SafeUT Crisis Counselors Initiate 536 Lifesaving Interventions in Fiscal Year 2023

Leadership and community partners for the SafeUT program announce publication of the SafeUT 2023 Annual Report. The 2023 report highlights the evolution of the program and details significant initiatives, innovative partnerships, and lifesaving results. It illustrates best practices for identifying warning signs and talking to people in crisis, SafeUT user survey results, and engagement trends. The report also highlights SafeUT’s impact on schools, National Guard, and frontline workers.  
 
“When we launched SafeUT in 2015, suicide prevention, mental wellness, and school safety were top priorities in the state of Utah," says Rachel Lucynski, Director of Community Crisis Intervention & Support Services at Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) and SafeUT Commission Member. "Now, eight years later, we’ve seen expanded community awareness and utilization of SafeUT, and our team is saving lives every single day. Last year alone, more than 1.1 million back-and-forth messages were sent between the app’s users and SafeUT counselors, and more than 9,200 school safety tips were submitted. SafeUT provides the tools necessary for our state’s most vulnerable citizens to access real-time help and compassionate support. We are grateful for the trust our community has in SafeUT to support, respond to, and prevent mental health and safety concerns.” 
 
“SafeUT provides the instant, confidential counseling and network of care that gives people in crisis a fighting chance to survive their darkest moment,” says Ric Cantrell, Chief of Staff, Utah Attorney General's Office and Chair of the SafeUT Commission. “Hundreds of Utahns are alive today because of SafeUT—well over 500 in the last year alone. You probably know some of them. While we can count the messages, conversations, and dollars spent, what matters most is each person that reached out and survived, and each family that continued to enjoy life with their loved one close.”  
 
Highlights from SafeUT’s impact in fiscal year 2023 include: 

• 885,519+ students with access to the app (K-12 and higher education) 
• 30,503 total chats started with SafeUT counselors 
• 9,204 total tips submitted from K-12 and higher education (students, parents/guardians, educators)—an 8% increase from last year—including 1,585 suicide tips, 1,239 crisis tips, and 1,080 bullying tips 
• 791 tips received for potential school threats or acts of violence, including 197 tips about guns/firearms, 96 tips about assault, 88 tips about fights, and 81 tips about planned attacks 
• 536 lifesaving interventions were initiated for SafeUT users actively attempting or at imminent risk of attempting suicide 
• 94% of users feel the SafeUT counselor “always” or “usually” showed respect for what they had to say  
• 89% feel the SafeUT counselor “always” or “usually” carefully listened to them 
• SafeUT Frontline app received 632 chats—64% came from health care professionals, 25% from law enforcement and/or corrections officers, and 11% from fire/EMS 
• SafeUT National Guard app received 337 chats