CHARLES TOWN — American Public University System is taking steps in providing better care for its students after recently announcing a partnership with Uwill to offer on-demand mental health support for its adult learners.

Through the new initiative, APUS students globally will have immediate, free access to licensed counselors via video, phone, chat or message.

“APUS has always been highly focused on making higher education accessible and affordable for our global students – through the many services we provide both while they’re students and even when they graduate,” APUS Assistant Provost and Vice President of Students Services Caroline Simpson said. “We recognized the need over the past several months and decided to be proactive about it. This is a great service that augments many services we already have in place, including empathetic faculty members, a three-person chaplain staff, peer-to-peer support and mentoring programs and a number of support teams dedicated to coaching and advising students throughout their educational journey. We recognize that not all students share the same journey and want to be as accommodating as possible.”

Simpson said the APUS staff understands the importance of mental and emotional wellness and support for academic, professional and personal goals for students and that the university aims to have a variety of support services and resources for its adult learners.

“Over this past year, in response to an increased number of student connections with our Chaplain’s Office, we expanded our Chaplain Services team and introduced the Uwill resource as an additional way that a student or alumnus can receive help related to stress, anxiety, abuse, suicidal ideations, et cetera,” Simpson said.

The partnership highlights the growing demand for mental-health support on college campuses everywhere. APUS’s student community consists of approximately 90,000 active students, 81% of whom are active-duty military, National Guard members, reservists or veterans. Also, 89% of those students are balancing their academic commitments with those of careers.

“With the average age of our students being 32 and 89% being working adults, we fully recognize that many are attending AMU and APU while developing in their career or transitioning,” Simpson said. “Whether it’s from the military to civilian life or from one industry to another, these transitions can be stressful on their own. A global pandemic, additional at-home responsibilities for children and family members and a fast-changing economy add even more complexities. We want to help as much as we can.”

With so much changing throughout the last year, Simpson said this initiative stems from those movements, students looking for more connections during a year of isolation.

“Our students and alumni are often on the front lines – they are emergency personnel, first responders, educators, caregivers, health care providers and parents,” Simpson said. “APUS is proud to support the individuals who give so much back to their communities. Additionally, over the past year, we’ve noticed an increase in our learners’ desire to engage and connect with each other. We’ve been privileged to witness their resiliency and commitment, and are constantly seeking innovative ways to support their educational experience.

“Uwill is a stellar partner. They have been supportive and helpful and it is clear that they are dedicated to meeting a need that we all know is there.”