SALT LAKE CITY — Transportation, cost and long wait lists can make it difficult for teens to access mental health care in Utah.
Addressing barriers to teen care
At West High School, a clinic is working to bring that care closer to students by offering counseling, screenings and therapy right on campus.
“We know how big of a crisis we're undergoing, both in the state and nationally, with mental health,” said Dr. Karen Manotas, the mental and behavioral health services director at the West High School Clinic.
Clinic impact and visit statistics
The West High School Clinic opened its doors in February 2024. From then through March 2026, providers say the clinic logged 4,140 total visits, including 2,500 primary care visits and 1,640 behavioral health visits.
“Some families, they might even wait years to get these services for their children,” said Dr. Olivia Holter, a pediatric psychologist with University of Utah Health.
That delay can be especially concerning, providers say, because early intervention often makes a difference.
Available services for students
With parent permission, students can come into the clinic for regular checkups like sports physicals, vaccinations and dental care. They can also be screened for anxiety and depression and meet with mental health providers for individual or group therapy.
The West High Clinic opened in 2024. (Mark Wetzel, KSL)
“They don’t have to leave campus — it's amazing to be able to allow students to have easy access, whenever they need,” said school counselor Amie Burton.
Importance of holistic student health
Counselors and providers say mental and physical health both play an important role in helping students succeed in school.
“If your physical and your mental health, if they’re not taken care of, then really you can’t learn more things or you can’t really function day to day,” Burton said.
“A lot of times we can help get those kids better integrated back into their school, get the support they need to be successful at school,” Holter added.
And when the hardest part of getting help is sometimes getting through the door, at West High, that door is just steps away.
“Being able to get them care that they might not otherwise have told anybody or addressed until maybe symptoms were worse, early on, it's just been across the board very fulfilling to see,” Manotas said.
The West High Clinic serves not only students at West High but all high school students in the Salt Lake City School District.
