UCLA students now have free access to an online mental health app, Togetherall, according to an October UCLA announcement.

Togetherall is an online platform for people over 16 years of age to anonymously share their feelings with other community members who can offer mental health support, according to its website. The platform is constantly monitored by mental health clinicians to ensure a safe community for users. Students will also have access to self-guided courses, self-assessments and other resources through the platform, said a UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services representative in an emailed statement.

Students can use their UCLA email to register, and a separate username they can choose will keep their account anonymous, the announcement said.

The 24/7 availability of Togetherall can increase access to mental health services, said Steven Hoorfar, the co-director of advocacy for Active Minds, a UCLA student organization advocating for mental health awareness on campus.

The platform is also consistently monitored by licensed clinicians to make sure Togetherall promotes an inclusive and supportive space, added Hoorfar, who is also a fourth-year political science student

Janna Shakiba – the co-president of Wazo Connect, a student organization that aims to improve mental health through peer mentorship – said she values the peer-to-peer connection Togetherall can provide. She added that it could alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation. The platform’s anonymity could also encourage students to use it, she added. The tool is a good option for people waiting for consistent therapy without needing a referral, Shakiba also said.

But students also expressed wariness over the promotion of the platform.

UCLA needs to make sure to promote Togetherall as an additional resource on top of other forms of mental health help such as therapy, Hoorfar said. He added that the platform should not be the only resource students feel they have access to.

The platform is a tool to use outside of and in addition to other care, including when other services are not immediately available, the CAPS representative said in the emailed statement.

“I also hope that, again, people still find the importance of professional mental health services and seek out those resources on campus,” Hoorfar said.