Health in the Heights coalition wins Healthy Utah designation; coalition sets prevention priorities from SHARP data

Coalition leaders told the council on April 7 that Health in the Heights has completed early planning and earned a Healthy Utah Community designation. Chair Chelsea Boss described the coalition’s work using a nationally recognized community-care framework: board orientation, data training for a data work group and development of a community profile.

Boss said the coalition will produce two reports: a community-assessment report with protected SHARP survey statistics (shared with key leaders under an MOU with Canyon School District) and a public-facing summary for residents. The coalition has formed workgroups focused on outreach, youth involvement, data and board maintenance; it will next form a resource-assessment workgroup and write a community action plan that selects tested prevention programs and identifies funding.

Staff explained the SHARP (Student Health and Risk Prevention) survey is administered in the Brighton school cone to 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders and is voluntary with parental consent. Using 2025 SHARP results, the coalition identified three primary youth risk factors to target: low commitment to school (which the coalition says can be addressed with school-district partners), perceived availability of substances (students overestimate peer use; nicotine pouches and alcohol were specifically noted) and parental attitudes favorable to antisocial behavior (examples included parental permission to consume alcohol at home).

Coalition leaders said the coalition will continue work on the assessment report, seek resources and identify evidence-based programs to address those priorities. The coalition noted Salt Lake County funds a portion of a staff position supporting the effort for three years and that the grant-based funding requires ongoing reporting.