Utah School Mental Health Collaborative, Live Like Sam, and WeBeWell Partner to Support Student Wellbeing in Summit and Wasatch Counties
The Utah School Mental Health Collaborative, an effort driven by the Huntsman Mental
Health Institute and the College of Education, is happy to share that they are teaming
up with the Live Like Sam Foundation and WeBeWell. Together, they will support the
mental health needs of students in Summit and Wasatch Counties.
“In order to have a positive impact on youth at risk for anxiety or depression, we need group and collaborative interventions that teach resilience, coping skills, and wellbeing. This partnership does that,” said Aaron Fischer, founder of the Utah School Mental Health Collaborative.
The Utah School Mental Health Collaborative works with schools across Utah to provide mental health services for students from K-12th grade. They help schools create strong mental health programs so students can get the help they need quickly. The Collaborative was started by Dr. Aaron Fischer in 2021, and works with local and state organizations to ensure students get the best care possible.
The Live Like Sam foundation is Summit and Wasatch Counties premier youth well-being and prevention non-profit focused on positivity-based programming for student’s grade K-12th grade. Live Like Sam honors the life of Parkite Sam Jackenthal, who passed away at age 16, in 2015 following a ski accident while training in Australia. Their goal is to help young people live happy, healthy lives by focusing on mental health, well-being, and life skills. Live like Sam will impact over 4,000 local youth in 2024.
Through Live Like Sam’s partnership with WeBeWell, a Utah-based mental health organization, they have launched the Thrive program. Thrive, designed and implemented by WeBeWell, is an evidence-based well-being and mental health skills intervention for students in grades 6-12 in Summit and Wasatch Counties. The initiative teaches students skills from positive and clinical psychology that improve well-being, resilience, and mental health.
The USMHC and Live Like Sam partnership will work closely with school mental health teams and administration to find students who might be at risk for wellbeing or mental health challenges, who will get to join the Thrive program for free. This partnership is a big step toward helping young people in Utah with their mental health.
These organizations are known for their great work in supporting the mental health of kids and teens in Utah. By working together, they will offer services like counseling, therapy, and workshops to help children, families, and communities thrive.
The College of Education, Utah School Mental Health Collaborative, Live Like Sam, and WeBeWell are excited to work together, share resources, and make a bigger difference in the mental health and well-being for youth in Summit and Wasatch Counties.
For more information about this partnership and the services offered, please visit our website or contact Aaron Fischer, Utah School Mental Health Collaborative founder, at aaron.fischer@utah.edu.