Long Beach City College has partnered with TimelyCare, a free 24/7 virtual mental health service, to offer enrolled students care at no cost and further supplement on-campus mental health services.
The virtual app provides students with counseling services to help address common concerns regarding mental health and overall student wellness.
With access to these services, students at LBCC have a new means by which to manage their mental health concerns.
“I have used it a couple times and have met with one of the licensed counselors there and it has been really helpful. I feel like having access to services like this, especially if it is free, is really important and can be valuable to many students since it’s really easy to access,” said Taylor Gaitan, a student at LBCC.
Services are provided remotely, offering various care options such as on-demand care or scheduled appointments with carefully selected licensed therapists.
“This is an enhanced service for students to choose a day and time to meet with a mental health provider that works best for them. This allows so many more options since we are closed on the weekends and TimelyCare is not, which is really helpful,” said Student Affairs Interim Dean Deborah Miller-Calvert.
Talk Now, the app’s on-demand feature, allows students to connect with a TimelyCare professional at any time through chat. It provides students with mental and emotional support, crisis management or even just a listening ear, all on their phone or laptop.
Other features of TimelyCare include scheduled counseling with any provider of their choice, self-care journeys that offer tips on managing anxiety or school stress, and a community forum where students can publicly post, ask questions, and communicate with other peers to get support.
TimelyCare provides an alternative to the mental health services offered on campus as it is available 24/7. Having access to the application at any time is fitting since the on-campus mental health services are not available on the weekends.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important to make sure students are prioritizing their mental health. The pressures of daily life, school and work can make it hard for students to get the support they need.
“We’re always looking to enhance our services for students, especially when it comes to mental health services since we know mental health is an important part of students’ journey at LBCC. This is a great resource because students can have telehealth services after hours,” said Miller-Calvert.
Students can access the website by logging into their Viking portal or downloading the app which is available on the Apple app store and Google play store.