Counseling Services

The mission of the counseling program at Athlos Academy of Utah is to provide a safe learning environment for every student. We focus on supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally to gain the necessary skills to be successful in life.

Academic Support

Athlos counselors:

Social & Emotional Support

Athlos counselors:

  • Facilitate small groups for students who need help in the following areas:
    • Building better friendships
    • Handling anger
    • Learning better social skills
    • Managing stress and anxiety
  • Provide mental health resources
  • Provide counseling to students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan

What We Offer

Individual Counseling
Individual counseling services are provided to students who may need additional support dealing with personal or interpersonal matters. Students may be experiencing academic stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, peer conflict, etc. Individual sessions may be scheduled with parent permission and can be carried out in-person or over Zoom.

Small Group Counseling
Small group counseling can provide children with valuable cooperation and friendship skills, emotion regulation strategies, support coping with grief and loss, help adjusting to family changes, and many other life experiences.

Community Resources
Connect families to community resources that provide for physical needs and mental health services.

  • Housing: Utah Community Action, Housing Authority Salt Lake City, Pathways
  • Food: Utah Food Bank, Utahns Against Hunger, Salvation Army
    • Principals Pantry:The Principal’s Pantry is open from 5-7 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month with nonperishable food items for Athlos families.The pantry is stocked with food and distributed for free to any Athlos student or family, no questions asked. Our goal is to help Athlos families.We want everyone to have nourishing food. Food is available on a first come first serve basis while supplies last.Athlos Academy employees, volunteers or other representatives have inspected and confirmed that all donated food products received are in good order. Athlos Academy makes no representations, warranties or guaranties whatsoever with respect to the quality or hygiene of the donated food products. Once the donated food products are received and distributed, Athlos Academy shall not be responsible for any adverse reactions, side effects, injury, bodily harm or death that results from consumption of the donated food products or any other liability arising thereof. It is assumed that recipients of food from Athlos Academy will care for perishable items and adhere to USDA food guidelines when preparing food.
  • Medical Mental Health: See chart and crisis numbers listed below

Dear Athlos families,

I wanted to reach out and extend some hands-off support to our students and yourselves as caregivers. With unprecedented changes in our community comes uncertainty, confusion, and sometimes stress and anxiety. While we are all in this together, every child (and adult) will experience things differently and every household will adjust accordingly. Please know that my role remains the same, helping our students feel seen, supported, and secure in that whole child way.

I work in such a face-to-face way with students that it’s challenging for me to figure out how best to be of help without that ability. Here are some ideas I am looking at right now to be of support to your children and you as their caregivers. Please note that I am not presuming that your children and/or yourselves need anything like this from me, but I wanted to put it out there for those who may.

As always I am available to email/call with parents. I can also organize a time to visit with students via Zoom if needed. Email is the best way to coordinate other forms of communication (phone call, Zoom). Our school counselor, Ms. Saderholm and I have set up a web page called “Soothe Center.” This as a place to give parents information about topics of interest for their children/families, e.g. anxiety, sleep problems, social isolation, stress, depression, boredom… all of which can be situational and variable for children.

Again, feel free to reach out to me via email at jwinward@athlosutah.org.

Wishing you all the best,

Jessica Winward

SafeUT Crisis Text and Tip Line

  • The SafeUT Crisis Chat and Tip Line is a statewide service that provides real-time crisis intervention to youth through live chat and a confidential tip program – right from your smartphone (available for both Apple and Android devices).
  • Licensed clinicians from Univeristy of Utah Health at the 24/7 CrisisLine call center respond to all incoming chats and calls by providing supportive or crisis counseling, suicide prevention, and referral services.
  • SafetUT can help anyone with an emotional crisis, bullying, relationship problems, mental health, or suicide-related issues.
  • SafeUT is a smartphone app available for both Apple and Android devices.
  • If you are a student/parent/educator, you can submit a tip to your school about a concern for a friend, a school safety issue, or other related topics.

Counseling topics include:

  • Depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues
  • Suicide prevention
  • Loss and grief
  • Bullying and cyberbullying
  • Drug and alcohol problems
  • Self-harm
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Any life challenge

The CrisisLine operated by the University Neuropsychiatric Institute that provides 24/7 crisis counseling over the phone. They also have a mobile crisis outreach team (MCOT) that provides free, prompt, face-to-face crisis intervention.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 and is a free and confidential support that provides crisis counseling to individuals in distress as well as prevention and crisis resources for individuals and loved ones.

The TrevorLifeline provides 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

Crisis Text Line is a free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the US to text with a trained crisis counselor.

Salt Lake County Youth Services provides 24/7 free crisis counseling, referrals, and short-term placement for youth ages 8 to 17. Juvenile Receiving Centers are located in South Salt Lake City and West Jordan. Youth may come to the facility on their own or parents may bring youth in for individual/family crisis counseling.

Youth Services Main Facility

Open 24/7 – 177 W Price Avenue (3610 S), South Salt Lake, UT 84115, #385-468-4470

West Jordan Facility

Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm – 8781 South Redwood Rd. Building #3, West Jordan, UT 84088, #385-468-4610

Free and confidential help and support for victims and survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence is available 24/7.