Following the end of a contract with TimelyCare, El Camino College has partnered with BetterMynd, a mental healthcare provider focused on equitable support.
Students can access BetterMynd to receive free online mental health counseling and live workshops.
BetterMynd believes that “online therapy should never be one-size-fits-all” but instead should be used as a flexible tool that can be used to tend to a variety of individualized needs, according to their website.
The mental healthcare services provided by TimelyCare are no longer available at ECC, due to the switch to BetterMynd in a decision made effective Thursday, Feb. 20.
The costs of partnering with TimelyCare is what triggered the college’s switch to BetterMynd.
The college was paying $260,000 annually for TimelyCare, compared to the $146,000 which they are now paying per year for BetterMynd, according to Susan Nilles, coordinator and nurse practitioner at the Student Health Center.
Nilles’ goal is to eventually have enough in-person psychologists to sustain both in-person and virtual therapy sessions, so the college doesn’t have to rely on external virtual counseling.
Lina Berrio, registered nurse at the Student Health Center, explains that virtual mental health apps often require a college to pay per session.
With TimelyCare, 10 sessions were offered to students, but the college’s data showed that not everyone utilized all 10 sessions available, while others used them all.
BetterMynd offers an unlimited number of sessions compared to TimelyCare, making mental healthcare more accessible to students who need it most.
Staff at the Student Health Center monitor the number of sessions students have used and how many sessions students have left.
Students are given six sessions to start and as the demand increases for the students that need more counseling, BetterMynd allows sessions to be added to a student’s account.
“If you do get down to one or two sessions and nobody’s recharged your account, all you have to do is call the front desk [of the Student Health Center] and they’ll do it right away,” Berrio said.
Similar to TimelyCare, students can mark the preferences they have for desired counseling.
Students can add in their religious belief preferences as well as racial and mental healthcare specialization preferences.
BetterMynd also offers live well-being workshops that create room for open dialogue and support, compared to the pre-made coaching workshops TimelyCare provided students.
These well-being workshops offered by BetterMynd explore a range of mental health topics such as depression, academic stress and social anxiety.
Sofia Thomas, a 22-year-old radiology major who attends therapy outside of El Camino, said that therapy not only allows an individual to experience self-growth but also helps a person live with a healthier mind and body.
“Especially with people that have mental health issues,” Thomas said. “If it gets overwhelming, it can stop you in your tracks, and you can get stuck.”
Students face pressures in college as they try to balance newfound independence, home life, relationships and academics.
Berrio said that as crises arise, and as students adapt to a new way of life, it’s important for them to reach out for help.
“I appreciate that this generation has equally seen mental health and physical as not the same but as important,” Berrio said. “Because there are so many resources and so much access on this campus, I think it really supports students to be successful.”
