New Crisis Solution Directly Connects Struggling College Students with Mental Health Support

NATICK, Mass., Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As mental health remains a critical issue on college campuses nationwide, leading higher education teletherapy partner Uwill, today, announced a new solution to help students in crisis rapidly connect with a licensed counselor trained to assess student risk, deescalate situations, and offer as-needed emergency response.

Uhelp is the only available solution providing students with a direct connection to a licensed therapist with specific crisis and trauma training. Students will never need to navigate an intake line that delays access to the urgent support, and connects students in less than one minute. Additionally, unlike similar life-lines, Uhelp also includes a follow-up "check-in" with any student who utilizes this crisis support option, ensuring a consistent line of communication and a pathway to ongoing counseling care.

"Uhelp bridges the gap between distressed students and the care that they need, allowing people to be heard in seconds and develop resilience with an ongoing therapist," said Erin Andrews, Head of Clinical Affairs at Uwill. "Most crisis resources focus solely on getting a caller to a point of calm, but Uhelp takes a critical extra step to ensure wellness through follow up and ongoing care connection."

While other organizations, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), offer suicide hotlines to provide support to individuals who are struggling, Uhelp is the only offering fully-staffed by licensed counselors specifically trained to support college students in crisis. Uhelp is also configured to align with each school's emergency procedures and offers students an easy pathway to connect with ongoing counseling support provided by Uwill. According to Uwill data, nearly three-quarters of students who initially reach out for crisis support through Uhelp end up scheduling follow-up therapy sessions.

"Suicide remains a leading cause of death on college campuses, and a growing number of postsecondary leaders recognize the importance of ensuring their students have access to immediate crisis support," said Michael London, Uwill Founder and CEO. "Uhelp is working to fill that void by ensuring students have direct access to qualified mental health experts who are specifically trained to deescalate emergency situations while also taking a step further by facilitating connections with ongoing support."

Utilizing its proprietary technology and counselor team, Uwill pioneered the first higher education therapist matching platform and wellness environment. The solution offers an immediate appointment with an available licensed counselor based on student preferences, a direct crisis connection 24/7/365, wellness programming, real-time reporting and support. Uwill partners with more than 100 institutions, including Columbus State Community College, Dartmouth College, Morgan State University, and Western Michigan University.

To learn more about Uwill and Uhelp, visit www.uwill.com. 

Uwill is the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students. The most cost-effective way to expand and enhance a college's mental health offering, Uwill partners with more than 100 postsecondary institutions, including Boston College, University of Michigan, American Public University System, and University of Maryland College Park, to quickly and easily connect students to licensed mental health counselors in all fifty states, all at no cost to the student. Uwill is also the exclusive teletherapy education partner for NASPA representing more than 13,000 members at 1,400 campuses. For more information, visit uwill.com or follow Uwill on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Brett Silk, [email protected] 

SOURCE Uwill, Inc