Building Utah

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. First Step House has been helping people rebuild their lives since 1958. Through treatment, housing, and wraparound support, they serve those facing behavioral health conditions like substance use disorder and mental illness. Development Director, Mary-T Calhoon, joins us with more. Mary Calhoon: First Step House helps people facing some of the toughest challenges – chronic addiction, mental illness, incarceration, and homelessness. We provide two main pathways for moving forward. The first is treatment and recovery housing, where clients progress step by step — from residential care, to sober housing, and eventually into independent housing. We also have a dedicated program for veterans. The second pathway is permanent supportive housing for people whose mental or behavioral health conditions require long-term support. Right now, we operate 285 housing units for people at risk of homelessness, with three more apartment buildings opening by 2028. We serve 1,700