New counseling options may be unnoticed by students

Some students are still unaware of the new TimelyCare mental health services

By Kate Dhuy, DhuyK@Findlay.edu

Students could miss out on the mental health benefits that TimelyCare offers this semester and not even realize it.

TimelyCare, a tele-medicine focused company, recently partnered with the University of Findlay. They offer around the clock aid for students needing physical and mental care. The service was implemented as the University’s newest attempt to provide virtual care alongside in-person options.

“We have been really busy in counseling services for several years now [after the pandemic],” Assistant Director of Counseling Services Kendra Bermosk said. “We were always kind of at a place where we had a lot of students that we were serving.”

Despite the department experiencing an uptick in students looking into in-person and virtual counseling, the general knowledge of TimelyCare among the student body is less than expected.

“I didn’t know about it at all and none of my friends have said anything about it,” sophomore Alex Handrock said.

Senior Irah Thurber had successful virtual doctor appointments in the past, but none had involved TimelyCare.

“I have not heard of TimelyCare before,” Thurber said. “I think [virtual counseling] gives a good alternative for students with scheduling issues or who don’t want to meet in person.”

A Student Voice survey conducted in early 2023 concluded that more than half the participating students suffered from deteriorating mental health upon starting college, but half of those same students weren’t using the resources provided on campus. Long term, Bermosk hopes that students will be encouraged to seek out the benefits that TimelyCare’s flexibility provides.

“If a student is interested in counseling and maybe their schedule doesn’t fit with ours; that might be something they would go through with TimelyCare as a resource and be able to do some counseling with them,” Bermosk said. “It’s still new and it’s still really in its infancy as far as people utilizing it. There are students who have signed up to use it, there just aren’t that many yet.”

Part of the budget for TimelyCare’s supplementary service comes from a safety and wellness fee included in tuition this year, according to Bermosk.

From the students’ perspective, more exposure to TimelyCare would help increase student interest.

“I didn’t know what it was so maybe a little more advertising on social media – like the main page, not just the counseling department page,” Thurber said.

Handrock suggested that the department go out and talk to students about TimelyCare in person.

“I think people will be more likely to go in person to Cosiano, so it would be better to focus on pushing the counseling part more,” Handrock said.

For students interested in learning more about what TimelyCare has to offer, see the social media pages of the Counseling department and Cosiano.