SafeUT app sees 'record-breaking' use in 2023

SALT LAKE CITY — The SafeUT app saw "record-breaking" utilization during 2023, program leaders and partners announced Tuesday.

Launched in 2015, the app serves as a chat and tip line that provides real-time crisis intervention for students, parents, guardians and educators. Over the years, SafeUT has expanded its user base and now connects front-line workers, Utah Air and Army National Guard members and their families with licensed mental health professionals.

Released Tuesday, the SafeUT 2023 Annual Report shows that over 885,000 K-12 and higher education students have access to the app and over 30,000 chats started across the app's three versions (education, frontline, National Guard).

"With those more than 30,000 chats that were started, we saw 1.1 million back-and-forth messages that were sent," said Rachel Lucynski, director of community crisis intervention and support services at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and SafeUT commission chairwoman. "This means that users are really engaging in lengthy conversations to talk about life stressors, situational crises that might be impacting their well-being, and engaging with our counselors on ways to de-escalate those concerns and look for longer-term resources and support."

As far as school safety and mental health concerns, 2023 saw 9,204 total tips submitted from K-12 and higher education — 17% of which pertained to concerns about suicide.

Additionally, 791 tips were submitted for potential school threats or acts of violence, with 25% of tips about guns or firearms.

"This is a function of government funded by the Legislature and some visionaries at (University of Utah) ... to really rescue those in their darkest hour," said Ric Cantrell, Utah attorney general chief of staff and SafeUT commission chairman. "As Thanksgiving comes up, I would like to see a Thanksgiving with no empty seats at the table — where everybody shows up."

Cantrell said that his favorite statistic from the report is the 536 lifesaving interventions that were initiated for SafeUT users who were actively attempting or at imminent risk of attempting suicide.

"That means there are 536 kids that are alive today that would not be without SafeUT," Cantrell said. "That's the stat that hits home for me and I love it."

In January, a 14-year-old girl who police say was kidnapped while walking home couldn't reach any of her friends and downloaded the SafeUT app and was eventually rescued by Salt Lake police.

Additionally, the report showed that 94% of users feel the SafeUT counselor "always" or "usually" showed respect for what they had to say and 89% feel the SafeUT counselor "always" or "usually" carefully listened to them.

Dénia-Marie Ollerton, SafeUT program manager, encouraged more students and adults alike to download and learn how to use the app.

"You send (a tip) in and it goes immediately to our team of licensed mental health workers, who then have a conversation with you. They can talk to you about what's going on and get more information on that situation, and then it's sent immediately over to that school for further review," Ollerton said. "If it's something that needs immediate help, we will connect very quickly with school or with first responders if necessary."

As far as the future of the program, Cantrell said that the focus is on improving quality and speed and branching out to expand services into more high-risk sectors of the community as funding allows.

"We'll be looking at how can we continue to evolve so that we can meet the needs of our school partners, of our law enforcement partners and of concerned students and parents that are utilizing our tip feature and reporting those safety and security concerns," Lucynski said.

The full report can be found at safeut.org.

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