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Lexington, Ky. (August 29, 2022) — As a new semester begins at the University of Kentucky, and we welcome our largest freshman class ever, Student success It is working to increase students’ access to mental health services.
In a unique new partnership, the university is collaborating Talkspace, a confidential and secure online text and video chat therapy platform with access to mental health professionals. With a network of thousands of accredited clinics, Talkspace is used by more than a million people, matching them with a licensed therapist that fits their needs.
“Over the past few years, we’ve known there’s been a growing concern about how to support the mental health of all of our students, and part of that is thinking about how we can create opportunities for services with the idea that not all are. Students are equally comfortable accessing services,” said Corrine Williams, associate vice president for student welfare. “TalkSpace creates some amazing access opportunities, especially because of their range of services.”
How Talkspace works:
- Answer a few simple questions to get started – it takes less than two minutes.
- The Talkspace team will match you with a provider (typically within 48 hours).
- Connect with your provider and start your mental health journey, including unlimited messaging and two phone or video sessions.
Globally, one in three college freshmen experience mental health challenges, but many students feel they lack the necessary resources to manage them.
In the past year alone, three out of five American college students have experienced severe depression. However, an average of 10-15% of students seek help from their counseling center. Barriers such as clinical availability, time commitment, and fear of seeking help prevent students from accessing behavioral health care during an important developmental stage in their lives.
Williams has invested heavily in tackling this national mental health crisis. She sees Talkspace as a way to complement the vast array of resources available in the UK and likens it to the analogy of Swiss cheese. Every asset has holes, Williams explained. She believes that in order to create something that can’t fail, we need to align resources so that every student can benefit from mental health support.
With its deep commitment to enabling all students to thrive, by expanding its spectrum of services, UK believes they are taking a step in the right direction.
“The UK is trying to develop a culture of help-seeking,” Williams said. “We all need help at different times, and my hope is to normalize access to mental health services. TalkSpace offers both live sessions that involve direct contact with a therapist, as well as inter-session interactions to provide our students with many ways to engage and seek support.
All currently registered UK students can access Talkspace for free. To access the service and learn more about its resources, visit: www.Talkspace.com/uky.
Students can access additional mental health services in the UK. TRACS (Triage, Referral, Assistance and Crisis Support)A physical and virtual one-stop shop where students can come for quick referrals for support services or direct clinical support for a variety of mental health needs and crises.
Services are offered in person and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday. For more information about TRACS, visit go.uky.edu/tracs.
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