Southeastern College to Offer Mental Wellness Assistance Programming for Students
December 3, 2019 / 3:29 pm / Jeff Laliberte
Southeastern College has become the latest institutions of higher learning to offer mental wellness programming to students. Southeastern recently signed a partnership with META, a teletherapy organization that offers a mobile counseling tool designed to help college students gain easy access to mental wellness providers.
The META app brings together a network of licensed mental health professionals such as counselors, therapists, and psychologists, to deliver mental wellness assistance. Students download the app, choose a provider, and receive counseling through the privacy and convenience of their smart phones via chat, video or voice calls. The technology powering the app provides students the freedom to choose a therapist who’s a good fit, and the ability to reach them quickly and easily.
“Mental health illness is a serious concern that plagues all people regardless of demographic,” said Robert Keiser, Executive Director of Southeastern College. “Southeastern College is always concerned about the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff and believe that providing convenient and cost-effective access to mental health services is an important way to support our Southeastern family. An acquisition of META’s innovative services and platform are a perfect fit, both culturally and for those in need.”
Mental health issues are a growing concern among college-aged populations. According to a 2018 report from the American College Health Association, college students are struggling more with stress, anxiety, and depression than they ever have before; 60% have experienced “overwhelming anxiety” in the past 12 months. Yet large numbers of college students avoid seeking services due to privacy concerns and the stigma surrounding mental illness. Often those that do reach out for help are placed on a waiting list or referred to someone off-campus.
The META app was developed to alleviate these issues by providing students with unfettered access to counseling from anywhere in the world. Users can filter therapists by specialty, view provider bio videos, and send chat messages before receiving counseling over the phone. Providers are available during nights and weekends to better fit the student’s schedule and subscribers can utilize medical insurance or pay out-of-pocket if they choose.
META will be actively available to students at Southeastern College’s two locations in West Palm Beach and Miami Lakes, FL. Southeastern administrators and campus presidents are finalizing a robust implementation plan that will train Southeastern faculty and staff on META’s capabilities and assist students in taking full advantage of the app.
About Southeastern College:
Founded in 1988 as Cruise Career Training Institute, Southeastern College is committed to providing quality career education and skill development in a personalized environment devoted to student success. Accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), Southeastern Institute has locations in Miami, FL and West Palm Beach, FL. For additional information about Southeastern Institute and its programs of study, visit: https://www.sec.edu/.
About META:
META is the nation’s first teletherapy app built specifically for college students. META offers real-time, video counseling with licensed mental health professionals from the privacy of an Android or Apple smartphone. META’s mission is to circumvent the stigma surrounding mental health by offering users an easy way to receive counseling without having to visit an on-campus location. The app is free to download, and sessions can be paid for via credit card or insurance. Providers can join META for a small subscription fee and are able to offer telehealth counseling, through META, to existing clients as an alternative method. www.meta.app.