Kate Murphy
News Editor
As the number of students studying on campus has dropped greatly due to COVID-19, nearly half of Wooster’s students are unable to take advantage of all the programs and services that the College offers. One of these services is counseling at the Wellness Center. To ensure that students are getting the help and support they need, especially those studying remotely, the Wellness Center signed up for the Scots Telehealth services. Scots Telehealth is a resource that offers 24/7 medical and mental health services for students.
While this program was put in place in order to provide care for students who are away from campus, it is available to all Wooster students. The program outlines that “whether you’re feeling sick or overwhelmed, you will be able to talk to a licensed provider from your smartphone or any web-enabled device. Licensed providers are available to diagnose non-emergent medical conditions, prescribe medications and offer mental health support via phone or secure video visits.”
This program comes at no cost to Wooster students and provides three main services: Medical (24/7, on-demand access to a medical provider that can treat a wide range of common illnesses like cold and flu, sinus infection, allergies and more), TalkNow (24/7, on-demand access to a mental health professional to talk about anything at anytime) and Scheduled Counseling (scheduled options to speak to a licensed counselor).
Remote Wooster student Samuel Casey ’21 is one of many to take advantage of Scots Telehealth. Casey states that he was “very excited when [he] learned about the new Telehealth program. It’s not a secret that the mental health services at Wooster have been lacking for some time, but I really appreciated this effort to reach out to students in this difficult time.” He acknowledges the steps being taken towards helping the students who are studying remotely and do not have access to the Wellness Center, but points out that “it’s also good for students on campus who may be uncomfortable seeing a therapist in-person.”
Casey details his first experience with Scots Telehealth: “I signed up for my first appointment two weeks ago through the third-party program. There are a lot of options for who you want to see and it’s helpful that the website offers bios for each person. I was then able to select an appointment from a range of times.”
One issue he ran into dealt with choosing a counselor. Casey says that “there was no notice of whether the counselor was taking on new clients or not, so it takes a little bit of trial and error, but there is the option of sending a message.”
“Ultimately, I was able to schedule an appointment with someone and had my first virtual visit on Monday. Even though it’s not the same as going in person, the virtual platform has become very familiar, and I don’t think it takes away from the experience. Since it isn’t the traditional office visit, my counselor was very up front about maintaining confidentiality and developing code words or hand signals if I was in an unsafe space. I had a great experience and immediately signed up for future appointments, but if the counselor does not work for you, it’s very easy to go on the website and choose another one.”
All in all, Casey was impressed with Scots Telehealth; “This is a great service that Wooster provides for students in an extremely difficult time, and it is the first time during my four years where I can commend the College for its mental health services,” he said.
Previously, the Wellness Center championed their Let’s Talk program. Let’s Talk, which is still available to all students via Microsoft Teams, offers free and confidential 15-minute consultations with a counselor during select times Monday through Thursday. The simple sign-up process for Let’s Talk is the same that is used for the weekly COVID-19 tests.
To access Scots Telehealth, go to scotstelehealth.com to register with your school email address, enter the Service Key SCOTS and select a service to start a visit. You can access Scots Telehealth from any web-enabled device.
Scots Telehealth’s Medical Services are available for those who feel symptoms of COVID-19 and “will virtually assess symptoms and administer frontline care in a contained environment to limit the spread of illness. They will also give recommendations on need for testing vs. self-quarantine, and where to go if testing or further care is needed.” According to campus protocol, however, on-campus students who feel oncoming physical illnesses should report to the Wellness Center at their earliest convenience.