CARE Team
Source: https://css.caltech.edu/care-team Parent: https://gradoffice.caltech.edu/academics/optionreps
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CARE Team
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Who We Are
The CARE Team is a multidisciplinary group of professional staff from key areas of the Institute. Each member brings knowledge and expertise in fields including mental health, crisis intervention, student development, staff consultation, campus security, academic support, and residential life. The CARE Team also collaborates with many other entities across campus including athletics, Title IX, Center for Diversity, Student Faculty Programs, International Student Programs, and the academic divisions.
The CARE Team connects students with resources and support. Through early identification of academic difficulties, social concerns, behavioral disruptions, or health issues, the CARE Team can partner with students to create individualized plans to help mitigate crises and promote success.
What We Do
The CARE Team meets weekly to review referrals, coordinate interventions, plan training and outreach, and engage in professional development to strengthen our work and effectiveness.
How Referrals Are Reviewed
When a CARE Referral is submitted, it is first screened for any urgent concerns requiring immediate attention. Most referrals are discussed during weekly meetings, where the CARE Team determines the most appropriate response. In some cases, additional information is needed, and a CARE Team member may reach out to the referring party for clarification.
Response and Follow-Up
Not every referral requires significant action. Sometimes a few simple steps are enough; other times, a coordinated plan involving several CARE Team members is developed. Typically, one team member takes the lead and contacts the student, staff, faculty, or postdoctoral scholar named in the referral.
These contacts are not disciplinary. The goal is to express care, offer support, and connect individuals with helpful resources.
Safety Concerns
If there are concerns about personal safety or community well-being, a CARE Team member will follow up directly. This may include encouraging the individual to meet with a professional staff member for a safety risk assessment. Even in these situations, the approach remains non-punitive, aiming to balance individual autonomy with community safety.
Our Approach
In every case, the CARE Team strives to take a developmental and supportive approach. We aim to reduce distress, prevent escalation, and help individuals access the resources they need to thrive.
Our Goals
- Educate the Caltech community about how to recognize signs that someone might be in distress, and how to promote respectful and safe behavior within classrooms and in residential communities
- Manage CARE Referrals and provide a "one-stop-shop" for campus constituents who may be concerned about a student or other community member
- Identify the best course of action, follow up with the referring party, and take an integrated and balanced approach to addressing challenging situations
- Balance the needs of the community with the individual rights and responsibilities of individual community members
- Respond to situations or persons that may represent a threat or safety concern to an individual or the community at large