The student identity specialist Transact has updated its mobile ID platform to make sure that students have ready access to mental health and support services. The company is best known for its Campus Mobile ID solution, which allows students to gain access to various school buildings with a digital ID stored on their own smartphone.
The new update will allow university administrators to distribute contact information for a slew of emergency mental health hotlines, including those that offer counseling and suicide prevention. That contact information will be stored alongside their Campus Mobile ID, ensuring that students will be able to find it quickly and easily in a crisis situation.
Transact noted that many states have passed laws that require universities to print emergency information on their student IDs. The Campus Mobile ID solution lets administrators achieve compliance with a system update, without needing to print and distribute thousands of physical student ID cards. The IDs themselves are compatible with most major smartphone wallets, and can be customized to include local numbers and services offered through the university.
According to Transact, the new service will help returning students who may be struggling with mental health issues related to COVID-19. The majority (73 percent) of college presidents have already identified mental health as a key priority moving forward. The contact information will help meet the growing demand for support services, while ensuring that the police do not get called in unnecessarily.
“Student health and wellbeing are of the utmost concern as campuses prepare for the start of the 2021-2022 academic year,” said Transact CEO Nancy Langer. “Our easy-to-implement tool allows students to access emergency contact information directly from the student ID credential on their smartphone. We hope the ease and accessibility of this feature will help keep college campuses safer and save student lives.”
Mobile IDs have become increasingly popular on college campuses in the past few years. The University of Alabama recently announced that it would be phasing out magnetic strip cards in favor of a mobile-first solution, and the University of Tennessee, Duke University, and Clemson University have adopted similar mobile ID technology.
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