CARE Teams
Together We Care
CT State works to create a community of care to support students to reach their academic goals.
Information About Submitting a Referral
If this is an emergency that requires medical, psychological, or police services, call 911. Do not use this reporting form if an immediate response is required.
- Complete this form if you believe that you or a CT State student would benefit from a connection to support services. Find more student services here.
- Also, if you are concerned about a member of the college community or observe any behavior that may involve risks to the safety and security of the college community, complete a CARE Referral online (see below for links to campus CARE Referral submission).
- Submitting this CARE Referral does not result in an immediate response. Once a form is submitted it will be reviewed by the College CARE Team for appropriate action.
A CARE Team is a multidisciplinary team of campus partners who work collaboratively to support students’ needs and keep the campus community safe. CARE Teams address a continuum of concerns from basic needs to behavioral intervention and threat assessment. The CARE Team assists with any situation that could threaten a student’s well-being or others in the CT State community. The CARE team uses a proactive and educational approach to develop appropriate support and interventions for individuals of concern. The team will also be reactive when necessary to respond to concerns for safety and perceived threats by implementing appropriate resources to address the issue.
Each CT State campus has a CARE Team with key campus stakeholders. Each CARE Team works to ensure that campuses are provided with the training and resources to respond to student and community safety concerns.
The CARE Team meets throughout the academic year to review the incoming CARE Referrals to assess the situations with a standard rubric and coordinate appropriate action plans. The CARE Team aims to intervene early to help students who are showing signs of distress, in addition to those engaging in more unhealthy or disruptive behaviors. The CT State CARE Team provides a centralized resource for bringing concerns about students to the attention of the people on campus who can best assist these students.
Purpose of the Campus CARE Team
- Coordinate a structured method for addressing student behaviors that cause distress in the CT State campus community, including mental health and/or safety issues
- Assess the whole situation, combining information from various areas across campus
- Respond by balancing the individual needs of the student and those of the greater campus community
- Educate the CT State Campus community by creating awareness and providing access to resources for student support
Campus CARE Teams
- Comprised of 5 - 10 members including:
- Chair and Co-Chairs: (depending on the campus title) usually are chaired by the Dean of Students and Faculty, Associate Dean of Student Development or Dean of Students.
- Core Members include: Campus Safety/Police or Assistant Dean of Campus Operations, Wellness Counselor, Conduct Officer, Guided Pathways Staff member, Members of the Faculty and Accessibility/Disability Coordinator.
- Wellness Counselor is a member of the CARE Team and attends these meetings to serve as a resource, and in accordance with professional and legal standards, does not share confidential information unless it is a life-threatening situation.
- They may also include Student Activities, Title IX Coordinator and Veteran Affairs
- The team meets on a cadence appropriate to their size of campus and number of referrals.
Asnuntuck Campus Chair
Tim St. James and Dawn Bryden
Capital Campus Chair
Kelly Hope
Gateway Campus Chair
LaRue Pierce
Housatonic Campus Chair
Josh Williams
Manchester Campus Chair
TJ Barber
Middlesex Campus Chair
Sara Hanson
Naugatuck Valley Campus Chair
Sarah Gager
Northwestern Campus Chair
Megan Vo
Norwalk Campus Chair
Ruben Barato
Quinebaug Valley Campus Chair
Tanaya Walters
Three Rivers Campus Chair
Rebecca Kitchell
Tunxis Campus Chair
Sydney Lake
If this is an emergency that requires medical, psychological, or police services, call 911. Do not use this reporting form if an immediate response is required.
Complete this form after the situation is over to document the interaction.
Completing a CARE referral is an essential first step in supporting students in distress on your campus. Complete a referral when you have any concerning observations or interactions with a student or think they need more coordinated support. Referring a student to available resources is a good first step, but many students often need more support to make connections, coordinate appointments and complete needed paperwork. CARE referrals help connect students with support services including basic needs on and off-campus. Basic Needs can include those with housing and food insecurity, transportation, childcare, mental health and disability services. Completing a CARE referral will inform the CARE Team to reach out and offer further assistance in the areas needed.
Your one piece of information is important to contribute to building the community of support many students need to succeed. The CARE teams connect different pieces of information about students experiencing difficulties to have a larger context for what is happening in students’ lives. This, in turn, allows for better consultation with students to refer them to the most appropriate resources. Maximizing student success and student persistence to graduation are among the goals of our collaboration.
CT State's CARE Team is sharing a quick reference guide for responding to students in distress.
Two Page Resource (Download/Print)
- Download this two-page resource of “How to Respond to a Student in Distress,” (We recommend that you print and have this resource available when working with students print double-sided on one page).
Instructional Video (View)
View a brief 4-minute instructional video overview of “How to Respond to a Student in Distress”.