BHSU Care Team
The Baptist Health Sciences University CARE (Campus Assessment, Response, and Education) Team is a cross-functional team that assesses, refers and/or responds to students identified as demonstrating emotional distress in a coordinated and comprehensive manner with dignity and respect, to help them succeed and to ensure the safety of the University community as a whole.
CARE Team Mission
The campus CARE Team engages in proactive and collaborative approaches to identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with students who exhibit concerning behaviors or express such thoughts. By partnering with other members of the campus community, the CARE Team strives to promote individual student wellbeing and success, while prioritizing community safety.
CARE Team Vision
Higher Education should be challenging, not overwhelming. Let us help; you are not alone.
CARE Team Goals
- Access, review, and advise members of the campus community, in order to maximize students’ potential for success, and reduce emotional or behavioral escalation.
- Provide awareness of resources both on campus and in the community.
- Help foster a safe physical and emotional environment for members of the University community.
- Promote peace of mind for the University community.
CARE Team Purpose
The CARE team purpose is to review experienced behavior, and when appropriate, help the campus community connect with trained providers to resolve academic, behavioral, and emotional difficulties. The recommendations or actions taken by the CARE team in an individual situation depend on the circumstances of the condition and the severity of the situation.
The CARE Team process does not replace faculty classroom management, campus disciplinary processes, or public safety responses to incidents.
Members of the CARE Team
The CARE team is composed of representatives from different areas of the campus community, offering a diversity of perspectives to support students.
Core Members:
- Dean of Student Services
- University Counselor/ Psychologist
- Chief of Campus Security
- Title IX
- Director of Faith and Service
Inner Circle Members:
- Representative Student Success
- Access Services
- Representative from BUCOM
- Wraparound Services
- ???
When and How Referrals are Made
Staff members, faculty, friends, parents, family members, and community members may be in a critical position to notice when an individual might benefit from assistance and additional support. Observing students displaying academic, physical, emotional, or risky/dangerous behaviors listed below, or noticing that “something seems off,” are indicators that a referral to the CARE Team may be warranted. A referral allows trained administrators to objectively assess any level of risk to self or others that may exist and provide an opportunity to intervene and support those in need.
Displayed Indicating Behaviors
This list is not presented in a particular order, nor is it exhaustive. Consideration should be given to multiple indicators with a single individual. A helpful indicator is often a noticed decline or change from baseline attitudes, actions, and behaviors.
Academic Indicators:
- Deterioration in quality of work
- Negative change in performance
- Excessive procrastination and poorly prepared work, especially if inconsistent with previous efforts
- Missing assignments or exams
- Multiple absences or excessive tardiness
- Decline in interest or enthusiasm
- Inability to follow assignment instructions or tasks, despite repeated attempts to clarify/encourage
- Repeated requests for special consideration (e.g., deadline extensions)
- Argumentative, frequent crosstalk, or non-compliance with reasonable faculty requests
- Technology misuse/abuse
- Poor focus or decrease in attention
- Strange or concerning writing that is off topic from prompt
- Disruptive, or unusual participation in class
- Fixation or focus on an individual, place, or system
- Hardened or inflexible thoughts or speech (e.g., unwilling to consider alternate thoughts or evidence)
- Themes of suicide, death, and/or dying in papers/writing projects that are off topic from the prompt
Emotional Indicators:
- Emotions displayed to an extreme degree or for prolonged time (e.g., sadness, anxiety, fearfulness)
- Inappropriate emotional outbursts (e.g., unprovoked anger/hostility, sobbing)
- Expressions of hopelessness, isolation, or worthlessness
- Themes of suicide, self-harm, or reference to death and dying
- Change in typical personality without explanation (e.g., more outgoing, or more withdrawn than usual)
- Difficulty connecting with the community, making social connections, etc.
- Challenges coping with a life event (e.g., death in family, relationship breakup)
- Marked irritability, anger, or hostility, frequent conflict with others
- Disclosed mental health issue (e.g., depression, anxiety, mood disorder, eating disorder)
- Strange or concerning behavior (e.g., seeing or hearing things other people don’t)
- Delusional or paranoid speech or actions (e.g., statements/actions that demonstrate a clear detachment from reality)
- Panic or excessive worry over relatively common troubles
- Teasing or bullying; receiving or giving
Physical Indicators:
Chronic fatigue or falling asleep at inappropriate times
Marked change in personal hygiene or appearance
Noticeable increase or decrease in energy level
Dramatic weight loss or weight gain
Impaired speech or confused disjointed thoughts
Frequently appears “hung-over” or attends class intoxicated
Noticeable signs of self-harm that seem unusual (e.g., cuts, burns)
Resources and Support
Thank you for sharing your concern for community members at Baptist Health Sciences University. This is helpful in our attempt to foster a safe and welcoming environment on our campus.
