School Safety and Student Services

USBE, in coordination with stakeholders, has made School Safety a board priority. The Utah School Safety Framework includes 9 Conditions that schools may follow to create comprehensive safe and healthy school policies, plans, protocols, and partnerships. The information included in this website has been a result of intensive collaboration with multiple state agencies, research from national organizations, and input from Utah educators, parents, and students.

1. Establishing a Positive and Supportive School Culture Resources Establishing a positive and supportive school culture for every student is of utmost importance. Building a supportive school culture will lead to a positive school climate, where every student can learn. This page will provide resources to assist in building a positive school culture and climate.

2.  Attending to School-based Mental Health Resources School-based Mental Health (SBMH) encompasses promoting wellness, social, emotional, and behavioral health, and coping skills necessary for meeting life's challenges. The mission and purpose of schools is learning and having comprehensive school-based mental health services contributes to those outcomes

3.  Securing the Building, Grounds and Transportation Resources  This section of the agency helps provide resources for construction, facility safety and transportation.

4.  Screening, Training, and Supporting School Staff Resources Screening, training, and supporting school staff are foundational elements in creating safe and healthy schools. State rule requires the screening of employees and volunteers that work with students.

5.  Mitigating Student Safe School Violations Resources Creating a safe school environment requires a comprehensive approach directed toward mitigating safe school violations and providing targeted interventions for students. Schools have the right and responsibility to be spaces of learning where every student has the opportunity to learn in an environment that is safe, conducive to the learning process, and free from unnecessary disruption.

6.  Providing Digital Safety Measures Resources Technology serves many purposes in the field of education such as to support learning and to store data. Schools have unique needs and challenges when it comes to safety and security. All of these factors must be considered when choosing the right digital safety measures. 

7.  Developing Community Prevention and Response Partnerships Resources Utah provides an abundance of resources for its community members across the spectrum to promote safe and healthy schools. With Utah-specific resources such as Live On, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, and SafeUT, our goal is to support each individual's needs.

8.  Crisis Response and Emergency Response Protocol Resources Crisis and emergency response protocols are built around the physical and psychological best practices for anyone who communicates on behalf of a school in response to a public health emergency. Emergencies can affect a community in a number of ways from natural disasters, to lockdowns, or a death of a student or faculty member.

9.  Student Health Services Resources The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) recognizes the crucial link between student health and academic success. To attend school safely and thrive in the learning environment, students require access to comprehensive health services.

The SafeUT application operates 24/7 and allows individuals in crisis to connect instantly with a masters-level counselor through chat or phone call. An individual can also submit a tip through the SafeUT application if they are concerned about another student or a possible threat to their school. The SafeUT program is funded through the Utah State Legislature and the services are provided by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) at the University of Utah.