CARE Team Protocol

The CARE Team has developed a protocol to ensure that critical student behavior or mental health issues or incidents are addressed appropriately.

There are 3 general categories:

• Self-injurious behavior/suicidal attempt or thoughts
• Erratic behavior (including online activities) that disrupts the mission and/or normal proceedings of college students, faculty, or staff
• Health issues requiring intervention or hospital treatment

When a referral is submitted through the Counseling Center or the Dean of Students office, the team evaluates each report during biweekly CARE Team meetings to address the appropriate response to each student.  If a report requires emergency attention,the Dean of Students will be notified to take immediate action in accordance with existing protocols and Student Conduct Code procedures. The student(s) involved are contacted and are asked to meet with the Counseling Center Director or designee to discuss a plan of action.  While the team is designed to address the most critical student cases involving erratic behavior, many student issues are resolved through soft interventions.

Students who disagree with any formal intervention may request a meeting with the Dean of Students who may change the intervention to individual counseling or an assessment by an outside agency.  Students who fail to comply with the request for assessment and/or to complete the assessments/groups may be separated from the from the college as a health safety measure.

(adapted from University of South Carolina BIT protocol)