Helping students: CARE

Person holding a sign that says Help

 

The UNK’s CARE Team is a group of professionals from across the campus that receives referrals on students of concern, collects additional information, and identifies and enacts appropriate strategies for addressing the concerns.

Purpose
The purpose of the team is to provide a confidential means for early intervention of at-risk students through collaboration with campus departments, faculty, and staff.

Responsibility
The CARE Team is not meant to be the sole mechanism of communication and will not take the place of services provided by Student Health and Counseling, Student Conduct Office, University Police, or other established student services.

Recognizing crisis warning signs

A person at risk, or in a crisis, is no longer coping effectively. As his or her emotions intensify, coping becomes less effective until the person becomes disoriented, nonfunctional, or attempts harm to self or others. A student in a serious mental health crisis may be:

  • Extremely anxious, resulting in panic reactions
  • Making suicidal statements or attempting to harm himself
  • Highly disruptive (hostile, aggressive, violent)
  • Unable to communicate (garbled or slurred speech, disjointed thoughts)
  • Appearing to lose touch with reality (seeing or hearing things that aren't there, expressing beliefs or actions at odds with reality)

Taking action

If you believe there may be imminent danger of harm to a student or someone else, call Police and Parking Services at 308-865-8911, or 911. If you aren't sure, call Student Health and Counseling at 308-865-8248 or Student Affairs at 308-865-8528 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Click on the link, referral form to email the CARE Team directly and privately, if the situation is not an immediate crisis.

Distress signs

Distress can be exhibited without a student being in a serious crisis.

A student may be in distress if:

  • Quality of their work is deteriorating; missing assignments, attendance or appointments
  • Requests accommodations repeatedly (late papers, extensions, postponed exams)
  • Writes on themes of hopelessness, social isolations, rage, or despair, or making threats
  • He is disruptive or monopolizing classroom time; her patterns of interaction change
  • Is demonstrating anxiety, panic; irritability or aggressive behavior
  • Shows apathy, lack of energy, a change in sleeping or eating habits, or dramatic weight gain or loss; marked changes in hygiene, work habits, or social behavior
  • Makes statements about suicide or having suicidal thoughts
  • Voices bizarre ideas, seemingly at odds with the reality of the situation
  • Using alcohol or other drugs excessively
  • Others express concerns

Start a conversation

A person who is distressed often wants help, but doesn't know how to ask. Express your concern in a caring, nonjudgmental way. It is possible that just a few minutes of effective listening on your part may be enough to help the student feel comfortable about what to do next

  • Find a private (not secluded), comfortable place to talk. Give the student your undivided attention.
  • Ask if the student has ever talked about this problem with anyone else.
  • Express your concern using statements like, “I’m concerned that….”
  • Ask open-ended questions. The student may not answer, but may feel relieved to know you are trying to understand.
  • You don’t need to find the solution. Just listening can be helpful.
  • Suggest that the student get more help. Point out the resources at UNK to the student, listed in the Referral section.
  • Report the conversation to the CARE Team.
  • Alert your supervisor of the situation.