NJCU Care Team

NJCU Care Team

About the NJCU CARE Team

NJCU CARE Team is a multi-disciplinary body of stakeholders from across the university which receives referrals pertaining to students of concern, collects additional information, and then identifies and enacts appropriate strategies for addressing the situation.

The NJCU CARE Team meets to identify, assess and respond to concerns and/or potential threats to the campus community. The team will maintain communication with appropriate offices and individuals. 

How Do We Care?

The Care Team consists of a multidisciplinary group of NJCU administrators who work to:

  • Provides a structured positive method for addressing student behaviors that impact the University community
  • Support students by identifying patterns, trends and disturbances in the behavior of an individual
  • Evaluates the nature of a reported behavior or incident to assess level of risk
  • Determines appropriate course of action to respond to a behavioral concern and initiate intervention or response to prevent a situation from escalating further
  • Coordinates resources and follow-up to ensure comprehensive response and care
  • Manages each case individually
  • Balances the individual needs of the student and those of the greater campus community

Example of Behaviors and Concerns that are Appropriate to Report

  • Academic: Student has excessive absences, missed multiple assignments and is not responsive to instructor outreach, etc.
  • Campus/Social: Student has expressed severe homesickness, reported serious roommate issues, etc.
  • Medical: Student has lost a dramatic amount of weight, has left campus for surgery or treatment, reported a medical condition of concern, etc.
  • Mental health: Student has become withdrawn, has begun to exhibit behavior you find strange, has reported acute anxiety, submits an assignment with troubling content, etc.
  • Personal: Student has lost a close friend or family member, reports that a parent has recently become homeless, or reports other information.

Be mindful of an:

  • Anxious student
  • Demanding student
  • Depressed student
  • Suicidal student
  • Severely disoriented or psychotic student
  • Aggressive or potentially violent student

How do I report a concern about a student?

There are a number of ways to report, below are few ways:

What happens after a referral is submitted?

Once a student has been identified as needing support, the CARE Team responds with an individualized response often working with the individual(s) and/or department(s) most closely connected with the student in need. 

The CARE Team connects with students through a variety of methods, which can include but is not limited to: email, telephone calls, check-ins from a resident assistant and/or community director, communication with instructors, etc. The appropriateness of various contact methods is discussed by the CARE Team and the manner of outreach is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Students referred to the CARE Team are discussed by team members during weekly meetings throughout the academic year and other times as needed. This team determines if other offices have information about the identified student that may help to understand the student’s needs and level of concern. 

The CARE Team decides who the most appropriate person is to reach out to a student of concern. In some instances, this can be accomplished without mentioning the details of the referral.

FERPA

There are often questions and confusion about the limitations and allowances of FERPA in conjunction with the reporting of concerning student behavior. FERPA pertains to the privacy of educational records, but it does not prohibit the reporting of observable behavior. 

If you are concerned about a personal interaction you have had with a student or an observation you have made pertaining to behavior, you are encouraged to report and/or consult with appropriate faculty or staff, especially as it relates to the educational mission of the University.