What do the CARE Services look like?
CARE Services offers, thorough non-clinical interventions, referrals, advocacy, and follow-up. CARE services staff facilitates support in collaboration with other University departments, faculty, staff, community agencies, supporters, and stakeholders in the students’ success.
CARE Services referrals can be submitted by students, staff and faculty.
If this is an emergency that requires immediate attention – including imminent threat of harm to oneself or to others, call 911* or contact University Police at (323) 343-3700 or by dialing 911 from a campus phone.
*After calling 911, we encourage you to submit a CARE report.
Why CARE Services?
A central focus of Cal State LA’s mission is to support students’ overall success, wellbeing and the greater good. The purpose of CARE Services is to support the university’s mission by:
Providing a safe space to refer students in need of support during times of distress.
Acknowledging that difficult life experiences can happen and affect a student’s academic performance and overall wellbeing.
Being a resource to new and continuing students that need help learning where to go, who to contact, how to access certain services based on their inquiries.
Utilizing interventions to promote a collective responsibility for our campus community.
HOW?
By responding to non-emergency concerns using a proactive and collaborative approach to support students in distress, discuss potential concerns, intervene early, and develop appropriate courses of action for referred students.
CARE Services staff responds to non-emergency concerns. If this is an emergency that requires immediate attention – including imminent threat of harm to oneself or to others, call 911 (from any phone) or contact University Police at (323) 343-3700. After calling 911, we encourage you to submit a CARE Services referral.
CARE Services referrals can be submitted by students, staff and faculty.
CARE Services FAQs
If you observe and/or are made aware of student circumstances or behavior that leaves you feeling concerned, worried, and/or alarmed, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS and SAY SOMETHING.
Examples of circumstances when it would be good to submit a referral.
The student has directly shared with you or you have observed:
- Written or verbal expressions of threats of harm to oneself or others
- A sudden, severe drop in academic performance due to a personal crisis
- Feelings of isolation, loneliness, or disconnection from peers
- Experiences concerning family problems, relationship problems and/or a break-up or the loss of a loved one
- Feeling overwhelmed and/or uncomfortable transitioning to campus, anxious, stressed and/or depressed
- Constantly asks for help with personal problems that are beyond the scope of your role and/or expertise level
- May benefit from personalized outreach regarding resources available on campus
Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list. The goal is to support students by providing resources and intervention to those who may be in distress and before they rise to crisis levels.
- Students who have grievances about grades—students should be referred to the grade appeal process through their college and undergraduate studies
- For excessive absences, you should refer to Chapter V of the Faculty Handbook regarding missed class time
- Incidents involving direct violations of the Student Code of Conduct—i.e. plagiarism, cheating, or other violations within the Student Code of Conduct. Please submit a Student Conduct Report. The Office of Student Conduct, after review of the report, will determine if CARE services may also be necessary to help support a student with concerning behaviors.
- Challenges, issues that fundamentally belong to the realm of classroom management. The instructor should speak directly with the student about concerns, and should consult with department chairs, associate deans, or appropriate departmental staff for guidance.
- Incoming referrals are reviewed during regular business hours within one business day of submission. Referrals will be triaged and responded to according to the level and severity of the concerns shared by the reporter.
- Timely student outreach will occur after referral submission to provide support and guidance and connect the student with helpful resources or resource persons.
- You will receive an automatic copy of the Care Referral received.
FERPA Exemptions (what and when information can be shared):
- What a College Official sees, hears, experiences, or personally observes
- When there is a credible threat to the health and/or safety of a student, the campus, or any member of the campus community
- For additional information regarding FERPA, please review the Cal State LA (FERPA) Policy website Office of the Registrar or contact the University Counsel at 323-343-3054
FERPA Restrictions (what and when information cannot be shared):
- A written or recorded source or it is subsequently memorialized in a written or recorded form
- When there is a written objection from the student specifying the information not be released
- Students' education records are strictly limited to the specific information and data that is relevant and necessary for those authorized individuals to perform their job-related duties