University of Utah Receives First Ever
Commonwealth Fund Grant
The grant will fund research that examines barriers to mental health services in Utah
Utah is in dire need of expanded access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment. 33% of adults in the state report symptoms of anxiety or depression and Utah had the 7th-highest age-adjusted suicide rate in 2022. Improving Utah’s mental health requires expanding access to services and Utah’s mental health workforce.
To address these issues, the Commonwealth Fund awarded a first-ever grant to the University of Utah to examine barriers to sustaining mental health care for low-income populations. Researchers and medical providers from the University of Utah Health South Main Clinic, the College of Social and Behavioral Science, and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute will evaluate ways to sustain clinics that provide both mental and physical health services by reducing barriers to reimbursement and expanding access to graduate student trainees and psychiatry residents and fellows.
Dr. Brian Baucom, PhD, is the director of clinical training for the department of psychology, co-director of the Behavioral Health Innovation and Dissemination Center, and project team lead. “I am excited to lead this cross-disciplinary team to improve access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment in Utah. The findings from the South Main Clinic can lead to improvements across the University of Utah Health system, the state, and the country.”
This research aligns with the Commonwealth Fund’s initiative to address challenges in accessing mental health and substance use disorder services, treatments, and supports. The Commonwealth Fund supports independent research on health care issues and make grants to promote equitable, accessible, affordable health care for everyone, particularly for society’s most vulnerable, including people of color, people with low income, and those who are uninsured.
Dr. Brian Baucom, PhD
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Media contacts:
- Brian Baucom, director of clinical training, Department of Psychology; co-director, Behavioral Health Innovation and Dissemination Center, baucom@psych.utah.edu
- Andrew DeQuiroz, PR/ Communications manager, College of Social and Behavioral Science, dequiroz@csbs.utah.edu, 303-359-3452
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