Florida Tech Partners with TalkCampus to Enhance Mental Health Services
Students Can Utilize App for Instant Support
MELBOURNE, FLA. — Florida Tech is partnering with TalkCampus to offer students another powerful tool for mental health support.
TalkCampus is an app that connects students with other students from around the world to support each other. Users may login if they need help and may pursue becoming trained to listen and support others. TalkCampus is anonymous and students will not be able to see where other students are from.
TalkCampus has a global safety team of trained peer supporters and a professional staff team who perform 24/7 moderation and, should the need arise, escalation to additional resources.
The addition of TalkCampus to Florida Tech’s existing mental health programs will provide the student community a safe, anonymous place to talk about the ups and downs of life before problems get a chance to escalate. The platform is not operated by Florida Tech and officials at the university will not be able to see who is using it or retrieve other identifiable information.
“We’re excited to partner with TalkCampus to offer our students a place to address problems early on,” said David McMahan, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “TalkCampus will enhance our array of mental health support for the Florida Tech student community by ensuring they have a place to discuss issues of concern and distress at any hour of the day, 365 days a year.”
TalkCampus 24/7 is not a replacement for counseling or professional support, McMahan added, but it is a good place to start talking and to make sure that however students are feeling at that moment, they understand they are not alone.
TalkCampus launched in 2018 as a platform built specifically and solely for students, recognizing the challenges they face and the needs of educational institutions to provide independent options for support that still recognized the importance of linked services.
It combines peer support with state-of-the-art machine learning built in collaboration with MIT and Harvard University for an intuitively designed, engaging and safe student experience. A 24/7 professional “Trust & Safety” team monitors all conversations and escalates where necessary. Trained clinicians review and intervene where any concerns are raised, and students are handheld into the relevant support.
Schools including UCF, Cornell and Harvard are involved in research projects with TalkCampus.
The service is now used at more than 250 colleges and universities across five continents, with participants in 26 languages.
Download TalkCampus on Google Play or the App Store, or read more about it and find links to download at talkcampus.io/sign-up. Students’ Florida Tech email address will get them free access.
