Westchester Community College, State University of New York

The CARE Team exists to address concerning behaviors and situations that may pose a risk of harm to self or others. The behaviors and situations reviewed by the CARE Team may or may not violate the Student Code of Conduct. Student conduct focuses on holding a student accountable for violations to the Student Code of Conduct. However, there may be times when the conduct process might overlap with a case being reviewed by the CARE Team

No, the CARE Team is not disciplinary in nature. The CARE Team is designed to support individuals who demonstrate behaviors that may be early warning signs of possible troubled, disruptive or violent behavior.

Yes. When completing a Student of Concern Report, you reserve the right to file an anonymous report. The CARE Team’s primary focus is to provide a timely, appropriate response to assist students of concern. In some cases, withholding your contact information may limit the CARE Team’s ability to respond. Rest assured, any personal information provided is confidential and viewed only by the CARE Team members involved with the specific case.

The CARE Team is a cross-functional committee of faculty, staff and administrators who identify, assess and mitigate risks associated with students exhibiting concerning behavior or thoughts. The CARE Team also strives to address the wellbeing and security of the community and the individual. This is done through partnerships with the community and recommend interventions that help ensure the likelihood of a positive and safe resolution.

Community members are encouraged to refer a student to the CARE Team if a student or students…

• Exhibits repeated concerning behaviors or expressions related to harming themselves or others
• Demonstrates hostile, aggressive, and/or violent behavior
• Previous attempts at offering support or intervention have not lead to change in student’s behaviors of concern

A CARE Team referral may not be appropriate for the following reasons:

• When behavior is threatening, immediate and direct. In this case, contact campus security right away at 6-911 from a campus phone or at 914-606-6911from all other phones.
  If you are not sure if a referral is appropriate, please reach out to the CARE Team directly at CARETeam@sunywcc.edu
• When the behavior can be managed through typical classroom management techniques.
• When a case has already been reported through the student conduct process.
• When a student is not presenting a risk to self or others, but may benefit from a referral to another support resource such as the Department of Mental Health  & Counseling Services: DMHCS Faculty/Staff Referral Form

If you are concerned about a student, you are strongly encouraged to reach out to the CARE Team. You can submit your concern by completing a Student of Concern Report or by sending an email directly to the CARE Team at CARETeam@sunywcc.edu.

Short answer–it depends! If you feel safe and comfortable sharing your concerns with the student, then approaching the student openly about your concerns is appropriate. Approaching a student can be done with care and empathy. IF there is a concern for the immediate safety of the student or the community, please connect with campus security right away at 6-911 from a campus phone or at 914-606-6911. If you need guidance on how to best handle these situations, please do reach out to a CARE Team member for support.

All cases referred to the CARE Team will receive an initial review. Not every student referred to the CARE Team may be contacted directly by a Team Member. Cases may be referred to various support, engagement, safety and/or health orientated departments. The CARE Team works in conjunction with these areas in order to assess and mitigate risk and is NOT a replacement or substitution for these services.

The CARE Team will work as close as we can with the referral source for a case. Every case that is reported to the CARE Team will receive a preliminary review and may be either taken up by the CARE Team and/or referred to another campus partner. Given the nature of the reports we receive, we may not be able to share many details due to a student’s privacy rights. However, referral sources with questions are always encouraged to reach out to the CARE Team with any questions they have about a situation. Resolutions look different for each case

Please click on the Meet the Team page  for the most up to date membership.

Generally speaking, no, this would not require a report to the CARE Team, unless the conduct in the class relates to harming themselves or others and/or is hostile, aggressive or violent behavior.

Classroom disturbances are handled by the instructor. However, once the behavior reaches the threshold of disruptive, defined as, “behavior that a reasonable person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with normal operations of a class” a faculty member may take specific actions to ensure a classroom environment that promotes conditions that will enhance student learning is maintained. More information can be found in the College’s Classroom Conduct Policy.

Following the tragic events at Virginia Tech University in 2007, colleges were asked to form Behavioral Intervention Teams. The primary reason for developing such teams was to improve, coordinate and communicate across college communities in identifying students of concern. In response, WCC formed such a team in 2007. It originally consisted of three members. In 2017, the Behavioral Intervention Team rebranded to become the CARE Team with representatives from the faculty, staff and administration.

Yes. Our Extension Centers are not versions of Westchester Community College, they are Westchester Community College. Extension Centers offer students all the benefits of the main campus, including direct access to the CARE Team. If you are concerned about a student, you are strongly encouraged to reach out to the CARE Team for support, no matter your location.

Further information about CARE Team is available on our CARE Team Overview page. The page highlights what the Team does, who is on the CARE Team, provides emails for correspondence and links for reporting incidents. If you would like to have a CARE Team member present to your unit at SUNY WCC, please email CARETeam@sunywcc.edu.