What is the CARE Team?

The Crisis Assessment and Risk Evaluation (CARE) team works to assess and manage potentially unhealthy situations for students on Union's campus.  The aim is to intervene early in a principled way to help students showing signs of serious distress or engaging in harmful or disruptive behaviors.  The team assesses individual cases and develops an appropriate action plan. 

The team is comprised of administrators from a range of departments so as to collaborate with the greatest amount of information available.  It includes the Directors of Residential Life, Counseling and Health Centers, and Campus Safety.  The team also includes the Student Affairs Deans and the academic Dean of Studies and the Director of Peer Mentoring/Academic Counseling.  The team meets biweekly to review cases and incorporate any additional concerns.

The mission of the CARE Team is to:

• Eliminate "fragmented care" and information
• Provide a structured positive method for addressing student behaviors that impact the university community and may involve mental health and/or safety issues
• Balance the individual needs of the student and those of the greater campus community
• Initiate appropriate intervention without resorting to punitive measures

Examples of situations requiring intervention are: self-injurious behavior/suicidal ideation or attempt (behaviors include talk of suicide or suicidal action); erratic behavior that disrupts the mission and/or normal proceedings of college students, faculty, staff, or community; health risks that need continual monitoring.

Community members are encouraged to report any concerns here to alert the CARE team of any potentially unhealthy situation.