Aug. 22—The Missouri Southern athletic department has partnered with athletic insurance provider Dissinger Reed to provide the mobile app Talkspace to each of its student-athletes.

Talkspace is a HIPPA-compliant mental health care service that brings convenient, personal and professional therapy to students via private messaging from a secure digital platform.

With Talkspace, a student-athlete can regularly send text, audio and video messages to a dedicated, licensed therapist of their choosing from anywhere, anytime, whenever it fits best into the student's busy academic and social life.

"We are excited to bring this new resource to our student-athletes," said Rob Mallory, MSSU's athletics director. "National and campus data make it clear that more mental health resources are needed to assist student-athletes in navigating their unique collegiate experience. The mental and physical well-being of our student-athletes is a top priority for us. Talkspace will provide a convenient, secure and confidential way for them to access the help they need on their own terms."

This app will give MSSU student-athletes an opportunity to connect with a counselor or therapist at any time. It will match them with certain therapists that can then do a same-day meeting on the student-athlete's schedule. This truly gives the student-athlete a sense of privacy that is needed and welcomed.

With Talkspace, there are no appointments and no waiting days or weeks for therapy. Just a confidential therapy session that carries seamlessly across a multitude of devices. Student-athletes will have access to licensed, verified and insured professionals only, with coverage in all US states and globally, as well as over 32 languages spoken.

"Over the past three years, we've heard more and more about the need to treat collegiate athletes' mental health in the same way we take great care of their physical health," said Chris Nixon, Sr. Vice President of Dissinger Reed. "But what are collegiate athletic departments actually doing here? Largely nothing. These days, on-campus resources are overwhelmed and athletes' schedules rarely allow time to seek in-person treatment, let alone the overcoming the stigma associated getting help.

"That is why we are so proud of Missouri Southern Athletics for rolling out Talkspace Online Therapy to the Lions and showing that they are serious about the care they provide."

About Dissinger Reed: Dissinger Reed, now a division of HUB International, is a long-standing leader in the collegiate athletic insurance industry. For over 40 years, Dissinger Reed has provided exceptional service and innovative solutions to over 200 athletic departments across the country.

In an effort to further meet the evolving needs of their clientele, they forged an exclusive program through a partnership with Talkspace to bring an affordable, digital and mental health solution to collegiate athletic programs across the country.