For students at Albion College in Michigan, the nearest psychiatrist is 25 miles away.
That means students face an hour-long round trip for an appointment – if they can get one. First, they must go through a lengthy intake process or referral process before being assigned a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, many are “screened out” and turned away. Even if they get one, the wait time for an in-person psychiatry appointment nationally is often more than two months, according to a recent study by Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
Few people have the time to wait or travel to such appointments, let alone at Albion, where 40% of students are also student-athletes busy with competitions, practices, and travel schedules in addition to their academic coursework.
Leaders in Albion’s Office of Integrated Wellness recognized that the risks of an untreated mental health diagnosis are high and may include poor academic outcomes, dropping out or stopping out of college, or harm to oneself or others. That’s why they offer students virtual psychiatry in their suite of medical and mental telehealth resources TimelyCare provides in partnership with campus resources. Instead of waiting weeks or months, students are evaluated for their initial visit in just a few business days, on average.
“TimelyCare virtual psychiatry provides a lifeline to students who need advanced mental health support and medication management,” said Michelle Croce, Psy.D, Director for Mental Health/Counseling at Albion College. “Without TimelyCare, we would be spending more time navigating the healthcare system, trying to find physicians who accept certain insurances, and ensuring students have transportation to appointments.”
“Our students who utilize TimelyCare have stated they like the flexibility of care no matter where they are. They can take the call or appointment from a dorm room, home, or a vacation,” said Melissa Sommers, Assistant Director of Campus Wellness at Albion College.
As Need Grows, So Do Provider Shortages in Psychiatry: A Troubling National Trend
A recent study found rates of psychiatric medication prescriptions for college students have been rising since 2007, with approximately 17% of college students prescribed medication for a mental health issue. Unfortunately, as demand for psychiatric services continues to rise, the number of psychiatrists available to college students is shrinking. By 2030, the supply of adult psychiatrists is expected to decrease by 20%.
Diablo Valley College (DVC) in California does not have an on-campus health center, and campus leaders have seen increased demand for mental health counseling and psychiatric referrals. Emily Stone, Dean of Counseling and Student Success Programs, said she has seen a significant increase in the number of students with underserved mental needs as well as those with far more complex mental needs than in previous years.
“Historically, we’d have maybe 1-2 complicated cases where we might try to work with a community-based organization to help students. Now we’re seeing a marked increase that feels way above regular mental health counseling, and potentially a need for medication,” she said.
In 2021, DVC became one of the first California Community Colleges to offer virtual medical care, mental health counseling and basic needs assistance through TimelyCare. Recently, DVC began offering virtual psychiatry sessions to expand critically needed access and break down persistent barriers to care.
“A lot of the non-profits that serve students who are under or uninsured have huge wait times to get a psychiatrist, not to mention the bureaucratic morass just to get to a psychiatrist,” Stone said. “I’ve heard that wait times could be two to three months. If that’s all you have as an option, you wait. But what we really like about the TimelyCare model in general is the quick access to care providers, be it scheduled counseling, on-demand mental health support, or, in this case, psychiatry.”
Nichole Kang, Director of the Wellness Center at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania, echoed Stone’s sentiments.
“TimelyCare psychiatry services are hugely impactful and there is such a high need. If a student isn’t engaged with psychiatry and needs it, they wait for four months to get in to see somebody in their community. That’s a whole semester that they’ve lost, so there really is no replacement for it,” Kang said. “For students who use psychiatry, TimelyCare has helped save their lives for some, and save their academic future for others.”
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What Makes TimelyCare Different: Virtual Psychiatric Care You Can Trust
“The complexity and acuity of our students’ needs are higher than ever. Clinical depression, anxiety disorders, trauma, personality disorders, chronic self-injury, and suicidal risk are examples of the high-complexity issues that we are treating in collaboration with our campus partners,” said Andrew Kim, M.D., Director of Psychiatry at TimelyCare.
Dr. Kim is a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist and principal investigator in FDA clinical research trials. He believes that leveraging technology can help advance the field of medicine and deliver psychiatric care quickly and cost-effectively.
He and his diverse team of clinicians who specialize in psychiatry—95% of whom are physicians—work closely with campus partners to take a holistic and evidence-based approach to helping students on their journey to healing.
“I have the privilege of following some of the students I have been treating and seeing them go from a very dark chapter in their life to finding some peace and respite,” said Dr. Kim.
With TimelyCare psychiatry, students receive the level of care they deserve. Scheduling 60-minute initial sessions and 30-minute follow-up visits grants peace of mind to students, their families, and campus leaders committed to student success inside and outside the classroom.
“Dedicating a full hour to the initial psychiatry session shows there will be a thoroughness to that assessment. You don’t want anyone getting on medication without a thorough assessment,” said Stone of DVC. “Having 30 minutes for follow-up appointments is so important. Are they dosing correctly? Is the treatment working? Are they seeing the desired changes they’re working for? That gives me confidence.”
Virtual psychiatry empowers colleges and universities to support the students who need it most by providing access to no-cost care. By removing barriers to care, students can stay in school and continue on the path to reaching their academic goals, while campus partners can rest easy at night knowing TimelyCare is always there.
