Summit County Behavioral Health Plan Town Halls to be held this week

Photo: Park City Library Townlift // Rayne Moynahan

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah, — Summit County Health Department will be holding two Community Town Hall meetings about their behavioral and mental health plan. The first will be held on September 13 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the Sheldon Richins Building (1885 W Ute Blvd, Park City, UT 84098), and the second will be held on September 15 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. at the Park City Library (1255 Park Ave, Park City, UT 84060). Neither event requires an RSVP and both are open to all who wish to attend.

TownLift spoke with Aaron Newman, the behavioral health director for Summit County. Newman described the event as an opportunity for community members to learn about and give feedback for the county Behavioral Health Plan. He described the plan as a “living document” that is designed to adapt based on the needs and interests of community members.

“This week is really where community partnership and feedback come in,” said Newman. “You could hash out a plan in a day if you just put someone in a room and said ‘here’s what I think is important,’ but without feedback from people in the community the plan can’t work.”

Similar Reads On TownLift

Newman explained his role as managing Summit County Division of Behavioral Health’s plan to provide the 26 different behavioral health services mandated by the Utah State Legislature. “Those include crisis services, services in the jail, and all school based services,” explained Newman. The Division of Behavioral Health also works with 90 providers in the county to help low income and high deductible behavioral health patients get the help they need.

Newman was hired to his current role back in 2016, when he began writing the Division’s plan. The plan was put in motion in 2020, “right when COVID hit,” according to Newman. These and future town halls are designed to continue updating the County’s plan according to changing needs and resources.

Newman said that the Division has a good amount of data from the services it provides, but that some community needs just “aren’t reflected in that data.” The Town Hall meetings are designed to supplement that data with direct feedback from the community.

Summit County readers should know that the Behavioral Health Division’s budget will not be discussed in these town halls. Budget issues are discussed internally by the division’s budget committee.

Newman reiterated the important nature of work the Behavioral Health Division does, and asked for their crisis hotlines to be listed at the bottom of this article. If you are in Summit County and are having a mental health or substance abuse crisis, please call 801-587-3000.