We are wrapping up our series of conversations with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute's 2024 Informed Decision Makers. Every year, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the David Eccles School of Business recognizes individuals and entities that contribute to the prosperity of our community here in Utah, often performing important work behind the scenes and without much recognition.

Joining us today is Ross Van Vranken, the former executive director for the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, which is part of the University of Utah Health System. The Huntsman Mental Health Institute is a multi-million dollar enterprise supporting a behavioral health care system anchored by a 170-bed acute psychiatric and substance use hospital.

In this episode, host Frances Johnson sits down with Ross to discuss the evolution of the mental health conversation, the importance of treating mental health with the same urgency as physical health, and the critical issue of access to mental health care. Ross shares his insights on the economic implications of untreated mental health issues, the impact of the social environment on mental wellness, and the transformative vision of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University fm.

On defining what mental health is

[05:12] When you're talking about mental health, you're talking about well-being, that sense of well-being. I'm okay. And I know how to navigate the problems in my life, and I get through it, and I have an adequate amount of resiliency and reserve to take on struggles. I ask for support when I need it. I'm willing to talk about what's going on with myself. And that’s really what it is, just that sense of well-being. That's what mental health is where you're able to engage in your life in a way that represents who you are and what you want to do.

The transformative vision of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.

John Huntsman's legacy is council. The nine children looked around and they've had mental illness in the family and substance use disorder in their family, and they wanted to make this their legacy. To actually change mental health on a national level across everything, including, uh, looking at policy reform on a federal level, payment reform, access to care, uh, best practice, specialty, personalized care, all those kinds of things. a big part of that, so what they're funding right now is this Stop Stigma campaign, which is a national campaign that's intended to go out the next 10 years.

What contributes to the mental health crisis?

[21:18] Mental health is the number 1 disability in the world now. And so part of what contributes to all that, as you know, is the whole social environment, particularly kids. How do you interact with your peers? How many people get bullied, isolated from the rest of the pack, don't feel like they belong early on and how that carries through. So, creating an inclusive environment where people just get accepted for who they are, and they can be a part of the overall social contract without having to be the popular kids or whatever, you can be whoever you are and fit into that is a critical piece. And of course, we all know that there are these different benchmarks that really require a lot of going from elementary to junior high, junior high to high school, high school to college. It's a critical thing. The more you can do to create that kind of wellness environment and inclusivity of everyone, the better, because we're social animals and what contributes as much to mental illness as anything is isolation.

• Huntsman Mental Health Institute
• Ross Van Vranken | University of Utah Health
• Ross Van Vranken | LinkedIn
• David Eccles School of Business (@ubusiness) • Instagram
• Eccles Alumni Network (@ecclesalumni) • Instagram