Anytime, Anywhere: Widener Empowers Well-Being Through TELUS Health Partnership
Convenience for Chester campus services is nothing new at Widener. The fall kicked off the introduction of campus-wide mobile kitchens and food ordering.
Now, thanks to a new partnership, mental health and well-being can be included in a growing list of digital amenities offered to students.
In January, Widener announced a partnership with global health and well-being provider TELUS Health. Through this collaboration, Chester campus students can now access a comprehensive array of wellness resources via the TELUS Health Student Support app.
Within the app, users are guided according to their needs and interests, with live 24/7 chat and call functionalities providing instant year-round assistance available in multiple languages. Additionally, students can explore curated articles covering diverse topics such as health, adjusting to college life, relationships, and student well-being.
The TELUS Health Student Support app allows students to take ownership of their wellness journey. An extensive range of resources including mental health screenings, podcasts, videos, guided meditation sessions, and virtual fitness classes, are all accessible at no cost to students.
Jennifer Horowitz, executive director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), says that the search for a service that best suits students’ needs has been ongoing for the past two years.
“Of all of the telehealth options we explored, TELUS Health stood out to us in terms of their ability to effectively partner with us and to improve expanded after-hours options for 24/7 immediate and/or ongoing access to support with the ability to connect with counselors who might hold shared identities and multilingual support,” Horowitz said.
The new virtual service is an extension of the CAPS team and meets students exactly where they are.
“Students can hop on their phone or laptop and access confidential mental health support from any private space where they feel comfortable,” Madeline Maxson, associate director of CAPS, added.
The added accessibility TELUS Health adds, including expanded hours and counselor identities, is in line with the campus-wide evaluation led by the JED campus initiative to strategically increase campus mental health supports.
Hailey Richmond, a first year nursing student and the president of Active Minds, a student-run organization focused on mental health advocacy, said Widener’s newest mental health support service helped her problem solve through a moment of stress.
“A few nights ago, it was really late and I was feeling so overwhelmed. I actually hopped on the chat and they connected me with someone,” said Richmond. “I was able to figure out a plan and destress which I found so helpful.”
One of the notable features of the TELUS Health partnership is its emphasis on accessibility. The ‘My School’ section makes it easy for users to connect with additional Widener-based support offices such as Campus Safety, Student Accessibility Services, and more. Additionally, faculty and staff can serve as intermediaries and utilize the app to facilitate connections between students and counselors.
Horowitz and the CAPS team encourage all eligible students, as well as faculty and staff, to download the TELUS Student Support app. That way it’s immediately available if needed. Additionally, students can reach out to CAPS and share feedback about their experience using TELUS Student Support.
The TELUS Health Student Support app is available to full-time undergraduate and graduate students in seated classes on Widener’s Chester campus. Download the Student Support app from App Store or Google Play and select Widener University.
Learn more about Widener's mental health services.
