During Mental Health Awareness Month, Intermountain Health is expanding access to behavioral health care in the Salt Lake Valley with the opening of a new, 84,000-square-foot Behavioral Health Center at Intermountain Health Alta View Hospital in Sandy — a 56-bed facility leaders say will increase capacity, reduce ER wait times, and create a more compassionate, specialized place for people to get help when they need it most.
The Big Picture
Behavioral health needs have outpaced capacity across Utah and the nation, forcing many people in crisis to wait for care in emergency departments or travel far from home to find an open bed. Intermountain Health leaders say the new center is designed to meet that moment with more inpatient beds, easier access to urgent behavioral health evaluation, and specialized services — including a dedicated maternal mental health unit.
What’s Happening
Intermountain Health is opening a new, state-of-the-art, 84,000-square-foot Behavioral Health Center at Intermountain Health Alta View Hospital (9660 S. 1300 E., Sandy). The 56-bed center opens for patient care in June and will double the number of behavioral health patient beds offered by Intermountain Health at Alta View.
The new center includes:
- A walk-in Behavioral Health Access Center for adults age 18 and older — an urgent-care-like entry point where people can arrive without an appointment, be evaluated, and be connected to the right level of care.
- Inpatient behavioral health services designed to support people experiencing serious mental health needs.
- A medical withdrawal management (detox) program for safe, medically supported withdrawal.
- A dedicated Maternal Mental Health Unit for people during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum — intentionally designed to support healing, reduce barriers to care, and incorporate family and infant visitation when appropriate and safe.
The opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community open house featuring local leaders, clinicians, and community partners.
Why It Matters
Leaders say the new facility is a direct response to rising demand and the real-world consequences of limited behavioral health resources.
“By reducing travel barriers and expanding timely access to expert care, the center will play a vital role in strengthening community well-being,” said Scott Roberson, president of Intermountain Health Alta View Hospital.
The facility is also intended to relieve pressure on emergency departments by providing a dedicated access point for behavioral health crises, and by adding inpatient capacity so people don’t have to wait as long for placement.
The Maternal Mental Health Unit is a particularly significant step forward. It creates a separate, specialized environment for those experiencing perinatal and postpartum mental health conditions — including postpartum depression, severe anxiety, postpartum psychosis, trauma-related disorders, and substance-use related mental health concerns. Community partners emphasized that this kind of targeted, timely support can have lifelong benefits for individuals, families, and the broader community.
The Bottom Line
The new Behavioral Health Center at Intermountain Health Alta View Hospital expands access to crisis evaluation, inpatient treatment, withdrawal management, and maternal mental health care — giving more people in the Salt Lake Valley a clear place to start when they need support, and adding capacity that leaders say will reduce waits and improve outcomes.