During the 2024 Utah legislative session, lawmakers took significant steps to address mental and behavioral health challenges in the state.
Representative Tyler Clancy, who serves as a Provo City police officer, was at the forefront of these efforts, sponsoring two key pieces of legislation.
“Having somebody who has boots on the ground and understands the behavioral health master plan is really critical,” said Angela Kimball, chief advocacy officer at Inseparable, a mental health advocacy organization. “It is one thing to talk about things conceptually, and another to see how they play out every day on the streets in the emergency departments, in your jails and prisons.”
“We went into the legislative session in 2024 knowing that this was an important issue for Utah families across the state. What we didn’t know was the scope of that,” says Rep. Tyler Clancy, Utah District 60.
Clancy’s bills, HB 298 and HB 299, focused on reforming and improving Utah’s mental health and criminal justice systems.
HB 298 specifically addressed the intersection of mental health and homelessness, aiming to help individuals move more effectively through existing support systems.
“Many of us, myself included, have loved ones who have dealt with different, differing mental health challenges,” said Clancy. “This is about expanding our toolkit and making sure that we have what we need to ensure people get the help they need.”
Meanwhile, HB 299 looked at Utah’s long-term mental health needs to ensure the state has the facilities to provide care across the state.
“HB 299 [looked] broadly for the next 20, 30 years about what kind of capacity Utah will need to be effective in this space and also making impacts in the here and now.,” said Clancy.
One significant change expanded the emergency involuntary mental health commitment period from 24 to 72 hours, giving mental health professionals more time to assess and treat individuals in crisis.
“We want to add more tools to the toolkit so that professionals on the ground can reach the people who really need help,” said Clancy.
Looking ahead, Clancy emphasizes the need for increased capacity in Utah’s mental health system.
“I think the simple answer is capacity. We need more qualified mental health professionals. We need to continue to strengthen our pipeline for people that want to go into this profession,” he said.
“What we found during our work with the master plan was there was over 50 committees, work groups, subgroups, commissions that were all doing great work, but they were all siloed,” said Jordan Sorenson, director of behavioral health and emergency preparedness at the Utah Hospital Association. “The left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing so the the master plan is designed to bring all those groups together and make sure we’re all pulling the rope in the same direction.”
As Utah continues to implement its Mental and Behavioral Health Master Plan, the work of legislators like Representative Clancy will play a crucial role in shaping the state’s approach to these critical issues.