Leader Quick Guide
Click here for a list of important U of U Health support resources for employees.
hen an employee faces an emotional crisis or seeks mental support, leaders often feel an array of emotions—including concern, distress, and sometimes uncertainty about the steps to take. Handling multiple team members affected by a loss or critical event can make it even more difficult for leaders to know how to respond.
Since there are different courses of action recommended depending on whether an individual’s mental health need is considered a crisis, an urgent need, or something else, uncertainty about the appropriate steps is natural. This quick guide offers tips and resources for U of U Health leaders to connect their employees to tailored support and mental health care as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.
Crisis includes the most acute and urgent examples of mental distress. Reach out to Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) crisis services by dialing 801-587-3000 or 988, or use the SafeUT Frontline app:
If you or a team member is:
- Expressing thoughts of self-harm or feeling unsafe
- Having a panic attack
- Describing significant stress that is interfering with their daily life
- Experiencing significant relationship difficulties, including loss of a loved one
- Uncertain whether or not they are in crisis
What to expect:
When you dial HMHI crisis services at 801-587-3000 or 988, you will connect with a crisis counselor who will provide an assessment and activate resources as needed, including the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team. You can use the SafeUT Frontline app to connect with a licensed clinical social worker who is trained to meet the unique needs of health care professionals. As a leader, you can use either of these options to find out how best to support your employee.
Please note:
HMHI and the SafeUT Frontline app are the best-equipped resources for crisis situations. Do not reach out to the Resiliency Center when an individual employee is in crisis and in need of immediate help. This includes walking an employee in crisis to the Resiliency Center. While this may change in the future, the Resiliency Center is not currently set up to meet crisis support needs.
There are two options for individual employees who would benefit from connecting with emotional support within 1-3 days.
If you or a team member:
- Has experienced a significant personal or professional challenge (e.g., critical event)
- Has support (e.g., co-workers, friends, loved ones) to get through the next 24-48 hours
- Is experiencing anxiety, depression, anger and/or grief; however, feel like they can take care of themselves
- Either recognize they would benefit from urgent support or are uncertain about their need for urgent support
What to do:
The first option is to reach out to the Resiliency Center for urgent referral by emailing resiliencycenter@hsc.utah.edu, calling 801-213-3403, or using the individual support referral form. In all of these instances, please state that there is a need for urgent support.
The second option is to contact the Employee Assistance Program at 801-262-9619, state that you are or are referring a U of U Health employee and request an urgent time slot with one of our embedded therapists. If needed, please see referral talking points at the end of this article.
Clinical teams, departments, or divisions sometimes experience one of the following events and would benefit from group support:
If your team experiences an:
- Adverse or critical event
- Unexpected patient death
- Employee or student death
- Difficult or aggressive interaction with a patient or colleague
- Behavior Emergency Response Team (BERT) intervention
What to do and expect:
Currently, leaders can activate this form of support by calling the Resiliency Center at 801-213-3403. The call is then triaged by an on-call mental health clinician to gather all necessary information, assist with team and leader communications, activate urgent support for individual team members who are more impacted by the event, schedule group support, and coordinate any ongoing care. Please note that this same form of care is being piloted as Code Lavender within specific clinical units, which has a different way of activating support. The goal is for Code Lavender to be expanded to all of U of U Health.
There are many mental health and emotional support resources available to U of U Health employees. If you have questions regarding how and where to get started, contact the Resiliency Center at 801-213-3403 or resiliencycenter@hsc.utah.edu. You can meet with a licensed mental health clinician to figure out next steps, receive brief support, or connect with a long-term therapist. You can also engage with the Resiliency Center’s Peer Support Program, U of U Health’s spiritual care, a growing list of mindfulness meditations, and other positive psychology tools to help you and your team bounce back and thrive.
Notes for Leaders
It can feel vulnerable or awkward to check in on an employee and ask for permission to refer them for help. The reason we feel uncomfortable or shy in these moments is because we are simultaneously trying something new and changing culture.
While many of us have encountered or heard stories of seeking help being frowned upon or viewed as a sign of weakness, there's a positive shift in the stigma surrounding help-seeking.
Our observation reveals that employees are more inclined to seek support when directly referred to a service, as opposed to providing a phone number or email address for contact.
Scripts for referrals:
If you need some language for referring an employee, consider trying one of the following statements:
- “I can hear how much you’re struggling right now and I want to make sure you get all the support you need. Would you be open to me reaching out to the Resiliency Center (or HMHI crisis line) to connect with you? This is a confidential service and they do a great job.”
- “I’m concerned about you. Usually in this type of situation, I contact the Resiliency Center (or HMHI crisis line) to check-in on whoever is struggling and make sure they have all the support they need. Are you okay if I reach out to them for you?”
As helpers, we are really good at taking care of others and sometimes lousy at taking care of ourselves and asking for help. Leaders can serve as an important steppingstone to ensuring employees receive high-quality and tailored emotional support when they need it most.
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