2022 Jubilee of Trees Event to Support Behavioral Health Resources for Children and Adolescents

The 2022 Jubilee of Trees is returning to an in-person holiday event this year, with a special focus on supporting local children who are struggling with mental health needs.

Jubilee of Trees, which will be held Sunday, November 20, through Tuesday, November 22, at the Dixie Convention Center, will benefit Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital for the advancement of children’s services in southern Utah, with a focus on pediatric and adolescent mental and behavioral health.

“Children and teens are increasingly struggling with mental health, and addressing these needs must remain one of our top priorities as a hospital and community,” said Patrick Carroll, MD, neonatologist and medical director of Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital.

Since 1983, the Jubilee of Trees has brought together community members from Utah, Arizona, and Nevada in a holiday celebration to raise funds to advance community medical services at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital.

The festive event, hosted by the Intermountain Foundation at St. George Regional Hospital, showcases beautifully adorned Christmas trees and wreaths created by local designers, artists, individuals, businesses, and community groups.

Jubilee of Trees tickets go on sale November 1. All trees are available for auction and can be viewed at stgeorgeregional.org/jubileeoftrees starting Sunday, November 20, at 10 a.m.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Utah youth ages nine to seventeen. One in six children in this age range has at least one treatable mental health disorder. It’s estimated that 40 percent of children who have depression are not getting care.

In the past decade, Intermountain Healthcare’s hospital emergency departments have seen a 300 percent increase in pediatric mental health crises. In 60 percent of those cases, children do not require hospital admission and are sent home.

Enhancing behavioral health services for children is part of Intermountain Healthcare’s Primary Promise to create a model health system for children. Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital has also added several mental and behavioral health resources for children. Care is available in clinics and via TeleHealth.

Parents who don’t know where to turn for help can call 1-833-SAFEFAM to talk to a trained professional to help with de-escalation and determine services that best fit the child’s needs, including Stabilization and Mobile Response, a free service in which behavioral health specialists come directly to the home.

Beginning in 2023, Intermountain St. George Regional will also offer a partial hospitalization program that includes more intensive therapies for children who need them, without an inpatient hospital stay.

The partial hospitalization program will provide behavioral health care to children and adolescents for a half or full day, depending on the need. At the end of each day, participants will go home to practice what they’ve learned. While there, they’ll identify which things work well, which don’t, and then return to the program to talk about it.

“There is a need for experiential learning with real-world application and in real time,” said Matthew Bradbury, DO, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “In the partial hospitalization program, each plan is individual. Each individual’s learning is specific to their needs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.”

The generosity of communities in southwest Utah has helped to expand pediatric programs over the years, including during last year’s Jubilee of Trees event. “We are thankful for our community’s giving spirit and invite residents to continue giving the gift of health and happiness to children and families by supporting the Jubilee of Trees,” Dr. Carroll said.

For ticket sales and more information about the Jubilee of Trees event, visit stgeorgeregional.org/jubileeoftrees.