S7E6: Mental Healthcare: From Stigma to Solutions with Ross Van Vranken

We are wrapping up our series of conversations with the Kem C.
Gardner Policy Institute's 2024 Informed Decision
Makers. Every year, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at
the David Eccles School of Business recognizes individuals and
entities that contribute to the prosperity of our community here
in Utah, often performing important work behind the scenes and
without much recognition. 





Joining us today is Ross Van Vranken, the former executive
director for the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, which is part
of the University of Utah Health System. The Huntsman Mental
Health Institute is a multi-million dollar enterprise supporting
a behavioral health care system anchored by a 170-bed acute
psychiatric and substance use hospital.





In this episode, host Frances Johnson sits down with Ross to
discuss the evolution of the mental health conversation, the
importance of treating mental health with the same urgency as
physical health, and the critical issue of access to mental
health care. Ross shares his insights on the economic
implications of untreated mental health issues, the impact of the
social environment on mental wellness, and the transformative
vision of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. 





Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School
of Business and is produced by University fm.



Episode Quotes:




On defining what mental health is





[05:12] When you're talking about mental health, you're talking
about well-being, that sense of well-being. I'm okay. And I know
how to navigate the problems in my life, and I get through it,
and I have an adequate amount of resiliency and reserve to take
on struggles. I ask for support when I need it. I'm willing to
talk about what's going on with myself. And that’s really what it
is, just that sense of well-being. That's what mental health is
where you're able to engage in your life in a way that represents
who you are and what you want to do. 





The transformative vision of the Huntsman Mental Health
Institute. 





John Huntsman's legacy is council. The nine children looked
around and they've had mental illness in the family and substance
use disorder in their family, and they wanted to make this
their legacy. To actually change mental health on a national
level across everything, including, uh, looking at policy reform
on a federal level, payment reform, access to care, uh, best
practice, specialty, personalized care, all those kinds of
things. a big part of that, so what they're funding right now is
this Stop Stigma campaign, which is a national campaign that's
intended to go out the next 10 years. 





What contributes to the mental health crisis?





[21:18] Mental health is the number 1 disability in the world
now. And so part of what contributes to all that, as you know, is
the whole social environment, particularly kids. How do you
interact with your peers? How many people get bullied, isolated
from the rest of the pack, don't feel like they belong early
on and how that carries through. So, creating an inclusive
environment where people just get accepted for who they are, and
they can be a part of the overall social contract without having
to be the popular kids or whatever, you can be whoever you are
and fit into that is a critical piece. And of course, we all know
that there are these different benchmarks that really require a
lot of going from elementary to junior high, junior high to high
school, high school to college. It's a critical thing. The more
you can do to create that kind of wellness environment and
inclusivity of everyone, the better, because we're social animals
and what contributes as much to mental illness as anything is
isolation. 



Show Links:

Huntsman Mental Health Institute

Ross Van Vranken | University of Utah Health

Ross Van Vranken | LinkedIn

David Eccles School of Business (@ubusiness) • Instagram

Eccles Alumni Network (@ecclesalumni) • Instagram