Ohio State University Counseling and Consultation Services has partnered with Uwill, a teletherapy service for students, to provide free teletherapy services to all students. Courtesy of Amal Said
Thanks to a $2.5 million mental health grant from the State of Ohio, Ohio State University is now offering free teletherapy services to all students, whether undergraduate, graduate or professional, or those living on a regional campus.
Ryan Lovell, vice chancellor for health and wellness in the Division of Student Life, said in an email that funding has been allocated in the 2024-25 state budget to provide mental health and behavioral resources to institutions of higher education across Ohio. Ohio State University applied to receive the funds and received a grant of $2.5 million that will “provide specialized teletherapy, academic support, and additional mental health and wellness resources and programs for students,” Lovell said.
Lovell said the university is offering teletherapy through Uwill, “one of the leading providers of mental health and wellness solutions for universities and students.”
Lovell said that at Uwill, students can choose a therapist based on their needs and preferences, such as area of focus, gender, language and ethnicity. Uwill has therapists available during the day, evenings and weekends, giving students more flexibility in scheduling appointments. Additionally, students can choose appointment times, including video, phone, chat and messaging.
Lovell said all students can receive up to three free sessions through Uwill. Once those three sessions are completed, students are automatically booked for two additional sessions through a backup pool of teletherapy slots. Once five sessions are completed, a button appears for students to request additional support, which when clicked will redirect them to the Counselling and Consultation Services (CCS) team for further care.
Mickey Sharma, CCS director of student life, said in an email that access to teletherapy is important to fit into students’ schedules.
“Teletherapy can be helpful for students whose schedules or life situations make it difficult to attend CCS in person on a regular basis,” Sharma said. “For example, [Uwill] Evening and weekend appointments are available. CCS offers evening telehealth sessions by appointment only.”
Teletherapy through Uwill is a new option for Ohio State students, but CCS has been offering teletherapy since 2020, Sharma said.
Lovell said Ohio State has expanded its teletherapy offerings because of data showing mental health can have a strong impact on academic performance.
“Teletherapy is an important tool in our efforts to support the mental health of students,” Lovell said. “This expansion of existing services allows for greater flexibility in service delivery, allowing students to choose a therapist based on their needs and preferences, at a time that suits their busy schedule, and through their preferred appointment method. We want to make sure cost isn’t a barrier to treatment, so like other services offered through Counseling and Consultation Services, this program is provided at no cost to students.”
Lovell said the university is also working closely with the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) to expand mental health resources.
“I’m grateful for the work of Bobby McAlpine (USG president), Madison Mason (then USG vice president) and other student government leaders who spoke with Uwill and made the connection so Ohio State could explore this partnership,” Lovell said. For more information about Uwill or to schedule a telehealth appointment, students can visit the Counseling and Consultation Services website.
