51��ɫ

Togetherall

51��ɫ College has chosen to partner with Togetherall to provide virtual peer-to-peer mental health and wellbeing support. Togetherall’s online community is clinically moderated by mental health professionals and offers students a safe and anonymous place to express their thoughts, concerns, and triumphs.

Resources are free for students aged 16+ to use and are available 24/7/365. Students can give and get support from others as well as use mental health and well-being courses and resources.

To learn more, watch . If and when you are ready to get and give support, visit and using your student email address. Select “I’m from a university or college.”

Remember, it’s free, anonymous, and available now!

Need-to-Talk line

You may call the Need-to-Talk line at 641-269-4404 to be connected with a confidential crisis counselor at anytime from any location in the United States. You do not need to be in crisis to call. You can discuss anything from a recent breakup, family argument, or stress over a recent grade — anything that is affecting your mental health. These calls will offer a one-time session to work through a specific concern. Calls will be confidential except in the case of immediate danger, in which case a SHAW-developed crisis process will be followed. 

Healthiest You

All students have access to mental health providers through . Psychiatrists, psychologists and licensed therapists are available to you through a variety of communication methods, including phone and video.

When you sign up, you'll complete a questionnaire, choose your provider and select a date and time for your appointment. Appointments are available 7 days a week. Visits are secure, discreet and confidential, and you have ongoing support with the same provider. 

Visit  or download their app to access this service.

Visit the SHAW programs page for a current list of workshops, group therapy, and other programs put on by SHAW staff.

Students can meet with a counselor for a brief consultation session to determine which resources are the best fit for their presenting issues. During this meeting students share an overview of their concerns and goals. Students are provided with information and recommendations regarding relevant resources at SHAW, online, and in the community, and they work together with a counselor to determine a plan for moving forward.   Initial screenings are required prior to participation in group and individual therapy and telepsychiatry services.

Students are strongly encouraged to develop personalized and sustainable wellness habits while at 51��ɫ. They will not only feel better but will also perform better as a student if they do so. 51��ɫ offers many opportunities to grow and enhance a student's wellness via programming and opportunities across campus to build their physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual facets. SHAW offers resources via the webpage, in-person, and through referrals to other campus resources to support student wellness.

SHAW works closely with multiple partners across campus to support student mental health. Interdepartmental referrals are provided for students who could benefit from support from offices such as the CLS, Health, Wellness, Academic Advising, Disability Resources, CRSSJ, and Housing, to name a few. In addition to meeting with contacts in other offices, students can participate in outreach and tabling provided by SHAW throughout the year.

A range of online tools and workshops are available for students who want to build skills and improve resilience. Workshops offered through SHAW focus on skill-building on a variety of topics, including stress and anxiety reduction, mood management, healthy relationships, and wellness. Students can be referred to workshops or they can self-refer based on interest. 

Need to Talk? is an agency service provider that offers a 24/7 counseling hotline for 51��ɫ College students to have immediate access to counseling services. Students can call the hotline at any time (even when SHAW is open) to speak with a trained counseling professional who is also familiar with the range of resources available at 51��ɫ College. 

Group counseling can be the most effective in-person counseling offering for many presenting issues. SHAW offers broad-based process groups where students have an opportunity to share concerns, support one another, learn skills, and practice healthy coping.  A similar offering, support groups, are less structured in nature but offer students a chance to get and give support regarding a more focused topic, such as grief and loss. This services is confidential and free for students.

Short-term, goal-directed individual counseling at SHAW is available to enrolled students with concerns that fall within SHAW’s scope of practice. Students will be paired with a counselor that best helps them meet their goals. The counselor and the student work collaboratively to reach those outcomes. This service is confidential and free for students.

is a virtual service available to all current students. Services include medical care, clinical care, coaching & guidance, digital programs, and crisis management. Sign up using your 51��ɫ email or download the HealthiestYou app.

Students who would like to see an off-campus provider can complete an  or meet with SHAW’s mental health nurse who can help students find mental health and medical resources off-campus. SHAW will do our best to find a referral that best meets your request, although we might not be able to find a therapist within your exact exact specifications. If you have questions about referrals and/or referral process, please call SHAW at 641-269-4988.

Students seeking open-ended counseling or specialized services not within SHAW’s scope of care can work with SHAW’s mental health nurse to find emotional health resources in the community. Students seeking consultation related to medication for mental health concerns can arrange to meet with a provider through the College’s partnership with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This is a telehealth visit that is accessed at SHAW and organized by the mental health nurse.  

Determining a Referral for Off-Campus Services

SHAW may not be able to provide services under some circumstances.  Decisions concerning these limitations may be made at the time of the initial screening, or during any subsequent stage of service. Clinical consultation and clinical judgment, in conjunction with the goal to provide the greatest benefit in the shortest amount of time are considerations taken when a referral is made. SHAW will continually strive to provide services to all students requesting services that are within SHAW’s “role and scope” and fall within the mission of SHAW. When a community referral is the most appropriate option for a client, the options should, to the best of the clinician’s ability, address client circumstances regarding insurance, finances, and transportation.

This is probably the simplest, most streamlined way to find providers. For most people, it will be the most efficient option.

1. Go to your insurance carrier’s web site and search for a provider, or call and ask for a list of providers.
2. Call or mail those providers to ask about current openings.
3. Ask to schedule a consultation to determine goodness of fit.

Start your search from a site where providers can be found, such as and/or . This may be the preferred option for folks looking for specialty care.

1. Search based on location, insurance carrier, and any specialty areas of focus you would like your provider to have.
2. Create a list of providers you’d like to contact and reach out.
3. Ask to schedule a consultation to determine goodness of fit.

If you are struggling to find an available provider in your insurance network, you have other options.

• Many areas have low-fee, sliding-scale community mental health agencies with qualified providers. Reach out to determine whether you are eligible for the services they provide.
   
• Some mental health providers offer sliding-scale options based on financial need. If you’d like to work with someone who doesn’t state they offer a sliding scale, ask directly if they have that option, and if not, if they have any referrals who do.
   
• Web sites such as allow you to search for providers in private practice who have committed to providing low fee, sliding scale mental health services to clients who meet financial need.
   
• Apps such as BetterHelp and Talkspace can connect you with providers offering online services who are licensed in the state you’re residing in. These providers typically charge less per week than a full-fee individual session would cost in private practice. Bear in mind that these platforms are primarily a way to connect providers and clients, and that the mental health provider is still ultimately responsible for your care, rather than the company.

• Students in remote parts of the country with limited access to mental health providers may find greater access now as many, if not most, providers transition to providing services remotely. As such, you might expand your search to cover a wider area, for example, or set your search for the nearest urban areas.
   
• The first provider you make contact with may not be the best fit, or may not be available. Ask for referrals. Not all skilled providers have an online presence.
   
• Many providers are offering mental health by videoconferencing for the first time in their careers. Brace yourself for some technical difficulties and general awkwardness as folks adjust to new modalities.
   
• Many mental health providers will offer a free 15-minute or longer phone or video consultation to ensure goodness of fit. If they don’t offer, ask. A large body of research indicates that the relationship between client and provider is one of the most important factors in effectiveness of psychotherapy. It will benefit you to put some effort into finding someone you feel comfortable talking to.