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City reports early operational metrics for Huntsman Mental Health Institute crisis center
Summary
City staff briefed the council on the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Center’s startup: the center opened this March, is operating at high utilization, and staff reported short triage times, ongoing staffing and bed ramp‑up, and high referral rates from across the county.
City staff gave the City Council an update on the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Center, which opened this March and has been operating as a short‑term triage and stabilization facility for people experiencing behavioral health crises.
Staff said the center’s ground floor crisis program has 30 triage beds intended for short‑term stays and immediate intervention; a separate inpatient program is on an upper floor and, as of the briefing, had 16 of the planned 24 inpatient beds open. City staff told the council the center has handled roughly 2,000 clients since opening and is at high utilization.
In their briefing, staff noted that the average time from arrival to getting into a triage bed is about seven minutes and said that quick hand‑offs are a key design goal. Staff also reported that roughly 70% of people assessed leave the center to return to their prior residence and receive outpatient follow‑up, while about 20% require a higher level of care such as inpatient hospitalization or residential treatment.
Councilors asked about law‑enforcement referrals and staffing. Staff reported that, in recent weeks, Salt Lake City Police Department referrals made up a noticeable share of the center’s caseload; staff said they expect to add more clinical providers in the summer months and to open the remaining inpatient beds as more clinicians are hired.
Staff emphasized the center’s countywide role and said the facility accepts walk‑ins 24 hours a day as well as law‑enforcement handoffs. They described early operational “hiccups” as typical of a large startup but said many of those issues have already been addressed and performance is improving. Staff offered to provide additional statistics and to connect councilors with the center’s leadership for technical follow‑up.
