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Students at Baldwin Wallace University now have access to counselors around the clock.
BW Counseling Services is partnering with ProtoCall, one of the nation's leading providers of behavioral health services by telephone, to make crisis counseling available 24/7.
ProtoCall
services
are
in
addition
to
those
already
provided
by
BW
Counseling
Services
and
are
customized
to
BW.
"ProtoCall documents and handles calls according to BW's system of care," explains Sophia Kallergis, director of BW Counseling Services. "Our office will be able to securely access information about calls, allowing counseling staff to follow up with callers when appropriate."
The move to add the 24/7 service has been in the works for months as a way to expand campus access to urgent counseling resources, but it is particularly timely as the University community practices social distancing and deals with the stresses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Onboarding took time since services are personalized to each university, and the company needs to make sure that they have the resources to keep up with the demand," Kallergis explains.
BW Counseling Services is also using phone and other online tools to provide services during the current distance learning period.
"ProtoCall is not a substitute for regular therapy, but provides an immediate assessment and safety plan for any students wrestling with urgent mental health concerns," Kallergis says. "Anyone who is concerned about a BW student is welcome to call, too."
ProtoCall currently contracts with 262 college and university counseling centers nationwide to offer risk assessment and crisis stabilization, and resources are available to BW students regardless of what state (or country) they are currently living in.
Students can access ProtoCall's crisis resources by calling the 24/7 counseling line directly at 440-260-4399 or through the BW Counseling Services after-hours voicemail system. Callers will have the option to leave a message for a BW counselor or to press "0" to be transferred to a ProtoCall counselor.
