CARE Team

See something? Do something!

The University of Southern Indiana (USI) is committed to supporting a positive, healthy and safe student experience. The University’s CARE Team is a cross-functional assessment group, chaired by the Dean of Students, that responds to students in apparent/potential distress. C.A.R.E. stands for Campus Action Response and Engagement (CARE) of students in distress. The CARE team works collaboratively to provide confidential, respectful, and proactive support while offering resources and balancing the educational needs of students within the overall mission of the University.

The Mission: The CARE Team provides proactive assistance and support to students by assessing, evaluating and responding to reports about students who present as disruptive or show concerning behavior and may need support to manage their academic and social experience at the University.

The Purpose: The CARE Team initiative was developed to assist students who may be having difficulty adjusting to the USI community or who may need additional support to be successful in the University environment. This is a pro-active program not punitive or intended to get students in trouble or to be utilized as a means of reporting emergencies. Please call x7777 from an on-campus phone or 812/492-7777 
from off-campus if you require immediate assistance.

The CARE Team work to identify students in our community who appear to be troubled or troubling and intervene before the student reaches a crisis level. To this end, we require the support and participation of students, faculty, staff, and parents to provide information to the team. Reports regarding students of concern can be taken by any of the members of the team; however, it is preferred that reports be provided through the online CARE Team Reporting Form or by calling the Dean of Students Office (or the Office of Public Safety in an emergency).

Goals of the CARE Team

• Review information received from faculty, staff, students, and/or community members; conduct follow-up to determine an appropriate response.
• Intervene early. Provide support and response to students displaying varying levels of disruptive, disturbed, or distressed behaviors.
• Serve as a central resource and information gathering source.
• Coordinate follow-up. Ensure that services, support, and resources are deployed effectively.
• Utilize a formalized protocol of instructions for communication, coordination, and intervention.
• Serve as a bridge between student privacy laws, and the University's need for information in order to provide a healthy environment for all students.
• Coordinate University follow-up and on-going support for students experiencing mental health and medical challenges, going through conduct processes, needing disability resources, and needing assistance navigating University processes and policies.

The CARE Team centralizes the reporting of concerning student behavior, publicizes current policy, and encourages early intervention. If a situation demands immediate attention after 4:30 p.m. or during the weekend, please alert the Office of Public Safety by calling 812/492-7777. The team will follow up with the individual initiating the report to gather additional information as needed. In some cases, an interview will be arranged with the student of concern to determine appropriate actions. The CARE Team Reporting Form must be completed when someone observes incidents of concerning, aberrant, dangerous, or threatening behavior. 

Click here to complete an online CARE Team Reporting Form.

CARE Team Members

• Dean of Students
• Assistant Dean of Students
• Assistant Director of Student Conduct
• Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
• Associate Provost for Student Affairs
• Director of Housing and Residence Life
• Director of Public Safety
• Assistant Director of Public Safety
• Director of Counseling
• Director of the Multicultural Center
• Disability Resources Coordinator
• Provost Fellowship Holder
• Ad-hoc Members:
  • Housing and Residence Life Personnel (Assistant/Associate Directors and Area Coordinators only)
  • Public Safety Personnel
  • Manager of Veteran Support Services
  • ADA Coordinator
  • Title IX Coordinator
  • Counseling Center personnel
  • University Health Center personnel

CARE Team Supervisors

• Provost
• President

CARE Team Administrators

• Personnel in the Dean of Students Office

NOTE:  Never promise confidentiality to student(s) if they share information with you that may require you to file a CARE Team Reporting Form with the CARE Team.

Confidentiality: All student data is considered confidential and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protections apply to all records kept by the University.

The above policies and procedures were adapted from guidelines developed at the University of California San Diego, Mills College and Webster University.