UNG is rolling out a new student mental health program in the Spring 2021 semester to help students continue toward success through the troubling times of the pandemic. This program is called “Nigel Cares.”
Through Nigel Cares, all UNG students will have access to a 24/7 hotline for crisis support no matter where they are, up to five treatment sessions per issue at no cost from a network of clinicians, virtual psychiatrist clinics for assessment and medication management, and personal student navigators to help coordinate treatment and support, according to the UNG website.
The program also includes a new website and app for students, called CampusWell, which is filled with online training and education tools and self-help tools and resources. This app can be downloaded to your phone to have access to these materials anywhere and anytime.
In addition, UNG has promised “comprehensive campus programming and improved coordination of services.”
This program seems like it covers all bases of student mental health relief; however, it also seems not many students are even aware of it yet. Among the students asked, only a handful of students, among all majors and class standings, had even heard of the program.
Isabella Gaunce, a senior criminal justice major, said, “I haven’t heard of it yet, until now, so I hope that they spread the word more effectively!”
The few students who had already known of the program said that they read about it on the UNG website when looking for mental health support.
Although these students are concerned about the lack of advertisement of the program, they seemed hopeful the changes will boost mental health on campus.
“I’m glad they’re giving resources like this to students especially since COVID has affected so many people,” Gaunce said. “I feel like my mental state is the worst it’s ever been so I can’t imagine how other students are.”
“It sounds pretty cool, especially because COVID has made everything harder.” Cydnee Thoreson, a kinesiology major, said, “As long as the school is sending emails and letting students know, I think it’s going to be a great program.”
Lauren Pfitzenmayer, an English major, was one of the students who had already heard of Nigel Cares. She said, “Due to how insane campus is, I haven’t had the chance to utilize any of the resources, but they seem very appealing.”
The Nigel Cares program is a part of USG’s Mental Health Initiative, which is provided through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund.
These new services are an addition to the services that were already offered by UNG’s Student Counseling center, including individual and group therapy, suicide prevention, relaxation training, and several skill building workshops.
You can find contact information for Student Counseling at all campuses and several emergency hotline numbers at this website.
