Higher Ed Advisor: expanding access to mental health services in higher education

Welcome to Higher Ed Advisor, the Baker Tilly podcast series where we speak with higher education industry leaders about practical and proactive guidance to help colleges and universities protect and enhance their value.

Advancing an institution’s commitment to student success extends beyond academics; it also necessitates meeting mental health and well-being needs.

In this episode, Colgate University (Colgate) director of student health services, Dr. Ellen Larson, and digital mental health clinic Mantra Health (Mantra) vice president of program success, Kelly Carleton and Mantra’s medical director, Dr. Nora Feldpausch, explore how telehealth widens access to critical mental health services to students.

We discover how Mantra can offer financially sustainable solutions to common challenges that Colgate and other institutions face while navigating students’ needs, like long wait times for counseling and limited staffing to provide care. Our guests also unlock:

• How Mantra complements Colgate’s existing resources and serves as a digital extension of its counseling center
• The role data plays to evaluate service effectiveness and operationalize enhanced levels of care
• The importance of designing flexible, collaborative mental health services frameworks through a student-centric lens
• Advice for institutions considering embarking on outsourced mental health services
• How telehealth helps campuses “meet students where they are” through more accessible support

Don’t miss what our guests describe is the future of mental health in higher education and notable takeaways to guide campuses given the rising demand for these services and resources.