FAQ

The Care Team is a campus-wide team that provides consultation, makes recommendations for action, and coordinates campus resources in response to reports of disruptive or concerning behavior displayed by students, staff, or faculty.

The Care Team was designed to be a campus resource to assist in identifying and addressing troubling behavior before it escalates to something more serious. Experience shows that tragedies affecting college campuses (for example the Virginia Tech tragedy) are often preceded by warning signs or concerning patterns of behavior. Early communication and intervention may help to prevent an escalation of behaviors to critical levels.

We encourage you to report any behavior that is troubling or makes you concerned. If a member of the IU Indy community (student, staff, or faculty) behaves in a way that causes you concern for their well-being or poses a potential threat to the safety of our community, report it. All concerns requiring immediate action (potentially criminal activity, violent, threatening, or imminent suicidal behavior) should be directed to the University Police (317-274-7911) or local law enforcement (911).

The Care Team is a multidisciplinary team composed of individuals from various departments across campus to allow for effective collaboration and coordination of efforts.

Team members include representatives from the following offices: the Dean of Students office; IU Police; Academic Affairs; Adaptive Educational Services; Counseling and Psychological Services; Emergency Management; Equal Opportunity; Graduate Office; Housing and Residence Life; Human Resources; International Affairs; University Counsel; Veterans and Military Personnel; and Campus Health. Additional campus representatives may be included on an ad-hoc basis depending on the nature of the referred incident.

1. 1. If you believe that the person may pose a threat of imminent danger of harm to self or to others, call the IU Indy Police immediately by dialing 911 or 317-274-7911.
   2. To make a Care referral, fill out the Concerned Persons Referral Form.
   3. You are the Care Team's best resource because you are familiar with the individual or directly observed the concerning behavior. If you want to speak with a member of the team before submitting a referral, call 317-274-4431 and ask to speak with a Care Coordinator.

Anyone who believes that someone at IU Indy is at risk of harming self or others, is exhibiting disruptive or worrisome behaviors, or is otherwise concerned about the well-being of a member of the IU Indy community, can make a Care referral. This includes students, parents, faculty, staff and other community members.

1. The team receives and prioritizes the information, then immediately begins further investigation. You will likely be contacted for clarification and additional information. Often the initial report is just one piece of the puzzle. A behavior that someone observes can turn out to be an isolated incident and have no cause for further concern, or it may be an indication of a larger problem that needs to be addressed. The team attempts to understand the whole of a person's behavior patterns before making any recommendations for action.
2. When we contact you, our priority is to provide you support and assistance in managing the reported situation. We will gather information, recommend next steps, provide information about possible referrals, and develop plans for follow-up.

The Care Team recommendations may include monitoring the situation, providing resources, addressing the behavior directly, referring to a specific campus office (The Dean of Students office, OEO, IUPD), or taking more immediate action.

Something that may appear to be a minor incident to you may be part of a larger pattern unknown to you. IU Indy is a big place and early and effective communication among key offices and individuals is crucial to identifying problems before they get bigger.

The guiding mission of the Care Team is that of early intervention in order to understand what is happening and try to intervene before a situation escalates. The Care Team wants to attempt to resolve a situation before someone "gets in trouble." The goal is to promote the safety of the individual and campus through early intervention.

The Care Team takes into account the concerns of the campus, as well as the needs of the student, faculty, or staff member about whom concerns are expressed. Whether the information will adversely affect the individual's student or employment status will depend on the situation. Frequently, when a situation is identified early enough and reported, it can be resolved without the need for further disciplinary action or criminal prosecution against the person involved. If you are unsure about whether or not you should say something, report it! Trust your instincts.

You are reporting a concern based on an observed behavior (e.g., verbal exchange, hostile interaction, etc.), not making a determination or judgment about the individual. There is no expectation that reporters make judgments about whether their observations are "right" or "wrong." Let the Care Team weigh all the information available, gather further data if warranted, and determine the best course of action.

Anonymous referrals are accepted but discouraged. Identifying yourself assists the Care Team if clarification or additional information is needed. Submitting your name also gives the referral more credibility. The Care Team will attempt to handle all matters discreetly.

We cannot guarantee that the person(s) involved will not be able to determine the source of the report. If this concerns you, please speak directly with a team member. IU Indy does not permit retaliation against any individual who reports a concerning or troubling behavior in good faith.

That depends on the situation. Various privacy and confidentiality laws apply to the situations handled by the Care Team. A member of the team will follow up with the person making the referral when appropriate and possible to let you know the continuing action or closed status of the referral.

No, FERPA expressly permits the sharing of any and all information from you to the team. The information you provide is to school officials and is related to the educational interests of the student involved. 

The Care Team does not enact sanctions or administer policy regarding referrals. However, the Care Team can:

• Develop specific strategies to manage potential harmful or disruptive behavior to protect the safety and rights of both the individual and the IU Indy community.
• Assist faculty or staff in developing a plan of action.
• Provide information and assist in referrals to campus resources that can give continued support to the individual (e.g., academic advising, AES, CAPS).
• Coordinate and share information with units/departments that may take actions when there is an imminent threat of harm to self or others, such as: Facilitate evaluation for possible immediate detention, refer information to the IU Indy Police/Critical Threat Assessment Team, or provide emergency notification of others.
• Recommend reports be made to offices responsible for conduct/disciplinary actions (student, staff, faculty).
• Continue monitoring the situation without immediate action.