Dr. Will Novey is a psychiatrist, and medical director of psychiatric services for Intermountain Health
Salt Lake City, UT (PRUnderground) June 29th, 2026
Our mental health is important. Nearly one in five Americans have a mental illness, so it is important for everyone to talk openly about mental health and how we can work together to overcome the stigma around it.
Even though mental health has been widely discussed in recent years, for some it can still be a tough subject to talk about because we don’t know how to properly deal with those problems for ourselves or a loved one.
“There’s a of information on how to handle mental health, and it can be overwhelming and confusing epically if it’s during a crisis,” said Will Novey, MD, psychiatrist and medical director of psychiatric services at Intermountain Health. “That’s why we offer both in person and virtual resources to get help quickly.”
These resources include Intermountain’s behavioral health access centers which are meant to help people dealing with a mental health crisis without a medical emergency. The centers have extended hours and can be the first place for those experiencing serious depression, substance abuse, or psychosis.
“By having an access center as the first point of contact we can have mental health professionals evaluate a patient and begin getting them the help they need faster,” said Dr. Novey. “This also helps take out the uncertainty on where to take a patient for this type of care in a crisis.”
If it’s after hours or an access center is too far away Dr. Novey encourages people to seek help at their nearest emergency department where caregivers can help a patient get the resources they need.
In June another access center opened Intermountain Health Alta View Hospital in Sandy, Utah. It joined access centers at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden and Intermountain Health LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. Intermountain Children’s Health and Primary Children’s Hospital campuses in Utah (SLC, Lehi, and Taylorsville), also recently earned the honor as the first member of the national Trauma and Grief (TAG) Network in the Western United States – and the fourth in the United States.
Access to mental health services has been a major priority for communities big and small across the country. Intermountain Health wants to make it easier for people to get help or talk with someone if they aren’t feeling right mentally.
There has been a stigma that addressing or openly talking about mental health is a sign of weakness, or a character flaw. Others still see it as something that somebody should just be able to snap out of anytime they can. That mentality, when not addressed correctly, leads people to stay quiet and not address a real and serious health problem.
“The first step to getting better is recognizing the issue and being able to talk with a doctor or loved one about it,” said Dr. Novey. “By helping pinpoint some of the issues we can give people the right tools to handle the mental stresses and anxiety that do happen in our lives.”
If you would like to learn more about behavioral health services or need more resources for help, visit intermountainhealth.org/behavioralhealth.
If someone is in danger of hurting themselves, contact the National Suicide Lifeline at 988.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a nonprofit health plan called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.
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