The new service also provides another resource for faculty and staff to share with students — undergraduate, graduate and professional students alike — who may not yet be ready to seek campus resources but want an outlet to share and process their emotions.
Interactions on the online platform, called Togetherall, are anonymous and supervised 24 hours a day, seven days a week by licensed mental health practitioners. Togetherall is an extension of the university’s existing relationship with ProtoCall Services, which provides CAPS After Hours, after-hours counseling center coverage.
“Students who are currently feeling isolated, depressed and anxious may find it challenging to reach out to CAPS or other campus resources and verbally express their needs,” said CAPS Director Todd Sevig. “Peer supports provide these students another option either as a first step, or to complement other help-seeking options.”
The service is available to students for free and joins U-M’s two additional peer support-based offerings for students: the Wolverine Support Network and Individual Peer Counseling.
The new service is part of a broader, institutional effort to meet the emerging mental health needs of students.