New Crisis Care Center

The first building on the future site of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Campus of Hope is expected to open in 2024. The new Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center (MHCCC) will be located on 3300 South between 900 and 1000 West in South Salt Lake.

“Utah has the highest prevalence of mental illness in the country, impacting every family at some point,” says Kem Gardner. “Our family, like so many, has not known where to go or what treatment options are available when some of our loved ones have struggled.”

The Gardners donated $5 million toward the project and expansion of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s mental health crisis services. The gift—along with other private donations and state and county funds—nearly covers the $47 million cost of the 78,000-square-foot building. An additional $3 million will need to be raised from private donors to complete the project. 

“We have to do something different and find better ways to treat youth and adults,” notes Kem Gardner. 

The building will incorporate community services, training, and crisis care, including: 

• A 30-bed receiving center and 24-bed acute care unit
• A medication-assisted treatment clinic for individuals with opiate use disorders 
• Intensive outpatient treatment for adults needing support for substance use disorders 
• Day treatment for adults who need more help than traditional outpatient care

In partnership with dozens of community stakeholders, an entire building floor will be dedicated to supporting services. These include: 

• A free law clinic to remove legal barriers that disrupt many families with a mental health crisis
• Primary care and dental care clinics
• Intensive case management 
• Connections to existing community programs for housing, health care, and employment 

Read more about the new facility and other efforts by HMHI.