A bill that aims to fund two new mental health crisis receiving centers in rural Utah, including one in the Uintah Basin, is progressing in the Utah legislative session. HB66 was approved by the House last week and is now before the Senate Rules Committee. Receiving centers are becoming more common in the state to serve as crisis response sites for individuals experiencing behavioral, mental health, or substance abuse challenges in need of immediate intervention and stabilization. Usually law enforcement responds to these situations and the receiving center offers an appropriate alternative to the ER or jail for those just needing crisis intervention. In August of 2022, state and local criminal justice partners met in Vernal to explore criminal justice services and struggles in the Uintah Basin. The possibility of a receiving center was supported as an option to relieve the strained system.
