Primary Children's Hospital Joins Network to Improve Grief and Trauma Care

The hospital will provide evidence-based therapy and support for children and families dealing with loss.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 10:07pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City has joined the Trauma and Grief Network, a program run by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute in Dallas, Texas. The network aims to provide training and evidence-based therapies to help care teams at children's hospitals better recognize and address the needs of children and families experiencing grief and trauma, especially after the loss of a loved one.

Why it matters

Many children face significant trauma and grief, with 1 in 15 experiencing the death of a parent by age 18. However, addressing bereavement in children is a relatively new field, and care providers often struggle to meet the unique emotional and psychological needs of grieving children. This partnership aims to fill a critical gap in community services and ensure no child has to face trauma or loss alone.

The details

The Trauma and Grief Network provides training to help care teams at children's hospitals like Primary Children's recognize the signs of trauma and grief in children and deliver more specialized, evidence-based support. This includes implementing a new therapy model called Multidimensional Grief Therapy, which is designed specifically to address the complex emotions and thoughts that children experience when grieving the loss of a loved one. Since joining the network, 55 Primary Children's therapists have already received this specialized training.

  • Primary Children's Hospital joined the Trauma and Grief Network in April 2026.
  • The announcement of the partnership was made at a press conference on April 1, 2026.

The players

Janae Tafoya-Holbrook

A mother who spoke at the press conference about the loss of her 12-year-old son Cayden and the challenges her family faced in finding grief support.

Dustin Lipson

The president of Primary Children's Hospital, who said the new services will fill 'a critical gap in our community'.

Julie Kaplow

The executive director of the Trauma and Grief Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, who thanked Intermountain Health for recognizing the need to improve trauma and grief services.

Shelby Lofton

A reporter from KSL who covered the press conference.

Cristina Hudak-Rosander

The behavioral health manager of the Intermountain Safe & Healthy Families Clinic, who discussed how the partnership will improve services at Primary Children's Hospital.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“My hope with this network is that families like mine feel less alone, more connected and more supported by meeting them where they are. Because at the end of the day, no family should have to carry this burden alone.”

— Janae Tafoya-Holbrook, Mother

“Incorporating evidence-based therapy developed specifically for grief will allow Intermountain therapists to better support children experiencing loss.”

— Dustin Lipson, President, Primary Children's Hospital

“This partnership with Primary Children's is more than just a program, it's a promise. A promise that no child in this region will have to face trauma or loss alone, and they will now have multiple avenues for receiving exceptional trauma and grief informed care.”

— Julie Kaplow, Executive Director, Trauma and Grief Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

What’s next

The Trauma and Grief Network plans to continue expanding its reach, with Primary Children's Hospital serving as the first affiliate in the western United States. The network will also work with Granite School District and the state of Utah to help identify more children in need of grief services.

The takeaway

This partnership highlights the growing recognition of the critical need to provide specialized, evidence-based support for children and families dealing with trauma and grief, especially after the loss of a loved one. By joining the Trauma and Grief Network, Primary Children's Hospital is taking an important step to ensure no child in its community has to face these challenges alone.