Dénia-Marie (Dema) Ollerton is the Clinical Supervisor for the state of Utah’s SafeUT Crisis Chat and Tip Line for youth. After receiving her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Boston College, Dema made her way back to Utah because she missed the outdoors and quality of life. Now, she is an important part of Huntsman Mental Health Institute, and her work with SafeUT changes lives every day.
Dema shared with us more about her day-to-day work, the culture at HMHI, and the most challenging and rewarding parts of her career.
"I was really impressed with the collaborative team environment as well as the quality of work being done here at the University of Utah. I love that we are at a teaching hospital that values evidence-based practice."
Q: What inspired you to work here at HMHI/SafeUT?
I was really impressed with the collaborative team environment as well as the quality of work being done here at the University of Utah. I love that we are at a teaching hospital that values evidence-based practice. Also, I think as an employer for women is the best. I have fantastic collaboration across the university in my work. I feel fortunate to be at an institution that has so many resources available.
Q: What is your area of specialization and why?
Crisis intervention via text. I happened upon it by accident and was excited to get hired at the U! Very quickly, I learned that this is an area that fits my career interests and need for work/life balance. It’s been really inspiring to learn crisis intervention skills. It was not something that was taught when I was in school to be a psychologist. I love that it’s short-term and solution-focused, allowing me not to take things home emotionally from work. I experience more frequent clinical “successes” throughout my day than I did doing individual or group therapy.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you?
I get to have my hands in many different pots, so each day looks slightly different. I find myself interacting with staff members, checking in on their day, seeing how the clients are doing, and solving clinical challenges. I also work with non-clinical groups like marketing, research, and community stakeholders. I get to brainstorm and implement ideas to continuously improve text-based services to our community. It’s really energizing for me, and I feel valued.
Q: What are the most challenging aspects of your role?
I find I am a high achiever, so I want to do everything 100 percent, all the time. I feel very fortunate to work in a high-quality environment and want to always go the extra mile. Because the need for crisis services and mental health is so high, it can be hard to help people all the time and take care of yourself. It’s a tricky combination that can lead to burnout if you’re not careful. I have found a lot of support from my colleagues, leadership, and the university. We talk openly about burnout and I have utilized resources like the Resiliency Center to help find the right balance for me.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not at work?
I like to be outdoors as much as possible. We have so many fun hikes, lakes to swim in, and reservoirs to paddleboard around. We have so much open space and wilderness throughout the state that makes it fun to explore and discover. The food scene is also a bit of a hidden gem, and there are always new restaurants popping up that are fun to try.
Q: Why did you decide to come to Utah?
Most recently, I moved to Boston for graduate school, but that was almost 10 years ago. I moved back to Salt Lake City five or six years ago. I have always been a mental health counselor, working in addiction and other areas, and then I got the job here doing crisis work. I just really loved the U. We really are fortunate to have a beautiful place to live with a high quality of life. I’ve lived in other states and countries, and Utah is unique because of the quality of living that can be attained here.