March 15, 2022
To: Members of the University Community
From: Meeta Kumar, Director of Student Counseling
Subject: New Teletherapy Option for Students
Date: March 15, 2022
UChicago Student Wellness is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of UChicago students by providing accessible, high-quality, and culturally sensitive mental health services. With this commitment in mind, we are pleased to announce that eligible students now have access to TimelyCare, a leading telehealth company specializing in serving the needs of university students through its network of licensed providers.
TimelyCare is designed to complement the in-person and virtual services offered through UChicago Student Wellness. Student Wellness will continue to offer our full suite of virtual and on-campus services, such as individual and group psychotherapy, psychiatric evaluation and treatment, Let’s Talk, Academic Skills Assessment Program, specialty evaluations, outreach to the campus community, support spaces, our 24/7 Therapist-on-Call, and more. By offering TimelyCare as an additional option for our students, we are able to increase access to care, while lowering barriers to seeking help.
TimelyCare offers on-demand and scheduled services to enhance students’ access to additional mental health support. Starting March 15, students who are eligible for the services offered by UChicago Student Wellness can receive free virtual mental health care through TimelyCare. Services include:
Scheduled counseling: Virtual individual counseling sessions with a licensed mental health provider. Each student can receive 12 free individual sessions per year, between September 1 – August 31. From March 15 – August 31 of this year, students will have access to six free sessions of individual counseling, and this limit will reset to 12 sessions on September 1.
TalkNow on-demand service: TalkNow allows students to connect with a mental health professional any time of day, either by phone or video. Students can use TalkNow to discuss any concern, whether it be conflict with roommates, academic pressures, or serious mental health crises. The staff are trained to work with any level of concern and are available to assist 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Psychiatric care: Students can access psychiatric visits through a referral from Student Wellness or a TimelyCare clinician, if deemed clinically appropriate. The TimelyCare treatment team will assess the frequency and number of sessions in a year, and they are happy to discuss a tailored treatment plan.
TimelyCare gives UChicago students a greater variety of options, with ease of scheduling the time and modality that best fits their needs. Scheduled counseling sessions and TalkNow can be accessed from any web-enabled device.
For information on how students can set up their account and begin using these new services, please watch this video or visit wellness.uhicago.edu/timelycare for further details and an FAQ.