NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– Through funding made available as a result of Stephen F. Austin State University’s affiliation with The University of Texas System, SFA has partnered with virtual health and well-being provider, TimelyCare, as part of the university’s ongoing commitment to provide and improve health and well-being services to its student body. The partnership, which began in January, greatly expands and streamlines existing services and adds new opportunities for students to seek mental and physical health support.

TimelyCare, a trusted virtual health and well-being provider for higher education, is administered through SFA’s Health and Wellness Hub and offers students free access to mental health and basic needs assistance. The partnership is an extension of The Hub’s mission: To support the health and well-being of every Lumberjack and offer comprehensive services that treat the whole person — mind, body and spirit.

According to Clare Fite, the university’s Counseling Services director, the service broadens the scope of services The Hub can provide, including numerous counseling options that specialize in a variety of topics pertaining to mental health.

“TimelyCare allows students to access a large pool of highly trained and diverse mental health professionals at no cost to them,” Fite said. “In addition to therapy, students can access crisis resources, self-assessments, peer support and education on a variety of topics that pertain to their overall well-being. College can be a difficult time with a lot of transition. We encourage our students to seek support early and often.”

Through TimelyCare, students can access virtual care options on their phone or other devices from licensed counselors in all 50 states at no cost and without traditional insurance for up to nine sessions each academic year. Services include:

  • TalkNow: on-demand mental health and emotional support
  • Appointment-based mental health counseling 
  • Psychiatric support
  • Health coaching
  • Basic needs assistance
  • Care navigation
  • Peer support community
  • Digital self-care content

Once registered, students can access services anytime if their SFA email is active. Though students are allotted nine sessions per year through TimelyCare, TalkNow sessions, which are 20 minutes, do not count toward the nine sessions. There is no limit on how many times a student can access their TalkNow service. Students are not required be registered for summer courses to access the services.

According to TimelyCare, 75% of college students who accessed virtual mental health and well-being interventions through TimelyCare reported mental health improvements, including 100% of those who presented as a potential suicide risk. More than half of all students who have sought mental health support through TimelyCare said they would have done nothing if the service were not available.

“The UT System has positively impacted SFA and the Nacogdoches communities in so many ways,” Fite said. “With SFA joining the UT System, we are now able to offer a variety of therapeutic services we were not able to before, including crisis counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and expanded individual counseling services via telehealth. I am confident that they are going to greatly benefit our students and are a direct result of SFA joining the UT System.”

Additionally, as part of The Hub’s commitment to streamline the process for student access to well-being services, a crisis line has been implemented for quick contact to a counselor 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To access the service, students call the Hub at (936) 468-4HUB (or 4482) and press No. 1. There is no time limit or restriction on the number of times called. In severe cases, the level of intervention can require assistance from University Police Department or Counseling Services. Students also may visit the Health and Wellness Hub at 2106 Raguet St. in person during regular business hours.

For more information about the Health and Wellness Hub, visit the website. 

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY 
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at the SFA website. 

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM 
The University of Texas System has enhanced the lives of Texans and individuals worldwide through its commitment to education, research and health care for 140 years. With 14 institutions collectively enrolling over 254,000 students, the UT System stands as one of the largest public university systems in the United States. UT institutions annually produce over 66,000 graduates and award more than one-third of the undergraduate degrees in Texas, as well as over 60% of the state's medical degrees. The combined efforts of UT-owned and affiliated hospitals and clinics resulted in over 10.7 million outpatient visits and more than 2 million hospital days last year. The UT System’s $3.8 billion research enterprise is one of the nation’s most innovative and ranks No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the nation for federal research expenditures. The UT System has an operating budget of $29.1 billion for fiscal year 2024 and employs more than 116,000 faculty, health care professionals, support staff and student workers.