CARE Team

Team Mission

The Campus Advocacy, Referal and Education (CARE) Team's mission is to promote the �첥��Ƶ and well-being of our students and of our college community.

Purpose

The CARE Team provides a central place to manage communication regarding concerns for students’ well-being and the safety of the college community, facilitate a timely and appropriate response to these concerns, and provide information to the college community regarding risk issues and resources available.

Membership

The Office of the Vice President of Student Services will be the central contact for referrals, response and record keeping for CARE Team. Directors or coordinators of Access and Equity Services; Campus Police; Mental Health Services; Student Conduct; Health Center; and Residence Life will be the other core members of the CARE Team. Additional College officials will be consulted as appropriate.

Referrals

Anyone in the �첥��Ƶ Cortland Community College community can share concerns about a student by completing the . They can also contact the Vice President of Student Services or any member of the CARE Team.

When to Refer a Student to the CARE Team

�첥��Ƶ Cortland community members are strongly encouraged to report behaviors of concern, clear changes in behavior patterns and behaviors that are impacting others. Examples include:

*Written or artistic expressions of unusual violence, morbidity, social isolation or despair
*Deterioration in quality/quantity of work
*Direct statements indicating distress
*Significant changes in mood
*Angry or hostile outbursts, yelling, or aggressive comments
*Deterioration in physical appearance or personal hygiene
*Erratic or disjointed thinking, unable to focus
*Concerns about substance use/abuse

Process

NOTE: If the CARE Team becomes aware of a situation that threatens the general safety of the College community, the College’s Emergency Response Team will be informed and responsibility for action will shift to that group.

The CARE Team will be responsible for gathering information, assessing the nature and seriousness of the concern, developing a plan of appropriate intervention, implementing the plan or communicating the plan to appropriate other staff members, and monitoring the disposition of the plan.

Records of all CARE Team communications will be maintained appropriately by the Vice President of Student Services, and will meet FERPA guidelines.

NOTE: �첥��Ƶ Cortland Community College is committed to supporting the �첥��Ƶ of all students including those with mental health challenges. We believe that a student’s mental health status is of concern only when it is interfering with the student’s �첥��Ƶ at the College or the educational process of the college community in or outside of the classroom.

Occasionally, a student may take a voluntary leave of absence related to CARE Team concerns or interventions. Before returning he/she must contact the Vice President of Student Services to discuss readiness. The Vice President may require a community service provider Re-entry Review form, an internal evaluation, and/or an agreement of expectations, for both accessing supportive services and maintaining behavioral limitations. To accommodate these possibilities, the student should be in contact with the Vice President at least three weeks before the beginning of the new semester.

In the rare case when a mandatory leave of absence is required, the student will be asked to sign a release of information so that the Vice President of Student Services can provide factual information regarding any precipitating incidents to the community service provider(s), and counseling staff can provide community service provider(s) with counseling recommendations. Sharing information is for the purpose of assuring the best possible therapeutic support for the student’s future �첥��Ƶ.

Before a student may return from mandatory leave of absence, he/she must have his/her community service provider(s) submit the college’s Re-entry Review form at least one month prior to the start of that semester. Then:

1. The CARE Team will review and recommend whether an internal evaluation is needed. If so, a counselor will meet with the student to provide an evaluation.

2. The Vice President of Student Services will make the final decision about readmission.

3. If readmitted, a statement of expectations for both accessing supportive services and maintaining behavioral limitations will be created and signed by the Vice President of Student Services (or designee) and the student.

The members of the CARE Team and all �첥��Ƶ Cortland staff and faculty are committed to helping our students succeed. All interventions and decisions made are in the service of that outcome.