Free mental health screenings for children to be offered in Davis County | News, Sports, Jobs

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BEN DORGER, file photo of the standard examiner

The Davis Behavioral Health building is seen on Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

In an effort to work to prevent suicide and improve access to behavioral health services, free mental health screenings are offered for children in preschool through sixth grade.

The 30-minute screenings, organized by Davis Behavioral Health, Davis County Health Department, Davis School District and Utah State University Extension, will be held on November 2 by appointment only in Davis Behavioral Health, 934 S. Main St. in Layton. Appointments can be made no later than Monday by calling 801-336-1742 or by registering at dbhutah.org/screening.

“Access to behavioral health services has been identified as a top public health improvement priority since 2013,” said Christi Blankman, Davis School District K-12 prevention coordinator. “This event is an effort to improve access by helping youth and their families identify if there are any issues and then helping them link them to services as needed.”

Family peer support specialists will be available to help participants find the right community resources they need, including medical treatment, counseling and support groups.

According to the latest Student Health and Risk Prevention survey conducted last October, 33% of the 70,000 Utah youth surveyed said they had felt hopeless, sad or anxious due to COVID-19 and 17.5% admitted to having considered suicide.

“Youth mental health screening events have been held annually in Davis County since 2017,” said Teresa Smith, Davis County Health Department Davis HELPS Coalition coordinator. “According to the evaluations of the events, the participants are usually very satisfied and appreciate the services and the follow-up that they are offered.”

Appointments will be from 4 to 7 pm. In the week prior to appointments, children and their parents will receive an online screening survey that must be completed in advance. While the evaluation is not a full psychological evaluation and a clinical diagnosis will not be made, the face-to-face meeting with a physician will address the child’s emotional and social needs, as well as anxiety, depression, trauma, and safety concerns.

A copy of the 2022 Davis County Behavioral Health Directory in English and Spanish will be available at the event. You can also get a copy at davis4health.org. A screening for high schools will be held on February 1, 2023.



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