Wednesday, May 17th • 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Congregation Kol Ami in the Pepper Chapel
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are hosting a panel discussion on adolescent/child mental health and suicide prevention moderated by Rabbi Spector. All parents/adults are welcome to attend this important conversation.
Our panel of professionals include: Dr. Carl Smoot, Dr. Ted Barratt, Benée Larsen (Director of the NAMI Utah Prevention Department), and Alle Salazar, LCSW (JFS, Director of Professional Services). Learn more about our panelists and RSVP below.
Dr. Carl Smoot
Psychologist
Dr. Carl Smoot has been a licensed psychologist in Utah for over 20 years. He specializes in psychological evaluations, clinical supervision, and therapeutic interventions for adolescents and young adults.
Prior to attending graduate school in Counseling Psychology at the University of Utah, Carl taught college writing courses at Syracuse University and earned a Master's degree in Philosophy.
Carl has been an active member of Congregation Kol Ami since 2017 and currently serves on the synagogue's Board of Trustees.
Dr. Ted Barratt
Psychologist
Dr. Ted Barratt earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in California and then returned to Utah where he has been a licensed psychologist for many years. He has worked as the Clinical Director of Youth Care of Utah and is currently the training director at the Utah State Hospital. He is actively involved in research and has an interest in evidence-based interventions for adolescents who have problems with self-harm and suicidal behavior.
Benée Larsen
Director, NAMI Utah Prevention Department
Benée Larsen is the Director of the NAMI Utah Prevention Department. As Director of the NAMI Utah Prevention by Design program Benée works with, supports, and provides grant funding to local coalitions throughout Utah to implement and evaluate suicide prevention and mental health promotion strategies. She also is the Co-Chair of the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a national nonprofit whose mission is to help ensure the dignity and improve the lives of those impacted by mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy. Benée is a certified instructor of Mental Health First Aid, QPR (Question, Persuade, & Refer), Vital Cognition suicide prevention in the workplace, Creating Safety suicide prevention training, and Safe & Effective Messaging Training.
Benée is the mother of three children, one of whom lives with a mental health condition. Together she and NAMI Utah bring to the table the voice of lived experience, support, education, and advocacy.
Alle Salazar, LCSW
Director of Professional Services, Jewish Family Service
Alle Salazar, LCSW, Director of Professional Services, joined the staff of Jewish Family Service in 2011 as the agency’s volunteer coordinator while she completed her graduate education at the University of Utah. She earned her Master of Social Work in 2013, and joined the JFS clinical team as a counselor.
In addition to her clinical practice, Alle now coordinates JFS’ behavioral health, safety net, and older adults' services. As a clinician, Alle specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and trauma, and she is passionate about providing affirming therapy to those with LGBTQ+ identities. She especially enjoys her work supervising new counselors who are in their graduate training or new to the profession.
Sun, May 11 2025
13 Iyyar 5785
