UT Austin Leads $16.5M Mental Health Push for Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved a $16.5 million investment in 2022 to bolster student mental health services across its 14 institutions, with UT Austin administering the flagship program in partnership with Fort Worth-based TimelyCare.[1][2] Launched for the fall 2023 semester, the initiative provides free, round-the-clock virtual access to licensed counselors and providers in all 50 states, including on-demand emotional support, scheduled counseling, psychiatry, health coaching, care navigation, peer communities and digital self-care tools.[1][2][7] UT Austin students can download the Thrive app for immediate help during tough times, complementing in-person options at the Counseling and Mental Health Center on West Dean Keeton Street.[5][7] This expansion addresses rising demand on UT Austin's 40-acre campus, where staff report constant adaptation to student needs through free individual counseling, group workshops and a 24/7 crisis line.[5] The Healthy Horns initiative, led by UT Austin, also includes faculty-focused programs like Texas Well-Being to integrate mental health promotion into classrooms and the Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Program offering workshops on stress management, active listening and suicide prevention training.[3][6] "We're empowering students to thrive," a TimelyCare spokesperson noted in 2023 announcements.[2] The system-wide effort builds on UT's pioneering 2011 alcohol prevention programs and responds to national trends of student distress exacerbated by post-pandemic pressures in Texas higher education.[1] At UT Austin, the fifth-floor Student Services Building hub operates 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, with virtual TimelyCare filling evenings, weekends and non-crisis gaps.[7] As enrollment tops 52,000 at the flagship Austin campus, officials credit the partnership for expanding reach without added costs to students.[1][5]