With a Master of Social Work from the University of Utah, Ross Van Vranken, Jr. has gained expertise in program development, strategic initiatives, and relationship building throughout his career. He has held various clinical and administrative positions in the social work field and currently brings nearly 30 years of experience to his position at the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI). Mr. Van Vranken has been the executive director of the institute since 1991. Before stepping into this role, he was the chief of social work and an assistant administrator. The UNI offers mental and behavioral health services to patients suffering from a range of disorders, including anxiety, depression, mood and eating disorders, schizophrenia, and substance and chemical abuse.
In his current position, Mr. Van Vranken is responsible for all of the institute’s operations, strategic planning, recruitment, retention, and all in-patient and out-patient services. In addition to his work with the UNI, Mr. Van Vranken was also active with several other organizations in the field. He served as the chair of the Crisis Call System and of the behavioral health committee of the Utah Hospital Association. He also served on the Governor’s Task Force on Youth Suicide Prevention. Looking toward the future, Mr. Van Vranken and his colleagues are actively working on an app designed to prevent suicide and bullying among children, which will be integrated into schools for grades kindergarten to 12th. They also plan to introduce the app to universities across the nation. In the coming years, Mr. Van Vranken plans to retire so that he can focus on his work on the app.
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