CARE Team

CARE Team

*Consultation*Assessment*Referral*Education*

CARE referrals are meant to provide a mechanism for community members to report a student who in engaging in concerning behavior or is need of additional support related to life circumstances. The CARE team is comprised of diverse professionals from across campus including: Student Engagement & Wellness, Student Conduct, Counseling Center, Auraria Police Department, Access Center, Health Center at Auraria and faculty representatives. Any individual in the community including but not limited to staff, faculty, students and family members can file a CARE referral for a student through an online reporting system. There are several reasons one could file a CARE referral. The following is list of some examples of why a CARE referral should be filed:

• Concerning behavior, risky, or potentially harmful to himself, herself, others, or the community
• Struggling with a difficult life circumstance or health issues
• Displaying unusual or out-of-character behavior
• Thought of harm to self, others or locations
• Experiencing significant loss such as the death of a family member
• Victim of harassment, stalking, interpersonal violence or sexual assault
• Displaying behavior that is disruptive or negatively impacting the classroom or work environment;
• Struggling with food and housing insecurity or any basic needs concerns
• A need for assistance with public benefits such as SNAP

This list is not comprehensive. If you are worried about a student, please submit a CARE referral so a member of the team can assist.

Once a CARE referral is filed the information is triaged and assigned to the appropriate person in the Dean of Students Office/Student Care Center taking in into consideration; the student's other or past behavior(s), and the context of what has occurred. For most CARE referrals the case is assigned to a case manager in the Student Care Center. In situations with high level behavioral concerns a conduct officer may be assigned the case. The following are possible next steps:

• The case managers may reach out to the reporter to confirm the report has been received and discuss next steps.
• The case managers may research the situation to gather additional information to guide recommendations which may include faculty outreach.
• Should any member of the Dean of Students Office/Student Care Center reach out regarding a CARE referral they will identify they are reaching out on behalf of the CARE Team. 
• The case manager will reach out to the student directly to request a meeting, to make a referral, or to take other action.

After a CARE referral is filed reporters are encouraged to reach out if there are questions or an update is needed. Each situation is unique to the student and the response, resources and services offered will be selected to suit each students’ need.

If you would like to learn more about CARE referrals, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Dean of Students Office/Student CARE Center by contacting Erica Quintana-Garcia at equint11@msudenver.edu or Thomas Ragland at traglan1@msudenver.edu