Developed by Sorenson Impact Institute and CTSI Health Economics Core at the University of Utah, monetization framework quantifies savings and community impact across Huntsman Mental Health Institute mental health and substance use disorder programs.
Salt Lake City, UT [Nov. 12, 2025] — Huntsman Mental Health Institute, in partnership with Sorenson Impact Institute and CTSI Health Economics Core at the University of Utah, has released a forward-looking report showing the economic and social value of investing in mental health and substance use treatment. Released today, the report comes against a backdrop of statewide and national funding shortfalls for behavioral healthcare and shows how undervaluing these services carries steep costs. The 2.5-year project was led by Janis Dubno, Managing Director of Impact Finance at the Sorenson Impact Institute, and her team, along with Dr. Fernando Wilson, Director at CTSI Health Economics Core.
The report, Social and Economic Impact Monetization Framework for Mental Health and Substance Use Healthcare Services, reveals that better funding models for behavioral healthcare have the potential to generate substantial savings, through reduced law enforcement involvement, fewer emergency department visits, and other avoided costs, while improving a range of outcomes for individuals and communities. By reframing mental health and substance use services as strategic investments rather than cost centers, the framework provides a replicable tool to demonstrate the impact of expanding services in other regions.
“Too often, behavioral health services are underfunded and undervalued,” said James Ashworth, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the U of U. “This framework gives us the tools to collect and analyze data more effectively, helping us better capture and demonstrate the real impact of treatment.”
The report outlines the development of a financial framework that quantifies social and economic benefits and identifies which stakeholders benefit. As part of this work, Dr. Wilson led an economic analysis of U of U Health’s electronic health records to measure real-world changes in utilization and costs, finding total savings of over $2.7 million in decreased emergency department visits across selected HMHI programs.
“By analyzing patient-level data across multiple systems, we can quantify how targeted mental health and substance use interventions reduce downstream costs,” said Dr. Wilson. “It’s evidence that rigorous economic modeling can guide smarter, more sustainable funding decisions.”
Drawing on data from more than a dozen Huntsman Mental Health Institute programs, the analysis found numerous areas of measurable impact. For example, maternal mental health initiatives generated between $2.3 million and $7.4 million in estimated socioeconomic and health savings from 2019 to 2024, while substance use disorder treatments saved $5 million to $12.6 million over the same period.
“This work equips policymakers, funders, and providers with evidence that behavioral healthcare is not just a moral imperative, but also a meaningful economic and fiscal investment,” said Dubno.
Designed to be replicated by behavioral health providers across the country, the framework offers a new way to guide policy, funding, and investment decisions that expand access to care in ways that simultaneously improve patient outcomes and drive measurable savings for stakeholders.
About Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah is a first-of-its-kind model created to address one of our nation’s greatest challenges: mental health and substance use disorders. The institute combines the strength of one of America’s leading research universities with the nation’s best integrated mental health crisis care model and a comprehensive continuum of care that includes a 161-bed hospital and more than 85 outpatient locations. We educate hundreds of learners every year and provide both unique and wide-ranging educational opportunities in psychiatry and mental health. Our innovative approach to research uses “teams of teams” to bring together different disciplines to uncover new ways to tackle complex problems. A gift of $150 million from the Huntsman family helps power our mission to advance mental health knowledge, hope and healing for all. Learn more at hmhi.utah.edu and join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn.
About Sorenson Impact Institute
At the Sorenson Impact Institute, we know capital can be a force for good. Proudly housed at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, we are a team of expert practitioners with a mission to expand the market for impact investing. We connect capital to positive social and environmental outcomes, conduct applied research, drive innovations in impact, and equip future leaders. Our headquarters, the Impact & Prosperity Epicenter, is a pioneering live/work ecosystem that fosters a shared vision for the betterment of people and the planet. Learn more at sorensonimpactinstitute.com.
About Health Economics Core
The Health Economics Core is an initiative of the University of Utah’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, consisting of economists with decades of experience in designing and implementing economic evaluations of complex healthcare interventions and programs. Our mission is to partner with and help researchers, program managers, healthcare and public health practitioners, and others to incorporate economic evaluation within their studies and programs. Learn more at ctsi.utah.edu/cores-and-services/triad/health-economics.
