New 24/7 mental health resource added to support students
Dear WMU community,
Student success and well-being are top priorities at Western. Our focus on mental health and wellness has intensified in recent years with new offerings like WellTrack and YOU at Western, which supplement the increased counseling services available at Sindecuse Health Center. Today I’m pleased to announce another new resource.
Western has partnered with Uwill, a service that provides free access to teletherapy 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year. The new resource is immediately available to all enrolled WMU students. Often, the first session will be scheduled within hours of registering and completing a profile on Uwill’s secure online platform. This confidential, secure and private service is not a replacement for the University’s existing well-established range of mental health services but, rather, it augments them.
As part of offering a supportive environment that meets our students’ needs, we are committed to working with students, faculty and staff to enhance our well-being strategies. We are guided by national best practices, the expertise of our University’s clinicians and feedback from the campus community. For example, a Mental Health Forum organized by the Graduate Student Association, Western Student Association, Faculty Senate and Division of Student Affairs held at the close of last academic year was tremendously helpful.
Uwill is a direct response to a need identified by our students, faculty and staff last spring: After-hours access to mental health professionals for crises and other concerns. Through Uwill, students have unlimited 24/7 year-round access to a crisis hotline by calling (833) 646-1526.
For mental health needs that are not immediate, 30-minute teletherapy appointments are available. To schedule these through Uwill, students can log in to the platform and choose a therapist based on their needs and preferences—ethnicity, gender, language—and then choose a time that fits their day, night and weekend availability.
All students will have access to three initial 30-minute sessions through Uwill. After three appointments, students can request two additional sessions. After a total of five sessions, WMU mental health staff will work with students to explore options going forward given the spectrum of support on our campus.
That full continuum of care at the University includes Sindecuse Health Center Counseling Services, our Health Promotion and Education programs, online platforms WellTrack and YOU at Western and programming through our Student Recreation Center. Along with Uwill, these resources are in place to serve students based on their unique circumstances.
Students, please explore and tap into the services you need. Asking for help is a sign of wisdom, and nothing could be more appropriate in a learning environment. We are here to support you.
Sincerely,
Edward Montgomery
President
Published: Sept. 15, 2022