The health, safety and well-being of students who make up the SUNY Morrisville community are of the highest priority. CARE Team has been formed to assist our students’ academic and personal well-being through a formal process that offers referrals and access to essential campus and community resources. Procedures are in place to address student problems and concerns that interfere with successful engagement in campus life.
The CARE Team is a cross-campus team dedicated to assisting students who exhibit signs of distress or disruptive behaviors. The team uses a proactive approach that balances the needs of the student and the overall safety of the campus community by collaboration, collection of information, identification of risks, and intervention when appropriate to protect people from harming themselves or others.
The team addresses concerning behaviors of current students.
Care Team Mission
- Coordinate a structured method for addressing student behaviors that cause distress in the SUNY Morrisville community
- Assess the whole situation, combining information from various areas across the campus
- Respond to balancing the individual needs of the student and those of the greater campus community
- Educate the SUNY Morrisville community by creating awareness and providing access to resources for student support
The Team has regularly scheduled meetings at least twice a month on Mondays 9:15-10:00 with the capacity to hold emergency meetings when needed.
Care Team Composition
- Coordinator of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Shannon Wiley
- Vice President of Student Affairs, Monica Grau
- New York State University Police Chief, Paul Field
- Student Health and Counseling Services Center Representative, Deb Babowicz (Director) and Sara Mansfield (Senior Counselor)
- Director of Residence Life, Elizabeth Ackman
- Director of EOP, Kayle Light-Curtin
- Director of Campus wide Advising, Melissa Ward
- Director of Accessibility Services, Lesley Owens-Pelton
- Director of Human Resources, Amy McLaughlin
- Provost, Suzan Harkness
- Others as appropriate
What to Refer
Distressing, Concerning, or Disruptive Behavior - Below are examples of distressing, concerning or disruptive behaviors that may make you or others uncomfortable:
- Sudden or Unusual Changes in Behavior: These are changes that depart from normal or socially appropriate behavior. Indicators may include:
- Change in physical appearance [for example, deterioration in grooming/hygiene, weight loss/gain]
- Excessive fatigue/sleep disturbances
- Disorientation or being “out of it”
- Having mood swings, such as being emotionally high one day and deeply discouraged the next
- Agitation or Acting Out: This is a change which exhibits unrestrained and improper actions
- Frequent or high levels of irritable, unruly, abrasive, aggressive or argumentative behavior
- Excessive tearfulness, panicked reactions, irritability or unusual apathy
- Unprovoked anger or hostility
- Lack of respect for personal space and boundaries
- Drug and/or Alcohol: this behavior can cause physical, social, and psychological harm to the individual and others.
- A low-level concern of impairment and/or under the influence during class, work or on campus indicate a problem that requires attention by raising a flag in Starfish
- Mild impairment – No cognitive issues
- Subjective impairment – Noticeably under the influence but not disruptive
- A higher level of concern should be submitted to the CARE Team
- Mild to Moderate impairment – Unfocused on topic, falling asleep in class, strong odor
- An immediate level of concern call University Police 911
- Impaired – Disruptive, Inappropriate language, Argumentative
- A low-level concern of impairment and/or under the influence during class, work or on campus indicate a problem that requires attention by raising a flag in Starfish
- Suicidal Thoughts, Statements, Gestures, or Planning: This behavior occurs when a person feels that they are no longer able to cope with an overwhelming situation
- Self-disclosure of personal distress that could include family problem, financial difficulties, depression, grief, or thoughts of suicide
- Engaging in reckless or impulsive behavior
- Withdrawing from social contact and wanting to be left alone
- Expressions of concern about the individual by his/her peers
- Giving away belongings or getting affairs in order when there’s no other logical explanation for doing this
- Saying goodbye to people as if they won’t be seen again
- Violence and Aggression: this is a hostile behavior that could cause physical, emotional, or psychological harm to others.
- Verbal abuse [for instance, taunting, badgering, intimidation, mocking, or shaming]
- Unwillingness to change behavior after it has been addressed
- Disturbing content in writing or presentations [such as, violence, death]
- Continuous disruptions in class or work
- An immediate level of concern call University Police 911
- Behavior that interferes with daily operations throughout the campus
- Inability or lack of willingness to comply with directives from personnel
Types of Intervention
The team aims to intervene early to provide support and referrals as needed. It does not supersede, supplant, or replace the University’s current judicial procedure or the protocols for reporting incidents and safety concerns. However, the team is empowered to take necessary actions to mitigate an imminent or immediate threat to an individual or the campus. This includes, but is not limited to, a spectrum of possible intervention, responses, outcomes & sanctions such as:
- Continue documenting, monitoring, and following up over time
- Referral to campus service(s)
- Appoint a CARE team Mentor
- Required meeting with Mentor
- Engage directly with the person to de-escalate
- Refer to Student Rights and Responsibilities Office
- Perform a Wellness/Safety Check
- Coordinate to mitigate imminent risk
- Coordinate with University Police
- Coordinate with the Madison Threat Advisory Council (MTAC)
- Coordinate with the Chenango County Threat Advisory Council (ChenTAC)
How to Report