Crisis24 Enables Comprehensive Mental Health Support to Remote Student in Crisis

Situational Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges for organizations, as duty of care obligations extended to remote environments. A rise in mental health incidents exacerbated the situation, as COVID-19 created fear and isolation worldwide. Universities, like other organizations with remote employees, were suddenly responsible for ensuring the well-being of students and faculty, regardless of where they were completing coursework. For some universities, this meant supporting students who chose to continue study-abroad programs or could not attend in-person classes due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. For one university client whose students participated in remote classes around the world, it became particularly challenging to monitor and manage the mental health of its students.

Crisis24 in Action

In October 2020, this US-based university contacted Crisis24’s Global Operations Center via a dedicated support hotline to report a student showing symptoms of anxiety and depression and expressing thoughts of self-harm. Before the pandemic, the student had been attending in-person classes in the US, but due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, she was completing her coursework remotely from her home in China.

First Steps to Ensure Medical Evaluation

The Crisis24 support team immediately escalated the case to its in-house medical team, which simultaneously acquired treatment authorization and contacted the student to evaluate her condition. Upon determining that a mental health evaluation should be conducted quickly, Crisis24 arranged an appointment with an accredited network provider who evaluated the student the following morning. The assessment determined that the student presented no immediate threat to themselves or others, ruling out the need for hospitalization.

Successful Arrangement of Remote Counseling

Crisis24’s medical team believed that the student needed ongoing mental health support, so they provided recommendations to the university client. Through its international network of medical providers, Crisis24 arranged an initial telemedicine counseling session for the student in Mandarin – her preferred language. Wary of attending a local mental health facility, the student was grateful to participate in remote video counseling from her residence during a difficult time. The student was reassured that the sessions would be entirely confidential and that no clinical information would be shared with the university. Payment of all medical expenses was guaranteed as part of Crisis24’s cashless medical assistance services.

Results and Ongoing Support

Subsequent counseling sessions stabilized the student’s mental health, allowing the continuation of her education. Throughout the case, Crisis24 communicated closely with the patient, university, and service provider creating alignment in the course of treatment and easing concerns for all parties. Crisis24 ensured all parties that the student could re-engage with the counselor should it be required in the future.

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