Lake Superior State University has teamed up with Uwill to help provide more responsive mental health care services for students and staff.
Uwill is a teletherapy company that helps college and university students by providing immediate access to crisis help lines and licensed therapists.
Michael Beazley, dean of student affairs at Lake Superior State University, said Uwill allows services to suit an individual's needs.
"There are a lot of different ways that a student can tailor Uwill, whether it's the gender of the provider, the type of language spoken during the session," Beazley said. "There is a really nice wide array of ways that you can tailor the service."
Beazley also said Uwill helps staff and counseling centers prepare for mental health situations they've never experienced before with students.
"A staff member responding to an instance of a mental health crisis, the staff member responding can also call Uwill and say I'm going to a situation, and this is what I think I'm walking into. Can you give me some insights about what I need to listen for, or what I need to watch for?" Beazley said.
Since its founding in 2020, Uwill has worked with over 150 colleges and universities and has helped over 1.5 million students.
In addition, Uwill is also HIPAA and FERPA compliant, meaning any medical or personal information is federally protected by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Beazley said that as long as students are enrolled for classes, they can access Uwill's services at any time, even during the summer months or holiday breaks.
Beazley added that he hopes the success of the program will inspire other universities and colleges in Michigan to adopt similar programs into their counseling services.
