Dean of Students

Plymouth State University has a team of staff that meets regularly to promote a safe learning and work environment. The C.A.R.E. Team investigates and responds to matters of concern related to students and staff, coordinates interventions, and makes recommendations for further action. The Team provides assistance to students in distress through consultation with concerned faculty, staff, and students, and referral to campus and off-campus resources.

The Team has four main areas of focus:

Concerns: through consultation with faculty, staff, and students the Team ensures appropriate information exchange and provides support for campus personnel, and attempts to identify behaviors of concern to provide earlier intervention.

Assessment: when additional information is needed, the Team functions as an investigative body, charged with gathering relevant and confidential information to assess whether further action is required.

Referral: when warranted, the Team makes referrals to on- or off- campus resources.  University policy along with other legal and regulatory requirements, guide the team’s actions.

Education: the Team serves as a resource to educate the campus community on effective intervention strategies when concerns arise.

The C.A.R.E.  Team, first titled the Behavioral Assessment Team, was established as a result of the tragedies which occurred at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois universities. Often, no single piece of information is enough to prevent a tragedy; however, the accumulation of information helps identify a person at risk, allowing for intervention, prevention and support. The C.A.R.E.  Team serves as the conduit for information flow.

The existence of the team is a proactive approach to manage the complexities often involved with threats (to self or others), violence, and general behavioral or emotional challenges. Key objectives of the team are to identify, assess, manage and reduce potential threats and safety concerns to the university community and its members. Inherent to the work of this team are concerns about the privacy of all involved. The team members are extremely sensitive to these concerns and adhere to the highest standards of confidentiality.

The Team provides assistance to students in distress through consultation with concerned faculty, staff, and students. In particular, the Team works together regarding students whose behaviors are of concern because they may pose a threat to themselves or others. The primary focus is prevention with the goals of assisting students to succeed, and educating concerned others about appropriate ways to help distressed students.

Members of the team include the: Tim Keefe – Dean of Students, Jeff Furlone - Interim Student Conduct & Community Standards Coordinator Jennifer Frank – Interim Emergency Planning Mgr. and Special Investigator, Janette Wiggett – Ass’t. Dir. Res. Life North, Bob Hlasny – Associate Director of the Counseling and Human Relations Center, plus consultants from Human Resources and GENESIS Behavioral Health, and others, as appropriate. Below is a link to a referral form and to additional information, or feel free to communicate directly with Tim Keefe or any of the team members.

Care Referral Form