The new remote resource provides a series of options for wellness and healthy living, counseling, and emotional crisis services.
Note: Please see the bottom of this article for instructions on signing up for TimelyCare.
Makayla Davis is a Client Success Manager for TimelyMD, a company founded in 2017 which provides medical, wellness, and psychological services to institutions of higher education. Davis’ role is to advise the company’s western region, drive student engagement with the program, and assist colleges and universities in understanding and implementing TimelyMD resources as widely as possible.
Altogether, nearly 170 two-year community colleges and four-year universities utilize TimelyMD’s telehealth services, known as TimelyCare, which includes mental health and student wellness services.
Davis reports that since the service’s launch at Western in December, more than 230 students have registered for TimelyCare. That represents more than 9 percent of eligible students, with more than 115 visits completed thus far across the different care options.
She notes that TimelyCare’s registration target is typically in the 15 to 20 percent range for colleges, and implores students to take advantage of the free resources made available to them by the service, and to download and register for the app so it is accessible to them when they need it.
“Allowing students to get that process done before they’re in a moment of distress” is critical, says Davis, who adds that you can access TimelyCare via mobile app or the service’s website on desktop, laptop, or tablet.
Western students have three primary options for care, which include:
- Unlimited “TalkNow” services for mental health and emotional support, available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Once students select the service and input their desired topic(s) of discussion, they are placed in a queue to speak with the next provider, which Davis says is usually within 5 or 10 minutes. Like with all TimelyCare services, students can choose to engage via either phone or video call. The “TalkNow” service is intended primarily to act as a form of triage for students going through difficult moments: late-night breakups, anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, and other immediate concerns. Providers will work with students to address their emotional needs and identify and enact next steps.
- An unlimited “Health Coaching” option, which comes with seven different provider options (as of this writing), including Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN), Certified Nutrition Coaches (CNC), and Health and Wellness Coaches. Students are encouraged to look into these credentials and find the best fit for their needs. With these providers, students can delve into topics like:
- Stress Management
- Time Management
- Substance Use/Misuse
- Unhealthy Eating/Disordered Eating
- Goals for Illness Management
- Goals for Mental Health Management
- The third and final care option available for students is scheduled counseling visits, accessed via the “Counseling” tab. Upon entering the app or browser and selecting to schedule an appointment with a psychological provider, students choose from a dropdown menu of discussion options, including:
- Substance Abuse
- Abuse/Sexual Assault/Violence
- Relationship Issues
- Social Services Needs
- Food/Body Image Issues
- Mood Issues
Western students have access to nine scheduled therapy sessions per year, with the session count resetting Aug. 1. Davis says that TimelyCare is exploring possibilities to increase that number down the line and that a care coordination team currently helps students whose sessions are nearly used up transition “the continuation of care” to resources outside of TimelyCare. The team investigates students’ options on-campus and through insurance options in an attempt to eliminate care disruptions as best as possible.
As of the time of this writing, Western students have access to eleven different mental healthcare provider options (four male and seven female) through TimelyCare, which include a mix of professional counselors and clinical social workers with a variety of professional qualifications.
All of TimelyCare’s mental health providers are fully licensed in their professional specialty, and have completed Master’s degrees or higher in their fields. Davis notes that all of the standards of care and HIPPA privacy guidelines that apply to in-person mental healthcare providers also apply to telehealth services. She adds that while telehealth counseling and wellness coaching may not work for everyone, the service is paid for by Western and provided at no extra charge to students.
“If it’s not for you, then it’s not for you, and we can help you locate in-person care, but there’s always someone available on the other end of the line to help,” Davis says, noting that telehealth services provide students with flexibility to have the face-to-face interaction of a video call, or stick to a phone call if that is more comfortable.
“It gives you a lot of ways to connect,” she notes, adding that students can also use the chat feature to communicate if they do not feel comfortable talking at any point during an appointment.
On Western’s end, Davis notes that privacy can be an issue on college campuses when you consider roommates and other barriers to privacy. Having a dedicated space where students can feel secure receiving telehealth services is critical– for some students, that may be the library with its personal study rooms. Western could explore other options in the future to facilitate privacy for telehealth services.
If students change locations to other states over breaks, or on weekends, they can change their listed state (TimelyCare has providers in all 50 states) and access a new list of mental health and wellness providers certified in other states.
Four of the eleven providers list LGBTQ+ counseling as speciality areas, along with four others listing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) or race, equity, and inclusion as emphases. Of the eleven providers, three identify as Black, and two as Asian, with the remainder identifying as White.
Unfortunately, none of the Colorado providers list Spanish, or other languages besides English, as options under their biographic information, although Davis notes that TimelyCare has third-party capabilities, including a language line that can accommodate matching students with translators as needed.
She adds that students having issues with connecting to existing therapist or provider options can reach out to the customer support team, who will work with the company’s care navigation team to identify options for students to receive the specific care they desire.
Ultimately, Davis encourages students to read the provider’s bios, think critically about what is important to them. and then give one or more providers a whirl, scheduling recurring sessions with their preferred providers or bouncing around to sample multiple.
She notes that the providers with the soonest openings show up at the top of the screen upon searching. For students seeking quick scheduling turnarounds, picking from the top options is ideal.
Specific focus areas for therapists include:
- Grief and Loss
- Sexual Trauma and other Trauma
- Faith Based Counseling and Christian Counseling
- Life Transitions
- Culturally Based Therapy
- Gender Affirming
Students in need of psychiatric services (which include the ability to prescribe medications) can reach out to Dean Gary Pierson, who can direct students with a referral code to obtain services as appropriate.
In addition to these primary services, TimelyCare has also launched an “Explore” feature, which includes online self-care discussion topics like setting positive intentions and navigating conflict and healthy relationships, in addition to guided Yoga and meditation tutorials, with more content coming soon.
Instructions to access TimelyCare MD:
- Create your free account by visiting timelycare.com/western or download the TimelyCare app at the App Store or on Google Play.
- Click “Sign in.”
- Create your profile using your @western school email address.
- Follow the prompts to start your first visit.
- Here is a Youtube tutorial video on it: https://youtu.be/nuO18O7plfg
- Please see attachment for more information