TimelyCare - Student-first Telehealth Provider Blog - TimelyCare https://timelycare.com/blog/category/timelycare/ Higher Ed's Most Trusted Virtual Care Provider Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:41:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://timelycare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/cropped-timelycare-site-icon-512x512-1-32x32.jpg TimelyCare - Student-first Telehealth Provider Blog - TimelyCare https://timelycare.com/blog/category/timelycare/ 32 32 From Crisis to Connection: How to Help Students in Their Toughest Moments https://timelycare.com/blog/from-crisis-to-connection-how-to-help-students-in-their-toughest-moments/ Thu, 07 Aug 2025 21:43:44 +0000 https://timelycare.com/?p=28003 Two students comforting their classmate sitting on the floor in college hallway.Overview Mental health crises among college students are increasing in frequency and severity, placing new demands on campus leaders, faculty, and staff. This resource outlines how to recognize signs of crisis, respond effectively, and ensure students are connected to timely, professional support. Learn how tools like TimelyCare’s CrisisNow line can strengthen your institution’s ability to […]

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Overview

Mental health crises among college students are increasing in frequency and severity, placing new demands on campus leaders, faculty, and staff. This resource outlines how to recognize signs of crisis, respond effectively, and ensure students are connected to timely, professional support. Learn how tools like TimelyCare’s CrisisNow line can strengthen your institution’s ability to respond with confidence and care.

In the high-pressure world of college life where students juggle academics, relationships, finances, and future goals, mental health crises can emerge suddenly and without warning. When a student feels overwhelmed, isolated, or in distress, knowing where to go or how to respond in those critical moments can make all the difference.

No student should face a crisis alone. That’s why resources like TimelyCare’s CrisisNow, our 24/7 direct mental health crisis support phone line, are so essential. Crisis resources like this are designed to provide immediate, compassionate care for students in their moment of need. Whether you’re a student seeking help, a peer, an RA, or a faculty member looking to support someone in distress, here’s what you need to know about recognizing and de-escalating a mental health crisis and how resources like CrisisNow can help.

Mental health crises and suicide among college students

The pressures of academic life, financial concerns, and the social-emotional challenges of early adulthood are pushing more students to the brink. Faculty and staff are seeing this firsthand, and the data backs it up.

Anxiety, depression, and trauma—combined with academic, social, and financial stress—create an environment ripe for crisis. Students from marginalized communities, especially LGBTQ+ and BIPOC students, often experience even higher levels of distress.

Knowing this, faculty and staff are increasingly the first line of support. Recognizing warning signs and responding compassionately can quite literally save lives.

What is a mental health crisis?

A mental health crisis doesn’t always mean thoughts of suicide. It could be a panic attack, psychosis, emotional breakdown, or overwhelming stress. A crisis is subjective: what feels minor to one student might feel insurmountable to another.

Examples include:

  • Suicidal ideation or intent
  • Disorganized thought processes
  • Severe panic or anxiety
  • Intense emotional outbursts
  • Substance-related emergencies
  • Severe stress, which makes everyday functioning difficult

When left unaddressed, these crises can escalate to self-harm or life-threatening situations.

How to recognize a student in crisis

Recognizing a student in crisis starts with paying attention to warning signs that something may be wrong. Students in crisis may not verbalize that they are experiencing a crisis, but they do often display noticeable changes in behavior, mood, or appearance. Recognizing the warning signs, as well as noticing such deviations from someone’s “normal” baseline, is critical.

Common indicators include: Statements about hopelessness or death (even vague or joking), drastic changes in behavior or mood, chronic absenteeism or plummeting grades, unkempt appearance, visible injuries, or signs of substance misuse and social withdrawal or unusual aggression.

Trust your instincts. If something feels “off,” it likely is. It’s important to act quickly. Early recognition and intervention can make a significant difference.

3 steps to crisis management

Managing a crisis starts with understanding the steps needed to respond effectively and support those in distress.

1. Identify the crisis

Look for warning signs and listen for cues. Students may not say “I’m in crisis,” but their words or behaviors may clearly suggest it. Don’t dismiss signs of emotional dysregulation. Some people may become more irritable and lash out at others more frequently, uncharacteristically; others may cry on a whim; and still others may show dramatic shifts in mood–sad and despondent one minute, then excited and motivated the next.

2. Assess risk

Mental health professionals use tools like the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), but faculty can listen for concerning indicators:

  • Expressed intent or plan to harm oneself or others
  • Extreme emotional distress
  • Past history of suicide attempts or trauma

If a student expresses any intent to harm themselves or others, or is behaving erratically, this is a high-risk situation.

3. Mitigate and connect to help

For faculty and staff, the goal isn’t to diagnose, it’s to stabilize and connect the student to support.

In the moment, you can:

    • Stay calm and speak gently
    • Share your observations in an empathetic, non-judgmental manner
    • Offer to listen, and give them your undivided attention
    • Avoid arguing, minimizing, or jumping straight to problem-solving
    • Encourage slow breathing or grounding
    • Remove the audience if in public
    • Move toward action: Call campus counseling services or the TimelyCare CrisisNow line

If the student is at imminent risk of harming themselves or someone else, do not leave them alone. Call 911 or your campus’s emergency response team and stay with them until help arrives.

How does TimelyCare’s CrisisNow provide 24/7 support?

TimelyCare’s CrisisNow is a dedicated service that ensures students have immediate, 24/7 access to mental health professionals, anytime, day or night. This confidential, judgment-free service is available nationwide and focuses on de-escalation rather than therapy, providing critical support when it’s needed most.

How it works:

  1. Student calls a TimelyCare CrisisNow number
  2. A trained Crisis Coordinator gathers info calmly and compassionately
  3. A licensed crisis counselor takes over to assess risk, stabilize the situation, and create a safety plan
  4. If needed, emergency services are engaged, and the counselor remains on the line

CrisisNow connects students to support when they need it most, ensuring safety and care every step of the way. As part of TimelyCare’s holistic mental health offerings, CrisisNow complements virtual care and on-campus services by providing immediate, integrated crisis response that aligns with each institution’s existing protocols and care networks.

CrisisNow is:

  • Available nationwide
  • Confidential and judgment-free
  • Focused on de-escalation, not therapy
  • Integrated with follow-up care if needed

How can faculty and staff be prepared to support students in crisis?

Faculty and staff play a critical role in supporting students’ mental health and well-being. Here are a few steps you can take to be prepared:

  • Familiarize yourself with campus and TimelyCare resources
  • Include mental health information in syllabi and class announcements
  • Know when to refer. Don’t try to solve the crisis alone
  • Debrief and practice self-care after handling a crisis
  • Don’t be afraid to engage with a student and ask questions. Faculty and staff are in a critical position to identify students’ crises and provide support.

If you’re unsure, err on the side of safety. Better to act than regret inaction.

Crisis resources to support college students

Whether you’re a college student, faculty, or staff, these resources are here to help. Familiarize yourself with the tools for when someone needs immediate support or you need guidance on how to assist students.

How can campuses support students during mental health crises?

Mental health crises are real, rising, and often invisible until the moment they aren’t. With preparation, empathy, and tools like CrisisNow, campuses can become places where every student is seen, supported, and safe, even in their darkest moments.

If you’re a faculty or staff member, know this: your presence, your words, and your actions matter. Sometimes, just by staying calm and showing you care, you can be the bridge from crisis to hope.

Interested in learning how a resource like CrisisNow can support your students when they’re in a crisis? Contact TimelyCare to explore how CrisisNow can be integrated into your campus.

Key Takeaways

  • Mental health crises may not look extreme. Subtle shifts in behavior or mood can signal serious need.
  • Faculty and staff often notice warning signs first, making preparation and awareness critical.
  • Campus roles don’t require clinical expertise, but they do require knowing how to respond and refer.
  • A calm, empathetic presence can help de-escalate emotionally intense situations.
  • Round-the-clock access to crisis support, like TimelyCare’s CrisisNow, helps institutions respond quickly and consistently.

FAQs

Establishing clear protocols, training faculty and staff regularly, and providing access to 24/7 support services like TimelyCare’s CrisisNow helps ensure consistent, coordinated responses across campus.

Faculty and staff are not expected to provide clinical care. Their role is to recognize signs of distress, respond with empathy, and connect students to professional mental health resources.

CrisisNow is designed to complement institutional services by offering immediate, around-the-clock support and aligning with campus protocols for follow-up and coordinated care.
Implementing crisis response protocols, documenting interventions, training employees, and ensuring access to immediate care all support student safety while helping reduce institutional liability.
Providing structured debriefs, access to employee wellness resources, and clear communication channels helps reduce burnout and support employee well-being.

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]]> Switching to TimelyCare: Easier Than You Think https://timelycare.com/blog/switching-to-timelycare-easier-than-you-think/ Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:22:41 +0000 https://timelycare.com/?p=27919 Happy,Professional,Women,Collaborating,With,Enthusiasm,In,A,Modern,OfficeOverview Switching to TimelyCare is faster and easier than many higher education leaders expect. With structured implementation, hands-on support, and a proven onboarding process, most campuses launch in 30 days without disruption to student care. For many colleges and universities, switching virtual health and well-being providers can feel like an overwhelming task. You’ve invested time […]

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Overview

Switching to TimelyCare is faster and easier than many higher education leaders expect. With structured implementation, hands-on support, and a proven onboarding process, most campuses launch in 30 days without disruption to student care.

For many colleges and universities, switching virtual health and well-being providers can feel like an overwhelming task. You’ve invested time and energy into your current system, and the thought of disruption, especially when students are counting on timely support, can create hesitation.

At TimelyCare, we understand those concerns. That’s why we’ve made our implementation process as seamless and supportive as possible. It’s guided by our commitment to care and grounded in the experience of launching partnerships with hundreds of institutions nationwide.

If you’re wondering what it really takes to make the switch, we’re here to walk you through it.

What does implementation look like?

Whether you’re transitioning from another provider or launching virtual care for the first time, our team works closely with yours to ensure a smooth experience. The process is designed to complement your existing workflows, not complicate them.

From day one, a dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM) coordinates every step of the implementation, including IT, marketing, and counseling center integration. You don’t have to manage it alone.

Launch without delay

Switching doesn’t have to be slow. Most campuses go live within 30 days, with some even faster.

Here’s what the first month typically looks like:

  • Executive Leadership Kickoff: Campus and TimelyCare leadership will partner to confirm the launch project strategy and finalize success criteria for the partnership.
  • Department Leadership Kickoff Call: A collaborative planning session with your IT, marketing, and care teams to align project goals and timelines.
  • Integration Support: Our IT specialists help set up single sign-on (SSO) or eligibility files, with clear documentation and hands-on guidance.
  • Marketing Toolkit: Our marketing experts collaborate with you to activate your campus through your existing institutional channels, encouraging campus adoption and driving student registrations. Easy-to-use toolkits will be provided with trackable promotional materials and a custom URL.
  • Care Coordination: We tailor the provider-facing Client Card to reflect your campus-specific protocols and resources, ensuring continuity of care from day one.
Zero downtime, maximum support

Your top priority is uninterrupted student support. TimelyCare makes that possible through:

  • Parallel setup to reduce or eliminate downtime
  • Testing and validation before launch
  • Custom marketing and communication templates for students, faculty, parents and staff
  • On-campus and virtual launch support
  • Immediate access to care once your program is live
We handle the details

The implementation process is designed to take the burden off your team. While you provide key information and attend milestone meetings, we manage:

  • Account configuration
  • Marketing and collateral creation
  • Platform testing and quality assurance
  • Provider onboarding
  • Cross-team coordination between IT, marketing, and clinical teams

After launch, your CSM remains your partner, delivering monthly engagement reports, hosting strategy sessions, and helping you turn data into action.

Other campuses are making the switch

Many of our partner institutions have transitioned from other providers and shared how surprisingly smooth the process was. With a structured roadmap, proactive communication, and a collaborative approach, we help campuses move forward confidently.

Explore a better fit for your campus

If your current provider isn’t meeting your evolving needs or if you’re seeking a more collaborative, student-centered experience, TimelyCare is here to help.
Contact us to learn how we can help your campus thrive.

Key Takeaways

  • Most campuses can go live with TimelyCare in 30 days
  • A dedicated Customer Success Manager handles implementation
  • Zero downtime and parallel setup ensure uninterrupted student care
  • Custom marketing materials, strategic planning, and ongoing support are all included
  • Hundreds of institutions have made the switch with ease

FAQs

Most campuses launch within 30 days, depending on readiness.
No. We offer a parallel setup process and validate everything before going live.
A TimelyCare Customer Success Manager works closely with your IT, counseling, and marketing teams throughout.
You’ll receive a launch deck, promotional assets, custom URLs, and swag items.
Ongoing partnership includes reporting, strategy sessions, and continuous optimization.
Executive Leadership Kickoff 

Campus and TimelyCare leadership will partner to confirm the launch project strategy and finalize success criteria for the partnership.

Department Leadership Kickoff Call

A collaborative planning session with your IT, marketing, and care teams to align project goals and timelines.

Integration Support

Our IT specialists help set up single sign-on (SSO) or eligibility files, with clear documentation and hands-on guidance.

Marketing Toolkit

Our marketing experts collaborate with you to activate your campus through your existing institutional channels, encouraging campus adoption and driving student registrations. Easy-to-use toolkits will be provided with trackable promotional materials and a custom URL.

Care Coordination

We tailor the provider-facing Client Card to reflect your campus-specific protocols and resources, ensuring continuity of care from day one.

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]]> What a Chief Care Officer Means for TimelyCare and Its Partners https://timelycare.com/blog/what-a-chief-care-officer-means-for-timelymd-and-its-partners/ https://timelycare.com/blog/what-a-chief-care-officer-means-for-timelymd-and-its-partners/#respond Tue, 05 Apr 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://timelycareprod.wpengine.com/?p=22072 basic needs support, college students workingWhen Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alan Dennington co-founded TimelyCare in 2017 with Luke Hejl and Chris Clark, they began a journey to transform healthcare in higher education. Now, as Dr. Dennington shifts to an advisory role, Dr. Bob Booth joins TimelyCare as its new Chief Care Officer. But this transition is more than just a […]

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Pictured: Dr. Bob Booth (left) and Dr. Alan Dennington (right)

When Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alan Dennington co-founded TimelyCare in 2017 with Luke Hejl and Chris Clark, they began a journey to transform healthcare in higher education. Now, as Dr. Dennington shifts to an advisory role, Dr. Bob Booth joins TimelyCare as its new Chief Care Officer. But this transition is more than just a new leader and a new title. It’s a transition that will enable TimelyCare to continue to develop its care model and program for supporting student health and well-being.

To get more insight about this transition, we asked both Dr. Dennington and Dr. Booth a few questions about their perspective on virtual care and what this change means for each of them, for TimelyCare, and for TimelyCare’s partner institutions.

Why is now the right time for each of you to make this change?

Dr. Dennington

I’m a project-oriented person and like to set goals and reach them. With our creation of multiple nationwide provider networks supporting medical care, mental health support, therapy, psychiatry, and health coaching as well as our launch of the TimelyCare platform product, I feel that I’ve achieved the significant goals I set for myself and the company.

It’s time to set new goals. I have a desire to make more time available for my family. When I met Bob, I knew he was the kind of person that could continue developing our care model and develop our program to support students in the best way possible. The identification of such a strong, qualified leader for our team, along with the opportunity to set new long-term goals, makes this an ideal time for a transition.

Dr. Booth

The mission of TimelyCare—to improve the health and well-being of college students through virtual medical and mental health care—is incredible! And I’m proud to join the leading virtual health and well-being solution for students. The company’s founders, and the team they’ve established, have built a solution that places students at the intersection of technology and healthcare.

I’m passionate about student development. So, TimelyCare’s ability to leverage technology to break down barriers in care delivery was a huge catalyst for my decision to join. I love the company’s history—starting with a focus on medical needs, but quickly evolving to layer in multiple healthcare disciplines for a holistic strategy around student well-being. This approach provides the kind of exponential influence in students’ lives that can have a generational impact. This mission is so compelling, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to join the team.

Discover how a virtual health and well-being program helps students thrive.

Increased access to care means healthier students. 
Bring TimelyCare to Your Campus

Why is TimelyCare transitioning from Chief Medical Officer to Chief Care Officer?

Dr. Dennington

When I co-founded TimelyCare, we were a medical company. Over the last five years, our organization has grown and developed to support the needs of students – we are so much more than a medical company now.

We provide virtual care and digital services that focus on enriching students’ approach to healthy living and look to enhance their health and well-being from a whole-person approach. As such, the title of Chief Care Officer better represents the role as it stands today.

What will this transition mean for TimelyCare and its partner institutions?

Dr. Dennington

It means that TimelyCare has yet another great asset on its team to support students. Our company and partner institutions will benefit tremendously from Bob’s experience and leadership and will continue to have mine as well from a strategic perspective as an advisor and board member. Bob is a great addition and added value.

Dr. Booth

I’m fortunate to come alongside a success story that already has the first chapters written. Now, I have the opportunity to continue the work Alan started as TimelyCare’s Chief Medical Officer in scaling the care team to meet our increasing reach at colleges and universities across the country. To do this, I have to ensure the care team is set up to flourish so they can fully engage in helping our students thrive.

That means my focus will be to identify every possible way to push our care team forward to build on the quality care and innovation already in motion, while also removing any barriers that may slow our progress. I believe this approach will help us continue setting the industry standard for quality and equitable access for students.

What would you say is your top achievement as Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of TimelyCare?

Dr. Dennington

The journey of taking an idea into a reality is an incredibly fulfilling adventure. I am extremely proud of building a multi-specialty, nationwide care network from scratch, while maintaining quality of care at industry-leading levels.

With that said, the thing I am most proud of is the impact we have been able to make as an organization on innovating health care. What our company does to support students can make an impact on the world as a whole. We work to help students, most of whom are young adults, have a healthy relationship with themselves, which they can carry with them for the rest of their lives, and even pass on to their own families.

How have you both seen virtual health and well-being evolve over the last few years?

Dr. Dennington

Since TimelyCare was founded in 2017, the embrace of virtual health in the industry as a whole has been remarkable. Over a relatively short period of time, both patients and health care providers have gone from skeptics to proponents of virtual health.

The pandemic forced many patients and providers to try virtual care when they hadn’t before, and the utility of it became obvious. I’m excited to see how virtual care will continue to evolve to the benefit of society through innovative companies like TimelyCare and others.

Dr. Booth

Virtual care moved from a pre-pandemic novelty to an early-pandemic necessity, then to an expected standard as it is now. COVID-19 normalized virtual care, and the rapid adoption of the modality reveals the need existed pre-pandemic.

The steep ascent of virtual care is a positive development that emerged from COVID-19, but we need to continue to build on that momentum. I believe the next phase of virtual care’s evolution will reveal those partners and platforms that are complacent in the telehealth arena juxtaposed against TimelyCare’s approach to transform and lead the space.

As you begin as Chief Care Officer, what do today’s college students need to help them be healthy and engaged?

Dr. Booth

College students today need what we all need: A guide who cares about their health and well-being. They need a team of people who are immediately accessible 24/7 and dedicated to helping them build the foundation of health needed for them to be successful in both academics and life. They need a partner like TimelyCare.

And what do you think is next for virtual care?

Dr. Booth

In short, virtual health will be the default pathway where patients go first to engage the healthcare system. A brief historical review reveals a healthcare ecosystem that has unfortunately gravitated toward being a sick-care system that’s fiscally unsustainable. I’ve seen that healthcare experts for decades state that the future delivery of healthcare must solve this issue by increasing access and quality of care, while also decreasing the cost.

In addition, to control for a supply and demand mismatch of patient illness growing faster than healthcare resources, any serious healthcare solution must be built for illness prevention at a population-health level. When you take the virtual health platform in the direction TimelyCare has gone you get increased, high-quality, equitable access, with the ability to rapidly connect those in need with clinical providers who want to heal. By coupling this access with well-being and prevention resources embedded into the same platform, we can help transform our current sick-care system and increase the health in healthcare.

The future of virtual health care is found in a platform where patients not only start when they experience illness, but it’s where they also go for strategies to help prevent illness before it starts.

If you have questions about what a virtual health and well-being partner can do to transform your campus, contact TimelyCare for answers.

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]]> https://timelycare.com/blog/what-a-chief-care-officer-means-for-timelymd-and-its-partners/feed/ 0 A $60 Million Investment in Delivering the Best Virtual Care for College Students https://timelycare.com/blog/a-60-million-investment-in-delivering-the-best-virtual-care-for-college-students/ Tue, 26 Jan 2021 12:00:00 +0000 https://timelycareprod.wpengine.com/?p=16187 College Student Mental Health - Virtual Care - TelehealthFor colleges and universities partnering with TimelyCare, empowering students to be well and thrive in all aspects of their lives is about to become even easier as the new semester begins. Following a recent $60 million investment from JMI Equity (JMI), a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software companies, TimelyCare has big […]

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For colleges and universities partnering with TimelyCare, empowering students to be well and thrive in all aspects of their lives is about to become even easier as the new semester begins.

Following a recent $60 million investment from JMI Equity (JMI), a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software companies, TimelyCare has big plans to support students and partner institutions by:

  • Enhancing students’ virtual care experience – We recently welcomed Dr. Nirmal (Nim) Patel as SVP of CareTransformation, whose vast experience includes differentiated knowledge of clinical operations, evidence-based medicine, team-based care and care variation, which enable her to develop innovative care delivery systems with a goal of improving our overall approach to care. We are delighted to have such an accomplished subject matter expert in telehealth, informatics and outcomes-based care join our leadership team and know she will have an impact on student health and well-being for all our partner schools.
  • Improving our technology – Innovation is a core value at TimelyCare, so in 2021, we will upgrade our technology to include new features that will improve the student experience and make it even easier for students to seek care anytime, anywhere. Several new features, such as chat visits and a first-come, first-served waiting room, will be introduced over the next few months.
  • Doubling down on our commitment to client success – COVID-19 has forced most of our campus partners to reimagine how to best meet the needs of students, and we are evolving right alongside you. Knowing that most of you are doing more with less—or, at the very least, have had your traditional support functions disrupted—TimelyCare is scaling our client success team to provide even more support, greater responsiveness and improved service. Our dedicated team—Lisa, Abby, Alyssa, Griffin and Traci—will remain in place, and we are recruiting a deeper bench to bolster support for our clients as we continually adapt with you to meet students where they are.
  • Increasing utilization through enhanced campus marketing efforts – We recently hired Nathan Stewart as our Vice President of Student Marketing to lead awareness efforts and develop tailored campus marketing campaigns to make sure students understand and take advantage of the growing range of services their schools offer through TimelyCare.

“Our mission at TimelyCare is to improve the well-being of college students by making virtual medical and mental health care accessible anytime, anywhere,” said CEO and co-founder Luke Hejl. “With the support of JMI, now TimelyCare can further its reach to serve a greater number of students in need of care.”

To learn more about how this recent investment may benefit your institution specifically, please contact TimelyCare.

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