CARE Team Policy for Behavioral Risk Assessment, Intervention and Support

1. CARE Team Mission   

The Bowdoin College CARE (Concern, Assessment, Response, Evaluation) Team strives to create a community of caring where concern for others and shared responsibility for the wellness of the collective are commonly held values.  The CARE Team provides coordinated support for students who may be in distress or at risk of harm to self or others.  The CARE Team partners with the campus community and seeks to maintain a safe and secure learning environment where each Bowdoin student can flourish. 

The CARE Team gathers information from personal contact with students, members of the community (including other students, faculty, staff), and family members.  The CARE Team addresses the spectrum of risk, from early intervention to more heightened risk assessment, and seeks to balance the needs and safety of individual students with the safety of the Bowdoin community.  The CARE Team addresses student behavior, both on and off campus, that impacts the Bowdoin campus community. 

2. CARE Team Composition 

The CARE Team includes members from the following campus offices:  

• Office of the Dean of Students 
  • Case Management 
  • Community Standards
• Counseling Services/Health Services
• Athletics  
• Campus Safety & Security  
• Student Accessibility Office 
• Residential Life 
• Office of Inclusion and Diversity
• THRIVE   
• Title IX  

 3. Risk Assessment Protocol 

1. The CARE Team is guided by the National Association of Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA) best practices and risk rubric.  
2. When the CARE Team receives a referral related to a student for whom there is a concern (“student of concern”), the Team reviews the information received and follows the following protocol:  
   1. Where the CARE Team believes a student may be in imminent danger to themselves or to others, or in the event of any other emergency, it will first call 911 and then Campus Security.   
   2. Where the CARE Team believes more information is required to assess the risk to a student or other community members, a member of the Team will contact the referring party to gather additional details. The CARE Team will determine who is in the best position to reach out to the student of concern, and will typically invite the student to a brief check-in and informational meeting to discuss, among other things, whether they are currently accessing any resources and connecting them to other appropriate services or forms of assistance. 
   3. In situations where there is a concern about a student’s personal safety or the safety of the community, the CARE Team will conduct an individualized risk assessment and develop an appropriate plan of action. This will typically include direct conversations with the student of concern. These conversations are not punitive, and every effort is made to balance the autonomy of the individual with the safety of the community. In every case, the CARE Team strives to take a developmental approach that allows for individuals to access support and engage in activities that will reduce distress for the student and limit disruption to the community. 
      1. A risk assessment under this Policy may call for the CARE Team to obtain additional information from a student of concern, including medical or other evaluative information about the student from qualified providers or other trained professionals.  In extreme circumstances where there is a high level of concern, the College may require a student to provide such information, and any necessary releases, to allow the College to assess the risk to the student or community and determine whether the student may remain on or return to campus.    

4. Family Notification 

The College will follow all applicable laws related to student privacy, but notes that the College administration may, consistent with federal law, contact a student’s emergency contact(s) or family members directly in cases involving serious health and safety concerns, and/or hospitalization. 

5. Return from Hospitalization  

The College’s policy regarding Return from Hospitalization applies to all students who are hospitalized, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, and whether for physical or mental health reasons.  

6. Medical Leave and Interim Action 

For a variety of reasons, students may find it beneficial to request a leave of absence to address a medical condition. In limited circumstances, the College may deem it necessary to require a student to take a medical leave of absence.  In particularly urgent situations, the College may require a student to leave campus on an interim basis while the required assessment is conducted. Further information regarding medical leaves of absence is available here.

7. CARE Team Contact 

Lisa Hardej
Senior Associate Dean of Students
(207) 208-2936
l.hardej@bowdoin.edu

Jimmy Riley
Associate Dean for Community Standards
(207) 721-5007
j.riley@bowdoin.edu