William Paterson students now have free and immediate access to online mental health through Uwill, a leading student mental health teletherapy and wellness platform.
The service, provided through a first-in-the nation partnership between Uwill and the State of New Jersey, is supporting enrolled college students at 44 higher education institutions in the state. The University’s Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center (CHWC) serves as the William Paterson liaison to Uwill and CHWC counselors are available to provide referrals, instruction, and training to members of the campus community on how to use the web-based application.
“The Uwill platform addresses barriers to accessing mental health counseling that will help us better serve our community, including choices to match with a counselor or specialty and flexibility in terms of scheduling,” says Dr. Jill Guzman, director of the Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center. “We hope students will take advantage of this additional mental health resource, especially those who might be seeking long-term therapy.”
Access to Uwill teletherapy is quick and easy; students can register online at app.uwill.com using their University email address. They can choose a therapist based on their preferences including availability, gender, language, ethnicity, and specialty, as well as a time that fits their schedule, with day, night, and weekend options. It also offers a menu of wellness programming with a variety of self-directed video content. Uwill provides mental health counseling services only; mental health prescription services are not available at this time. The service is accessible to all registered students, including out-of-state students and students enrolled in WP Online programs.
Guzman emphasizes that Uwill is a supplement to the Center’s services. “The Center continues to handle mental health emergencies, provide in-person and telehealth counseling services, group counseling, and faculty/staff consultations,” she says. “Any student experiencing a mental health emergency should call us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we will assist them.”
As of fall 2023, the Center has also added a full-time, drop-in counselor, who is available on campus Monday through Friday from 9.a.m. to 4 p.m., for students who need immediate assistance. “We are constantly evaluating ways to enhance our services to meet the needs of our students,” Guzman says.
The Counseling, Health and Wellness Center is located in Overlook South. Learn more at wpunj.edu/health-wellness. To request a presentation or training on Uwill, please contact Daisy Rodriguez, LCSW, associate director of counseling, health, and wellness, and WP’s Uwill liaison, at rodriguezd@wpunj.edu.
09/26/23
William Paterson University
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, New Jersey 07470
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