Addressing college students’ Behavioral Health needs

To say that 2020 was stressful is an understatement, especially for students. Those in college have had to deal with great uncertainty. Aside from the stress of an unusual school year, some have had family and friends fall ill while countless lost their jobs, or even scholarships. These radical changes surrounding them have been taxing, especially on their mental health.

According to a survey by Active Minds, 91 percent of college students said that COVID-19 added more “stress and anxiety” to their lives. An additional 81 percent said the pandemic caused them “disappointment and sadness.”

Other research is confirming these findings. A study conducted by Dartmouth, showed that there was a distinct increase in self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Further, it is common for students to turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate their symptoms rather than reaching out for mental health help. In fact, a survey from American Addiction Centers found that 60 percent of college students use alcohol to cope with stress. Unfortunately, over the long-term, these “medications” can lead to serious consequences — at minimum, the worsening of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Creating a behavioral health solution for students

These are just some of the reasons why Wellfleet has created the Complete Behavioral Health Solution. The Complete Behavioral Health Solution focuses on providing students access to behavioral health care on their terms.

We analyzed the data and available programs, but most importantly we listened. We listened to our members and clients and worked tirelessly to meet their needs. With the goal of helping students gain access to behavioral health care solutions, this program provides care whenever they need it, regardless of location.

We believe our role is to support the work performed by Student Health Centers and Counseling Centers by offering solutions that are both substantive and effective. To do this, we developed five key programs, including a national, virtual network and 24/7, urgent tele-counseling.

The benefits of the Complete Behavioral Health Solution

1. Cigna network – Coverage needs to be easily accessible. That is why we have partnered with the Cigna network. Student members will have access to more than 43,000 virtual counselors nationwide in video-based tele-heath services.
2. Student-focused formulary – Student members can take advantage of our proprietary Student Formulary. This was created with the unique needs of students in mind. The plan was designed to incentivize students and educate providers to choose the right drugs that offers similar efficacy but at an affordable cost. A major benefit of the formulary is that student members can acquire the most frequently prescribed anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, and bipolar drugs at a $0 co-pay.
3. CareConnect – Unfortunately, 39 percent of students will experience a mental health crisis in college. For that reason, we have included CareConnect in our Complete Behavioral Health Solution. This exclusive feature provides student members easy access to licensed behavioral health clinicians 24/7, 365 days a year. Most importantly, this plan feature works in conjunction with student health centers at Wellfleet client schools to ensure appropriate care is administered.
4. Provider relations – We understand that our clients and members have existing relationships and preferred providers. That is why our student-focused Provider Relations team partners with client schools to identify local and virtual providers to service members, helping students find proper care. Further, Wellfleet is committed to assuring that 100 percent of counselors a client refers are included in their preferred tier of benefits.
5. Student-focused case management – All participating student members will have expert Student Behavioral Health Case Management, which helps improve outcomes for any student member who has experienced inpatient behavioral health admission as well as those who have received a variety of identified behavioral health diagnoses.

Providing the right care

We strongly believe in the Triple Aim – providing the right care at the right cost with member satisfaction. That is why we want all students to have ease of access to the mental health care they need.

Find out how Wellfleet’s Complete Behavioral Health Solution program can help provide relief for schools and students alike.