The CARE Team
Concern, Assess, Respond, Evaluate (CARE) is a cross-divisional team that reviews student cases related to social, mental health, academic or behavioral issues.
The CARE Team’s Purpose
Woodbury’s CARE Team is a cross-departmental, multi-disciplinary team of professionals that work together to identify and respond to students who are overwhelmed, experiencing distress or are at risk of crisis, including students who are displaying behaviors that put themselves or others at risk. The CARE team works collaboratively to connect students with campus or community resources to help them manage the distress and resolve the issue(s) at hand so that they can maintain wellbeing and academic achievement. The CARE team also works to educate the university community around issues of wellbeing and university resources and referral options to crate a community in which members look out for one another, care, and will be proactive in addressing individual or community concerns.
Connecting with the CARE Team
It can be difficult to notice all of the things going on around you, but there are many signs that a student may be in distress. The CARE team can help members of our community understand, respond to, and report their concerns. You can reach out to [email protected] or contact the Chair of the CARE Team, Carrie Watts, at 818-394-3345 for assistance.
Anyone can make a report to the CARE team regarding concerns about a student who may be in distress or at risk. Referrals may be made from faculty, staff, students, parents, or community members. A referral to the CARE team does not mean that the student is “in trouble;” rather it means that a trained person will reach out to the student and talk to them, and will work with a team to determine how the university can support and connect them to resources.
CARE Team Members
The CARE Team is comprised of representatives from both Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, in addition to Campus Safety. CARE Team members collectively have a broad connection to the student experience on campus, and bring to the table a variety of skills, experiences and perspectives. This cross-departmental approach allows for collaborative decision-making to support students and connect them to appropriate resources.
Carrie Watts | Care Team Chair, Director of the Office of Disabilities and Accessibility Services
Evetth Gonzales | Associate Dean of Students, Student Affairs
Daniel Bejines | Academic Advisor, Academic Affairs
Michelle Sidney | Sr. Administrative Coordinator, Student Affairs
Morgan Queen | Administrative Assistant, Student Affairs
Cameren Mahone | Residence Life Coordinator, Student Affairs
Rossana Muraro-Friedman | Senior International Student Advisor
Mauro Diaz | Interim C.F.O and Campus Safety representative
See, Say, Do Something
Woodbury University is committed to a safe, supportive learning and working environment for all members of the campus community. We take all threats of violence seriously to protect everyone’s health and well-being.
Preventing violence on campus depends on Woodbury community members by identifying and communicating behaviors of concern—early identification of concerns allows administrators and staff to provide resources to students in distress to minimize harm of self or others. You can help by being aware of your surroundings on campus and reporting any unusual activity. We are all responsible for safety. If you see something, say and do something about it – report any concerning behavior and suspicious activity.
Our Process
We meet regularly to discuss reports or information that have been submitted and decide what, if any, course of action may be necessary on the part of the CARE team.
The team will develop and recommend a coordinated plan of action. All CARE efforts will be directed toward striking a balance between interests in ensuring community safety, protecting individual rights, and in preserving a healthy campus learning, living, and working environment.
Outcomes
Some behavior problems have no clear explanation, but are clearly not conducive to the supportive learning environment Woodbury intends to promote. At other times, a person’s poor behavior can be linked to substance use, a medical condition, or a mental health problem.
The CARE team gathers and examines information from a variety of resources in an effort to assess whether a Woodbury community member might need additional assistance and, if so, how that might be provided most helpfully. In addition to the core CARE members, legal counsel, other administrators, faculty or staff members knowledgeable of the issue at hand might also meet with the CARE team.
Submit a Referral via the following link:
If you submit a report, we will use it in conjunction with other reports to see if there are any other areas of concern for the student. We also encourage you to continue to give updates to the CARE team if, and when, new information or concerns arise about the student.
This process does not replace faculty classroom management, disciplinary processes, and/or campus safety responses to incidents. In the case of an emergency, please contact Campus Security or 911. CARE Team is not an emergency response unit.
To submit a concern about a student please use the following link: