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Care Team Protocols

Mission

Campus Care Teams provide a proactive systematic response to identified members of our college community whose behavior is of concern in order to support success and assist in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the students and members of the STLCC community.

Purpose

The charge of the Care Team is to coordinate the resources of the College to address the needs of individuals in the campus community who are displaying disruptive or concerning behaviors in order to recommend collaborative and purposeful interventions aimed at helping individuals achieve the most successful outcomes possible. The Care Team process is also designed to provide members of the college community, who have concerns regarding a person’s behavior, with a centralized, easily-accessible avenue to report these concerns. Following a referral or information submission, the Care Team will, when appropriate, identify referral recommendation options to the individual, with the ultimate goals being health, safety, success, and retention.

Goals

  1. To deter crises before they occur through the provision of outreach and educational programming, consultation, assessment, and referrals.
  2. To ensure that individuals whose behavior is of concern are contacted through follow-up processes and are provided information about appropriate services so they have the opportunity to improve their welfare.
  3. To create a unified reporting and tracking system that will allow members of campus Care Teams to observe patterns of behavior that may elicit threat/risk assessment and provide a documented response to distressed students and recommend appropriate interventions.

Care Team Members and Meetings

Care Team members include but are not limited to:

  • Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer
  • A counselor
  • A member of the College police department
  • A representative of the Access Office/disability services
  • Student Advocacy & Resource Center Coordinator
  • Additional College officials may be asked by the Care Team chair to serve on the team.

The Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer will serve as the Care Team chair.

The core members of the Care Team meet regularly to discuss non-emergency situations and routine incidents. Teams meet weekly or every 2 weeks depending on the campus, time of year, academic calendar, etc. When a report is deemed urgent, the team, or a subset of the team, may meet to make an immediate response. The Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer has authority to act independently when appropriate. Follow up with the Care Team will occur on a timely basis.

Reporting Incidents and Matters of Concern for Consideration by Care Team

In cases of emergency, individuals are instructed to contact 911 and follow up with Campus Police. Care Teams play a secondary role to all urgent circumstances and should be contacted only after initial emergency notifications are made. Individuals should follow up with the Care Team no later than the next business day by completing an online Care Team Referral form.

Reporters are asked to complete the online Care Team Referral form when reporting behaviors of concern. Reporters can choose to remain anonymous. The College may be limited in its options for response to anonymous reports. All reports should include as much detail as possible about the behavior and/or incident of concern.

Response and Follow Through

When an Incident Report is submitted:

  1. The report is reviewed by the Care Team Chair, and designated case manager.
  2. A case is opened in Maxient – the case management system.
  3. In urgent situations, the Chair may undertake initial efforts to utilize an appropriate threat assessment tool and develop a response plan individually or in consultation with Care Team members and other appropriate College officials including but not limited to the Districtwide Director Equity Compliance/Title IX Coordinator, Director of Public Safety, campus Provost, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Human Resources.
  4. A determination is made by the Chair that the matter is one appropriate for Care Team consideration.
  5. The case is discussed by the Care Team at the next scheduled meeting.
    1. The type of case is identified (e.g. Student Conduct, Care Team, Equity & Compliance, Human Resources, Safety & Security).
    2. An appropriate nationally recognized threat assessment tool such as the NABITA threat assessment tool may be consulted to determine the level of risk.
    3. An action plan is agreed to.
    4. The case is assigned to a Team member for follow up.

The actions of the Care Team member assigned to an open matter may include, but are not limited to:

  1. Reviewing the Incident Report(s) and undertaking efforts to establish baseline behavior.
  2. Contacting the reporter to obtain additional information
  3. Reaching out to the person of concern to extend concern and informally inquire as to their well-being.
  4. Meeting with the person(s) involved to discuss:
    1. Needs
    2. Campus services
    3. College Expectations
  5. Referral to various programs or services on campus (e.g. Counseling Services, Financial Aid Services, Access Office [disability resources], Academic Support, Human Resources).
  6. Referral to appropriate community resources.
  7. Notifying outside parties (e.g. Police Department, student’s family) in high priority cases, when the student is considered an imminent threat to self or others.
  8. The Care Team will monitor individuals of concern and take appropriate and necessary actions.

Resolution of open matters

  1. The Care Team member assigned to a case will report back to the Care Team steps taken to address student concerns and update Maxient records documenting these efforts.
  2. Cases will be closed in consultation with the Care Team when it is determined that the necessary steps were taken to resolve matters of concern.

Student Conduct

  1. Pursuant to College policies and procedures, student conduct matters will be addressed by the Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer who may seek recommendations from members of the Care Team.

Direct Threat Concerns

In cases where reports are made of concerning behavior that poses a risk to the health and safety of the College Community, special procedures may apply. The College Community includes employees, students, visitors, guests, and participants in College sponsored programs and activities.

The Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer will, in collaboration with other appropriate College officials including but not limited to the Districtwide Director Equity Compliance/Title IX Coordinator, Director of Public Safety, campus Provost, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Human Resources and Care Team members make an individualized assessment, based on reasonable judgment that relies on current medical knowledge or on the best available objective evidence, to ascertain: the nature, duration, and severity of the risk posed by the identified individual; the probability that the potential injury will actually occur; and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices or procedures or, where applicable, the provision of auxiliary aids and services, will mitigate the risk. A recognized threat assessment tool such as the NABITA threat assessment rubric will be utilized for this purpose.

The Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer will, in collaboration with College Officials and Care Team members, determine appropriate action. The student will receive notice of this decision, including the basis for it, in writing via US mail and by email using College issued email address. In matters pertaining to employees, Human Resources will determine appropriate actions.

The Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer may, working collaboratively with College officials and the campus Care Team as appropriate, impose interim restrictions upon students up to and including an interim suspension. In exceptional circumstances interim restrictions may be recommended if the Vice President of Student Affairs believes that such interim restrictions are advisable to protect the College community, or to ensure safety and maintenance of order of the College pending a final decision against an individual on the basis of direct threat. In these exceptional circumstances, minimal due process will be provided in the interim and due process offered subsequently. Written notice will be provided to students of applicable appeal procedures in cases resulting in an interim suspension or other adverse action.

Appeal Process for Direct Threat Determinations

A student may appeal a decision made by the Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer within 10 calendar days after the date of the written decision and notification. Such appeal must be made in writing to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, or designee. Consideration will be given by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or designee of all information utilized by the Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer in making the initial decision in the matter. The student will receive notice of the decision on the appeal, including the basis for it, in writing via US mail and by email using College issued email address.

Return requirements

Following a determination that an individual poses a direct threat to the College community necessitating a voluntary or involuntary leave or withdrawal, the Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer may require a return-seeking student to provide documentation that the student no longer poses a direct threat to the College Community. The College may request records from the student and request permission to speak to a treating professional. The records and information that will be requested and required are determined on a case by case basis by the Campus Chief Student Affairs Officer.

All Care Team records will remain on file indefinitely.

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