We know that college is hard. Baker College wants to help remove barriers and provide support with whatever you may need. We are here for you, every step of the way.
Possible Reasons for a Referral
Noticeable Change in Behavior or Appearance:
- Is your friend suddenly acting differently than they have in the past?
- Are their moods difficult to predict?
Isolating or Withdrawing:
Is your friend skipping meals, avoiding plans and social situations, or staying in their room all day?
Sudden Change in Life Circumstances:
- Are your friend’s parents divorcing?
- Did they recently suffer the loss of a family, friend, or loved one?
- Have they gone through a big breakup?
- Has their financial situation changed?
- Do they seem to be struggling to cope with these changes and loss?
Disclosed Concerning Information:
- Has your friend told you worrisome thoughts, behaviors, or experiences that you aren’t sure how to handle?
- Are you concerned about their wellbeing and aren’t sure how to help?
Unhealthy Behavior:
- Is your friend drinking excessively, or abusing substances?
- Has their consumption increased?
- Do their behaviors feel reckless or out of control?
Threatening Behavior:
- Has your friend or classmate made threatening or inflammatory remarks?
- Have you noticed them expressing an interest in concerning groups online or in person?
Academic Decline:
- Has your friend begun to skip class more or stopped going altogether?
- Have you noticed their grades declining?
Gut Instinct:
Do you have a feeling that something concerning is going on with your friend, roommate, or classmate, but you aren’t sure what? A CARE Team member can still provide caring outreach and offer support to students if you refer them in these cases.
Make a Referral
Follow the link below to submit a referral to the CARE Team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baker College’s CARE Team is a proactive collaborative team of Baker College faculty and staff dedicated to enhancing student success through a coordinated, objective approach to prevention, referral, assessment, response, intervention and management of situations that may impact the well-being of the student and the College. The CARE Team develops plans specific to the needs of the student, faculty, or staff member on a case-by-case basis, and will follow up regularly with the student to ensure needs are being addressed or have been met.
The CARE Team is responsible for reviewing reported behaviors of concern and developing appropriate responses for members of the Baker community, to include students, faculty, and staff. We assess the composition of the CARE Team and change membership when appropriate. We develop any needed policies, protocols and procedures to formalize CARE Team actions in regards to reports of concern about students, faculty, staff and visitors to the College. We also develop and implement education and outreach plans to ensure that processes and contacts are well known by the Bakercommunity.
Having clear procedures and plans of action when behavioral issues arise is critical to ensure the safety and security of the entire campus community. The CARE Team will provide leadership and guidance on these processes and also respond to inquiries and issues as they arise.
Every member of the Baker community can do something to show that they care. The primary action you can take to help a person is to provide support. Consider the tips below that include many ways we can all support members of our community. Helping often means getting others involved who have expertise and are responsible for working with individuals who may be struggling.
Upon receipt of a CARE Report, the CARE Team will review the information provided and then strategize the best way to follow-up. Unless submitting a form anonymously, individuals who make a referral will be contacted by a representative of the CARE Team for more information or clarification prior to a CARE Team member contacting the individual of concern. Depending on the circumstances, that individual may not receive specific information about how the CARE Team plans on responding to their referral. Examples of responses may include the following:
- The CARE Team may determine that there is no need for further action but will monitor the situation and concern.
- A CARE Team representative will circle back around to the referral source and provide suggestions and ways to respond to the concerning behavior.
- A CARE Team representative may reach out to the individual of concern directly to provide support and resources.
- If the situation requires immediate action, such as situations where the individual is an immediate threat to self or others, the CARE Team may coordinate with Campus Safety to assist in the response.
Behavioral indicators of concern or student distress may present subtly or in a very clear manner. Behaviors may manifest verbally, physically, or in writing (such as in an email, drawing, or via social media). The following listing of concerning behaviors are some examples that may be indicative of a student in distress and may lead you to refer your concern to the CARE Team:
- Sharing of hopelessness, wishes of death/not being alive, suicidal thinking or behavior
- Engaging in behaviors that are harmful to themselves or to others
- References to or preoccupation with violence, weapons, stalking or harassing behavior
- Delusions, hallucinations, confused, disorganized or bizarre thoughts, and/or disruptive behavior
- Not seeming able to maintain their health and safety (such as not eating, not sleeping, not washing, engaging in reckless/dangerous behavior)
To contact the CARE Team or to report a concern for a student, please make a referral or contact us via email at [email protected]. The Care Team is not for emergencies. If a student’s behavior presents an immediate threat please call 911.
Many staff, faculty, family members, and concerned others refer students to the CARE Team for various reasons. Occasionally, individuals choose to remain anonymous on the reporting form. The CARE Team sometimes encourages the opposite, depending on the situation. It can actually help a student tremendously to know that someone cared enough to refer them to the Team for assistance.
No.The CARE Team process is not disciplinary. The CARE Team seeks to help students and our community remain safe.
The CARE Team will take reasonable steps to maintain the privacy of those who make a referral, if requested. If the circumstances do not allow privacy to be maintained, this will be discussed with the person making the referral. On occasion, the nature and context of the report may make it easy for the individual to speculate the reporting source.
This depends on the situation. You may be contacted if the CARE Team needs additional information regarding your report. Various privacy and confidentiality laws apply to the situations handled by the CARE Team.