Davis County offering free mental health screening event for teens
Jan 18, 2023, 12:27 PM | Updated: 12:39 pm
(Adobe Stock Photo)
(Adobe Stock Photo)
DAVIS COUNTY, Utah — Parents and their teens can check in with a mental health professional for free during a February event. The in-person event will serve kids in seventh through twelfth grade.
Parents and youth have six more days to reserve an appointment as sign-ups end on Jan. 24. Appointments are 30 minutes long and available starting at 4:00 p.m. and ending at 7:00 p.m. at North Davis Jr. High.
“Access to behavioral health services has been identified as a top public health improvement priority since 2013,” said K-12 Prevention Coordinator for the Davis School District Christi Blankman in a press release. “This event is one effort to improve access by helping youth and their families to identify if there are any areas of concern and then helping link them to services as needed.”
Prior to the appointment a parent and child will fill out an online screening before meeting with a clinician. Both the screening and meeting, according to Davis County Health Department, will address social and emotional needs. Such as anxiety, depression, trauma, suicide and safety concerns.
What to expect
At the appointment, teens and their parents or legal guardians will discuss their screening with a mental health professional.
Additionally, Davis County Health Department said in a press release teens can meet with a community connector for help identifying and accessing services to meet the youth’s needs.
According to Davis HELPS Coalition Coordinator from the Davis County Health Department, Teresa Smith, the evaluations are usually beneficial as they have been reoccurring since 2017.
In addition to evaluations, resource tables to learn more about services available in the community will be available both in English and Spanish.
Overall, the event aims to prevent suicide and improve access to behavioral health services.
