A national fraternity is offering mental health support to its members on college campuses.
As of Sept. 1, current undergraduate members of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity have access to the Talkspace mobile application, an online service that connects people with therapists in their state. The membership, free for members of the fraternity, will last three months.
Wynn Smiley, national chief executive officer of the fraternity, said the app gives members access to professional counseling services when they need it.
“I just think that it’s important that students who feel like they need a little extra help have that option without having to worry about what others might think or having to schedule around a counseling center,” he said.
Austin Haines, president of the fraternity’s UF chapter, said that he’s in the process of creating a presentation to educate chapter members about the app.
“No one should have to face undue trouble and hardship and feel like they have no one to talk to about it,” the 21-year-old UF finance senior said. “This partnership solves that problem.”
Amara Saputo, account coordinator for the app, said the partnership will help address mental illness on college campuses. She wrote in an email that the app is hoping to collaborate with other national sororities and fraternities in the future.
“ATO is huge, so it’s just a great way to involve a lot of students who could be suffering from mental illness on campus,” she said.
