University Life

Mason partners with TimelyMD to improve student health and well-being

John Hollis — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 18:20:30 +0000

Mason partners with TimelyMD to improve student health and well-being John Hollis Mon, 10/24/2022 - 14:20

Mason and TimelyMD have partnered to improve student health and well-being. Graphic provided

George Mason University and TimelyMD have teamed up in an effort to improve student health and overall well-being with free and equitable access to mental health support.

The TimelyCare platform, which launched on October 17, provides a 24/7 virtual extension of campus counseling center resources to improve student well-being, engagement, and retention.

Using TimelyCare on a phone or other device, Mason 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.

Services included on-demand mental health and emotional support, appointment-based mental health counseling, psychiatric support, health coaching and digital self-care content in a hybrid model of care in collaboration with on-campus resources.

“TimelyCare is a great complement, and supplement, that enhances our existing university support services,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Mark Ginsberg. “Students now have more options when looking for help—wherever they are and whenever they have a need.” 

In addition, 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.

Benefits to students include convenient 24/7 care, reduced wait times, a diverse provider network and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that TimelyCare is a safe, secure, and HIPAA-compliant platform that follows campus-specific protocols to facilitate care coordination and follow-up to ensure continuity of care.

Student do not need insurance to access TimelyCare, and will have access to it until the last day of their graduating semester.

“The health and safety of our students is our top priority," said Rose Pascarell, Mason's vice president for University Life. “TimelyCare’s ease of use, convenience and immediacy make it easier than ever for our students to get the support they need, when they need it.” 

That’s just what Michelle Melo had in mind when the second-year master's student from Manila, Philippines, studying systems engineering first downloaded the TimelyCare app.

She said she found the platform “very easy” to use and of great value, especially to international students like herself who hail from cultures where there can be a stigma surrounding mental health issues.

“Having a resource to help our mental well-being will help us move away from the stigma that mental health is just a mood swing and actually assist us in receiving the help that we need,” Melo said.

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 and is 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 – stopping with the intention of returning to school – 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, according to the company.

“Meeting the need for equitable, on-demand access to care is a critical challenge that extends beyond campus boundaries. TimelyCare allows colleges and universities like George Mason University 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.”

Founded in 2017, TimelyMD serves more than a million students at more than 200 campuses nationwide.

Topics

Office of the Provost

TimelyMD

Strategic Direction

Mason Lighting the Way: Austin A. Deray

Colleen Rich — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 16:16:05 +0000

Mason Lighting the Way: Austin A. Deray Colleen Rich Thu, 08/19/2021 - 12:16

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

More than 130 faculty, staff and students are working on George Mason University’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force, which is taking a hard look at the current state of diversity and inclusivity efforts at the university and making recommendations for the future.

These individuals come from across our campuses and bring their different skill sets and expertise to this work. In this series, we will spotlight members of the task force and find out what drives them.

Austin A. Deray
Doctoral Student, Cultural Studies
Committees: Student Voice and University Policies and Practices

Austin A. Deray

As a graduate student with intersectional racial and ethnic identities, George Mason University doctoral student Austin A. Deray said he believes it is his responsibility to champion the voices of his communities.

His work on the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Task Force directly aligns with those personal and professional goals.

“As my dissertation is on the lived experiences of racial and ethnic identity students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs), I feel my work on the Student Voice committee, being a voice for my communities, and the University Policies and Procedures committee, advocating and helping change university policies to be more inclusive and equitable, is aligned with my current and future work in higher ed,” said the Savannah, Georgia, native.

Austin began his PhD work in Mason’s Cultural Studies Program in 2016, and he is interested in how regionalism and institutionalism codify collegiate masculinity, the socio-historical creation of the collegiate man, and the space fraternal organizations hold both on campuses and in the collective understanding of collegiate men. He expects to complete his PhD in Cultural Studies by Spring 2022.

For the past five years, Deray has worked the Office of Graduate Student Life, a part of Mason’s University Life.

“I like to joke that I am the longest-lasting GA in University Life as I am working on my PhD and most leave after their two years are up,” said Deray. “I've stayed because I love the work we do, am blessed to have the mentorship of Dr. Julie Choe Kim, director of Graduate Student Life, and have the support and advocacy of the Dean of Students Juliet Blank-Godlove.”

Currently Deray advises the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA) and works with other graduate student organizations on campus.

“This job has also given me the opportunity to continue advocating for and working with graduate students of color,” he said.

Deray said he is proud of how the University Policies and Practices Committee has set an example for creating equitable experiences for students, faculty, and staff.

“I feel validated by the faculty and staff who I have worked with on the committee for creating the space for my voice and experiences and letting me be a driving voice in the room,” he said.

When asked what future impact he envisions ARIE will have on Mason, Deray sees “an R1 institution that has moved away from an ivory tower model.” He hopes the university will focus more efforts on inclusivity and equity for graduate and professional students.

During his time at Mason, Deray has been involved with an impressive list of student organizations.

In addition to advising GAPSA, he serves as a faculty advisor of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, is the past chair and current admissions committee member of Student Organizing Committee for Cultural Studies, is a non-voting Graduate Student Life GA representative of Graduate Council, and faculty advisor to the Afghan Student Association.

He is also the Diversity and Inclusion Commissioner and Delta North Provence President of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, which seeks to establish a chapter at Mason this year.

In his free time, Deray is “an avid reader, traveler, foodie, and open to discuss any argument uttered in earshot.”

Topics

Students

President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

University Life

University Life

Mason partners with TimelyMD to improve student health and well-being

Topics

Mason Lighting the Way: Austin A. Deray

Mason Lighting the Way

Spotlights from the Task Force

Austin A. DerayDoctoral Student, Cultural StudiesCommittees: Student Voice and University Policies and Practices

Topics

Austin A. Deray
Doctoral Student, Cultural Studies
Committees: Student Voice and University Policies and Practices