Danville Community College has announced a partnership to expand their mental health services. The school has partnered with TimelyMD, the leading virtual health and well-being solution in higher education, to offer students free and equitable access to mental health and basic needs support.

TimelyCare serves as a 24/7 virtual extension of campus counseling center resources, with a goal of improving student well-being, engagement, and retention.

Through TimelyCare on their phone or other device, DCC students can now select from a wide-ranging menu of virtual care options from licensed counselors – at no cost and without the hassle of traditional insurance – including:

• On-demand mental health and emotional support (TalkNow)
• Appointment-based mental health counseling
• Basic Needs assistance

TimelyCare also provides a library of digital self-care content and a peer support community to help students be well and thrive, whenever and wherever they may be. Additionally, faculty and staff have access to support that empowers them to guide students to TimelyCare resources to help students achieve a sense of well-being, live healthier lifestyles and improve their mental health.

The partnership with TimelyMD allows DCC to deliver a hybrid model of care in collaboration with on-campus resources. Benefits to students include:

• Convenient 24/7 care – Physical and mental health issues often present themselves outside regular business hours, and TimelyCare makes seeking support or treatment as easy and convenient as making a video or phone call. Nationally, about 40% of mental health care visits through TimelyCare occur after regular business hours or on weekends.
• Reduced wait times – Many campus counseling centers often have a 2-3 week wait time for appointments, whereas students can typically connect with a TimelyMD provider in less than 5 minutes.
• Diverse provider network – In addition to being from diverse backgrounds, TimelyMD providers are trained to be culturally competent. For example, more than 60% of mental health providers identify as BIPOC. The platform also offers professionals who identify as LGBTQIA+, speak multiple languages and/or have various religious and spiritual beliefs. Students can choose to meet with a specific provider or select the first available.
• Peace of mind – TimelyCare is a safe, secure, URAC-accredited and HIPAA-compliant platform that follows campus-specific protocols to facilitate care coordination and follow-up to ensure continuity of care. Integrations with leading learning management systems ensure students have even more on-ramps to in-the-moment support whenever they need it.

The need for 24/7 access to high-quality care has never been more important. According to the American Council on Education, student mental health is the top concern of college and university presidents. It’s also the number one reason students leave college.

“There is no greater priority than the health and safety of our students. TimelyCare’s ease of use, convenience and immediacy make it easier than ever for our students to get on-demand support,” said Dr. Cornelius Johnson, vice president of academic affairs and student services. “TimelyCare enhances campus resources by making care more readily available to students when they need it, limiting the spread of illness, reducing the stigma of mental health issues, and granting peace of mind to students and their families.”

Sixty percent of all students who have sought mental health support through TimelyCare said they would have done nothing if the service were not available.

“Meeting the need for equitable, on-demand access to care is a critical challenge that extends beyond campus boundaries. TimelyCare allows colleges and universities like VCCS to solve problems rather than just treat symptoms,” said Luke Hejl, TimelyMD CEO and co-founder. “Our mission at TimelyMD is to improve the health and well-being of college students by making virtual care accessible anytime, anywhere. Through TimelyCare, we are proud to deliver best-in-class health and well-being solutions to help students thrive.”