CARE Team

What does CARE stand for?

Consultation – Assessment – Referral – Education

Mission

The CARE Team is committed to helping students at risk to themselves or others or that display behavior that causes emotional stress or disruption to the campus community.

Purpose & Responsibilities

Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine is concerned about the safety, health and well-being of our student community. As one facet of our outreach, KSUCPM has developed a CARE team, which exists to identify, assess, and monitor students displaying levels of distress, disruption, or behavioral dysfunction that might warrant timely intervention. The CARE team will coordinate a supportive, positive outreach toward students with concerning behavior. The team’s primary goal is to provide assessments and early intervention before a crisis arises.

The CARE Team at KSUCPM helps keep our college community healthy and safe. You are an important member of the team. If you ever feel like a classmate may be in distress and could benefit from intervention, you will want to submit a referral.  Your referral allows the team to reach out to individuals and provide appropriate intervention and support. With your help, the team is better able to keep the campus a safe environment in which students, faculty, and staff study and work.

What should your referral include? Providing as much information as possible is essential.

• Student name
• Brief factual description and direct quotes of the incident or behavior
• Where and when the incident or behavior occurred
• Names of witnesses
• Your name and contact information

Are CARE Team referrals confidential? All referrals and information discussed related to the referral is confidential.  This means that the information is kept completely separate from academic records and is not accessible by an individual on the campus other than members of the CARE Team.  The identities of individuals who submit a referral are kept confidential by the members of the CARE Team; however, once the CARE Team reaches out to the student, the student may be able to identify the person making the referral.  Keeping referrals confidential is important to each member of the CARE Team in order to respect the privacy of all individuals involved and to allow individuals to feel comfortable in making a referral

How do I make a referral to CARE Team? Submit an Online CARE Referral Form.  When you complete the form, please fill in as much information and detail as you can as this will assist the CARE Team in evaluating the referral properly.

Submission Guidelines Examples of concerning behavior can include, but are not limited to:

• Erratic behavior that is distracting and/or disruptive to the learning environment, in the classroom, or elsewhere on campus (including online activities)
• Violations of personal space both physically and via communications
• Implied or direct threat of harm to themselves or others
• Displaying or talking about what is thought to be a weapon or something to be used for harm or disruption
• Physical or verbal confrontation or discomforting statements
• Stalking or harassment behavior towards a faculty/staff member or student
• Bizarre or odd behavior
• Threatening, aggressive, or hostile communications (verbal and/or electronic)
• Clearly noticeable changes in behavior, demeanor, dress, or personality from what was previously “typical” for that individual

Will I know what happens with my referral? If you include your e-mail address when you submit a referral to CARE, you will receive a confirmation e-mail that your referral was received and will be reviewed.  In some situations, you may be contacted by a CARE Team member for additional information.  The CARE Team may perform an outreach based on your referral. There may be some situations in which you will remain involved as part of the outreach from the referral.  

Thank you for being a valued member of the KSUCPM community and keeping our college community safe!