April 8, 2026- In Utah, approximately 1 in 15 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18. Bereavement has been recognized as both the most common – and most distressing – form of trauma in the state and nationwide. While experts say grief is a natural response to bereavement, children who experience grief without adequate support are at greater risk for a range of negative outcomes, including academic challenges, relationship difficulties, substance use, post-traumatic stress, depression, and increased suicide risk.
That’s why a new national initiative to standardize and implement best-practice treatments for high-quality trauma and bereavement care at children’s hospitals across the United States is so vital. The Trauma and Grief Center (TAG Center) at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, which is based in Dallas, Texas, is responding to this need.
As a national leader in advancing best-practice treatments for youth who have experienced significant trauma or the loss of a loved one, The TAG center is establishing a national network of children’s hospitals dedicated to best practice care in trauma and grief. As part of that initiative, Intermountain Children’s Health and Primary Children’s Hospital campuses in Utah (SLC, Lehi, and Taylorsville), have earned the honor as the first member of the national Trauma and Grief (TAG) Network in the Western United States – and the fourth in the United States.