About Us
At SafeUT, we believe no one should face life's hardest and scariest moments alone. We're here to listen, support, and walk with Utah's youth and families—every time they reach out.
The SafeUT Story
SafeUT was developed in response to Utah’s unacceptably high youth suicide rate—the leading cause of death for people aged 10-24—and increasing school safety threats. The program was created when Utah State Senator Daniel Thatcher alerted Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes to the critical need for a student crisis and tip line and introduced legislation, co-sponsored by Utah State Representative Steve Eliason, in 2014. The first School Safety Tip Line bill created a statewide commission, chaired by the Utah Attorney General’s Office, with representation from statewide partners in public and higher education, behavioral health, law enforcement, elected officials, and members of the general public.
Launched in 2015, the SafeUT app was redeveloped by the University of Utah in 2016 to provide students, parents, guardians, and educators with a confidential way to connect with licensed counselors. SafeUT counselors hold master’s degrees in mental health and are employed by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at University of Utah Health. Today, SafeUT's service is also available as an app on Chromebooks and other computers via our website, where you can access immediate help from SafeUT counselors, submit tips, or tap into helpful resources.
SafeUT is nationally recognized for its effectiveness in saving lives and de-escalating potential school threats using a behavioral health-first approach. People submit private tips to SafeUT when they have a concern about the safety of someone else or their school. SafeUT regularly gets tips about bullying, concerns about someone who has thoughts of self-harm or thoughts of suicide, concerns about someone hurting others, or potential school safety threats. A SafeUT counselor reviews the safety concern and passes it to the school. Schools use the information SafeUT provides and may follow up with the tip if there's a safety concern. For high-risk situations, police my need to get involved to keep the school safe.
SafeUT National Guard was launched in 2019, followed by SafeUT Frontline in 2020.
Whether you start a chat or submit a tip, SafeUT counselors are ready to help 24/7, 365 days a year for free.
SafeUT App & Web
SafeUT is a crisis chat and tip line that provides confidential help to K-12 students, college students, parents, and school staff and faculty in Utah. Accessible via live chat or a confidential tip line, users can reach out for help directly from their smartphones or through our website.
SafeUT Frontline
SafeUT Frontline aids those who work in health care, fire/EMS, law enforcement, corrections, public safety dispatch, and their families, linking them to licensed mental health professionals—who are trained to understand their unique challenges—for confidential support.
SafeUT National Guard
SafeUT National Guard serves Guard soldiers, veterans, civilian personnel, and their families, linking them to licensed mental health professionals—who are trained to understand their unique challenges—for confidential support.
Every Message Matters.
Every Life Counts.
In 2024, SafeUT helped thousands of Utahns find hope in their hardest moments. Discover the numbers, stories, and statewide impact behind this year’s lifesaving work.
SafeUT by the numbers
Updated daily, our data dashboard reports how many chats and tips SafeUT received and what topics were the most common in the past 30 days.
SafeUT & School Safety Commission
The SafeUT Commission, comprising of 11 voting members, is essential in coordinating statewide efforts to raise awareness and promote the use of SafeUT. The SafeUT program's success wouldn't be possible without the unwavering support and dedication from partners, commission members, and the wider community.
Ric Cantrell
Commission Chair | Utah Attorney General Chief of Staff
Sen. Daniel Thatcher
Utah State Senate
Rep. Steven Eliason
Utah State House of Representatives
Shauntelle Cota
Utah State Board of Education
Cassidy Dragunat
Utah System of Higher Education
Jennifer Hebdon-Seljestad
Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Michael Staley
Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Ken Wallentine
Law Enforcement and Emergency Response
Rachel Lucynski
Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Anne Brown
Representative of the Public
Barbara Stallone
Representative of the Public
Partner with us.
Are you a company interested in partnering with SafeUT? If so, please complete our third-party vendor form. After you submit the form, it will be reviewed by the SafeUT Third Party Vendor Committee members. One of them will respond to you via email with the next steps.
Help us help Utah's youth
Your donation helps SafeUT provide critical support, counseling, and resources to teens across Utah. Every dollar makes a difference—and every gift helps us be there when it matters most.
Contact Us
If you have any general questions, please don't hesitate to contact us by calling 801-587-8852 or emailing safeut@hsc.utah.edu. If you find yourself in a crisis situation and require immediate support, click on the "Get Help Now" button.
