Find information about the CARE Team by reading the common questions and concerns below. If you have other questions or need more information call us at (304) 293-5611 or email us at careteam@mail.wvu.edu.
If you are concerned about a student’s well-being and feel that they could benefit from additional support then a CARE Referral should be made. Please see https://campuslife.wvu.edu/advocacy-center/referrals for more information.
CARE Referrals are not monitored 24/7 and are not meant to be completed in lieu of emergency assistance, if you are concerned about a student’s safety please utilize the appropriate emergency resource; https://campuslife.wvu.edu/emergency-resources
While its not required, it is helpful to communicate to the student that you are wanting to support them by making a CARE Referral. You can let the student know to look out for contact and we will try to schedule a time to meet with them.
When you inform a student about the referral first, they are more likely to engage with our office.
The CARE Team has 2 full-time staff members who work within the Office of Campus & Community Life.
There several additional team members from various departments on campus including representatives from Academic Affairs, Campus and Community Life, Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, University Police Department, and Housing and Residence Life.
Anyone who feels that a student is in need of help or assistance can make a referral to the CARE team. This includes, faculty, staff, family members, friends, etc.
The Director of CARE reviews each report and assigns them to an appropriate WVU staff member (Residence Life Specialist, Case Manager etc). Each case is reviewed and depending on the needs, it is assigned to the person who may be best to support the student.
Once your referral is assigned to a staff member, they will reach out letting the reporter know who the case is assigned to. Please note that the staff members may be limited in what they can share with you about the student of concern. If you would like an additional follow-up, please indicate that upon receipt of the initial email or within the CARE referral.
The staff member assigned to work with your referral is asked to reach out to you to inform you that they will be working with this student. They may follow up with you with more questions or let you know if they have any trouble connecting with the student. If you have specific questions, please email; CareTeam@mail.wvu.edu. It is important to include accurate contact information and to communicate with staff about any further interactions that arise with the student of concern.
The student will be contacted by an assigned staff member WVU. This may include calling them and/or emailing. If a student is living in a residence hall, the Residence Life staff can assist with going to their room. While we work hard to try to connect with students, they are not required to meet with us and sometimes students choose not to respond to our outreach efforts.
If the student needs additional support the referral is reviewed by the CARE Team and an appropriate plan/course of action is discussed.
You do not have to make this determination; the CARE Team will do it for you. The most critical step is that you report it and include any information you may have. If another campus resource is more appropriate, the CARE Team will refer the student and handle the transfer of information.
The CARE Team does not go in person to check on a student. If you are concerned about a student’s safety and would like University Police to complete a welfare check, call 304-293-3136
We cannot promise 100% anonymity in reporting. Our goal is to discuss and address the behaviors of concern, so we must discuss what was indicated in the referral form. Through conversation with a student, the referral source becomes apparent or may be questioned. We understand that this may be a concern for you, the student’s health and safety is our priority. If you have additional questions regarding confidentiality, please contact us.
The Office of Campus & Community Life may send out notification letters, but only in limited circumstances (student hospitalizations, death of an immediate family member and traumatic events) when students are unable to communicate to faculty themselves. These letters do not count as excused absences and are for notification purposes only.
As the instructor for the course, you can accept third party documentation, like a doctor's note, directly from the student to verify any absence or request for make-up work. This documentation does not need to go through Student Life in order to be considered valid.
Please see the University Absence policy linked below under the Excused Absences section where it states: "Instructors may request third party documentation."
If you would like a training for your department, please request one here.