Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) has partnered with TimelyMD to provide mental health support services to students, faculty, and staff members. TimelyMD is the leading virtual health and well-being solution in higher education and is utilized by numerous top universities in America such as the University of South Florida, the University of Virginia, and Johns Hopkins University. TimelyCare provides bilingual services as well. Students will have free access to mental health and basic needs support through the TimelyCare platform.

TimelyCare’s providers can offer support for a wide range of common concerns, and after talking to the individual, will decide on the best course of treatment. Services are available on-demand 24/7. NACC faculty and staff members will soon have access to these services as well.

“Upon the recommendation of our staff, the college is very pleased to provide this service,” stated NACC President Dr. David Campbell. “We live in stressful times, and we wanted to make this service available to our students and staff. Emotional stability can be just as important as the knowledge a person learns in college, and we want our people to have both through their experience at Northeast.”

Through TimelyCare on their phone or other device, Northeast Alabama Community College students can now select from a wide-ranging menu of virtual care options from licensed counselors in all 50 states – 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

“Accessibility, cost, and stigma have been barriers for students seeking mental health support,” stated Juliah Sanford, Director for the Center for College Success at NACC. “Thankfully, through our partnership with TimelyCare, Northeast is able to break down these barriers and provide our students with virtual mental health support that is available 24/7 and is both free and confidential.”

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. 

"I especially want to thank NACC President, Dr. David Campbell, for his support of the partnership with TimelyCare,” said NACC Dean of Student Services Jeff Hawes. “Dr. Campbell is always eager to meet students where they are and understands just how important student services such as mental health counseling are to our students. NACC continues to lead the way when it comes to putting students' needs at the forefront of every decision." 

The partnership with TimelyMD allows Northeast Alabama Community College 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. 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. A recent report by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation found that three out of four students in bachelor’s degrees programs who considered stopping out cited emotional stress as their reason.

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. Founded in 2017, TimelyMD is trusted to serve more than 1.5 million students at nearly 250 campuses nationwide. 

“Meeting the need for equitable, on-demand access to care is a critical challenge that extends beyond campus boundaries. TimelyCare allows colleges like Northeast Alabama Community College 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.”