Are you aware that as a Central Arizona College student you have access to low-cost medical consultations and counseling sessions?

October is National Depression Education and Awareness Month, and unfortunately college students are prone to overwhelming depression. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 48.7% of surveyed students attended counseling for mental health concerns in 2013.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 35% of adults over 18 do not receive any sort of treatment for their depression. While unfortunate, it is understandable as medication and therapy are not free – but as a CAC student you can receive help for a much more affordable price.

Central Arizona College has begun a partnership with WellVia: a telehealth service – as in, consultations through the phone or through video as opposed to meeting with a doctor face-to-face. It is meant for diagnosing non-emergent medical conditions; however, they can also prescribe medication and offer therapy through either a licensed counselor or a psychiatrist.

WellVia is available to students “24/7/365” anywhere in the United States with access to bilingual doctors. You are also able to enroll up to four additional household dependents (including spouse) so students’ families are also covered. Each WellVia consultation costs $35, therapy through a licensed counselor is $80 per session while a psychiatrist is $225 for the initial visit fee and then $99 per follow-up session.

If you are interested in checking it out, getting started isn’t very complicated. All students should have received e-mails about the new partnership from Dean of Student Life Dr. Tramaine Rausaw, as well as a registration e-mail from September 24^th from WellVia themselves. If you cannot find the WellVia e-mail, I would recommend checking your junk/spam folder (that’s where mine was).

Central Arizona College is also partnered with Corazón Integrated Healthcare to offer face-to-face counseling, although it is limited to students at Signal Peak Campus or in the Casa Grande area. Corazón Integrated Healthcare is free for most students but may cost others at a sliding scale – it is dependent on income and eligibility through state funding. Counseling can occur on-campus by request, but most students are seen at their offices in Casa Grande.

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Corazón Integrated Health, there are two ways to get in contact: you can call their offices directly at (520) 836-4278 or you can have a professor ask Dr. Rausaw to submit a referral. He will need the student’s name, student ID number, and a phone number. Corazón staff will contact the student.

A crisis hotline is available anytime for students across the district with Arizona Complete Health at 1-866-495-6735.

Dr. Tramaine Rausaw commented, “I encourage all of our students to activate the WellVia account and download the app.  We now have a range of offerings to assist students in crisis or those who just need to vent and speak to someone.  Even if telephone or video chat is not preferred, we still refer students to Corazón every week and also have contacts in the other areas of the county for students at MAR, STC, SMC, AVC.  Our goal is to ensure students can maintain general health and stay on track for success.”