Youth Data Trends in the Wasatch Back

SHARP Data from Summit and Wasatch County tell different stories when it comes to identifying the most pervasive needs of our school-aged kids. This panel will dig into the different approaches of our two school districts and look for common ground. Is it possible to strengthen our communities by coming together?

Panelists

Ben Belnap, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist, Associate Superintendent of Student Wellness Park City School District
Ben Springer, Ph.D., Nationally Certified School Psychologist, NCSP Director of Special Education, Wasatch County School District
Thought Leader: Ian Crossland, Executive Director of Park City Day School
Tuesday, February 23, 9a – 10a

Meeting of the Minds | New and Promising Practices in Treatment

An important part of educating the community and erasing stigma is raising awareness around the fact that mental health services are not simply a therapist or a medication prescriber. This panel will explore some alternative treatments that are available in Utah as well as discussion regarding the financial accessibility of these options. What are the barriers to providing alternative treatments for mental illness?

Panelists

Dr. Kendrick, Lead Ketamine expert, University of Utah
Dr. Melissa Lopez-Larson, MD
Matt Mishkind, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, Deputy Director, and Director of Operations for Military and Veteran Programs, Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine
Jenn Solomon, Certified Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Teacher, Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher
Thought Leader: Kathy Mayer, Board Member, CONNECT Summit County
Tuesday, February 23, 2p – 3p

Meeting of the Minds |Affordable Housing and Mental Health

Mental health services support not only the individuals who live with a mental illness, but also are beneficial to their families, friends, and the community at large. Homelessness, hospitalizations, and criminalization of the mentally ill are a significant emotional, mental, and financial cost to our community. How can we address the barrier that the lack of affordable housing in Summit County causes to those who are in reintegrating in our community?

Panelists include, with more coming

Roger Armstrong, County Council
Amber Mackay, Summit County Clubhouse
Adam Heiden, Staff Housing Operations Manager, Deer Valley
Thought Leader: Jeff Jones, Economic Development and Housing Director for Summit County
Wednesday, February 24, 9a – 10a

Meeting of the Minds | Impact of Mental Health on our Workforce

One of the most significant barriers to mental-health care is cost. Currently, nearly 90 percent of clinicians in Summit County see only clients who self-pay, and the going rate is between $100-$150 per session. (Summit County Mental Wellness Alliance 2020 Provider Survey, July 2020). With this knowledge, we want to have an honest discussion of what role employers play in keeping employees mentally healthy. This panel will discuss strides that have been made and consider the impact to the bottom line. Is it possible to support our workforce with mental health resources and still run a sustainable business?

Panelists include, with more coming

Jennifer Wesselhoff, President and CEO, Park City Chamber of Commerce
John Kenworthy, Owner, Flanagan’s on Main
Thought Leader: Brain Kahn
Wednesday, February 24, 6p – 8p

Utah State of Mind | Summit County Council Meeting

In July of 2020, we saw stigma play out in our own community with the permitting of the Summit County Clubhouse and the concerns from residents about its location. The resistance from the surrounding neighbors was shocking and heartbreaking. It is clear that, despite all of the effort over the past five years by community organizations and the Summit County Health Department, stigma still persists and the lack of understanding of mental illness is significant. How would this process have looked if we were all operating from a well-informed stigma-free attitude toward mental illness?

CONNECT Summit County will present our findings to the Summit County Council during the public meeting. We also encourage everyone to share this information with your elected officials. A list of Summit County officials and contact information will be provided.

As a data-driven organization, we will make the information available to everyone for community organizations who may want to use the information to inform their decisions. Please reach out to Betty@CONNECTSummitCounty.org for more information.