CARE Team
refer a student to the CARE team
CARE stands for Concerns, Assessment, Referral, and Education. This team, formally known as the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), is an interdisciplinary team of HCC faculty, staff, and clinicians from CHD. The CARE team meets weekly to review referrals in order to support the academic, emotional and overall well-being of students and the campus community.
care team mission
The CARE team (formerly known as BIT) is dedicated to a proactive, coordinated, and planned approach to the identification, prevention, assessment, management, and reduction of interpersonal and behavioral threats to the safety and wellbeing of Holyoke Community College students, faculty, staff, and visitors. We are here to support students experiencing challenges that might lead to a disruption in their education; assess, intervene, and provide timely resources and support for students in need.
How to Refer a Student
If you are concerned about an HCC student, contact the CARE team.
If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now, text HOME to 741.741 or call 1.800.273.TALK (8255) for a free confidential conversation with a trained counselor 24/7.
If there is immediate danger of harm, call Campus Safety at 2211 from a campus phone, or 413.552.2211 from a cell phone. Explain that you need support for a mental health crisis. Do not put emergencies through this form as we cannot guarantee that it will be seen immediately.
What to look for?
- Behavior that disrupts or impedes usual classroom and/or co-curricular activities; changes in attendance, withdrawn or depressed behavior, negative change in attitude, negative attention-seeking behavior;
- Preoccupation with death, violence, and/or having access to firearms;
- Difficulty containing anger or accepting limits; assaultive behavior;
- A diminished capacity to think logically or coherently;
- Significant and indiscriminate abuse of alcohol, illegal substances or over-the-counter supplements, diet pills or performance enhancers;
- Obvious signs of a severe eating disorder;
- Deterioration of appearance, performance, and/or general behavior;
- Changes in social connection or isolation and/or marked difficulty in getting along with peers.
Contacting Campus Police is required when you observe:
- Direct threats of violence/harm to self or others;
- Stalking or making threatening or belligerent comments;
- Escalating threats;
- Visible agitation and escalating physical aggression
Resources
HCC is a JED Campus!
Holyoke Medical Center
575 Beech St., Holyoke
413.534.2500
Baystate Medical Center
759 Chestnut St., Springfield
413.794.0000
RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network)
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1.800.656.HOPE
www.rainn.org
A free, confidential, secure service that provides live help.
Center for Women & Community
413.545.0800
Confidential rape crisis counseling accessible to men and women 24 hours a day.
New England Learning Center for Women in Transition
888.249.0806 or 413.772.0806
Confidential rape crisis hotline accessible to men and women 24 hours a day.
The Trevor Project
Trevor Lifeline 866.488.7386
www.thetrevorproject.org
Crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
YMCA of Western Massachusetts
Sexual Assault Prevention & Survivor Program
800.796.8711 (24-hour hotline) or 413.733.7100
1 Clough St. Springfield, MA 01108
Psychiatric Crisis Services
24 hours/7 days
413.733.6661
Suicide prevention, awareness, and support.
Safe Passage
413.586.5066
http://www.safepass.org
Confidential counseling, safety planning and shelter related to relationship violence for women.
StartYourRecovery.org offers people who are dealing with substance use issues a single source of reputable, objective information about signs, symptoms, conditions, treatment options, and resources – presented in a user-friendly format and in language that's easy to understand.
Janet Aracena
Administrative Assistant, Student Affairs
Dale Brown
Director of Public Safety
Andrea Hojnacki
Director, Office for Students with Disabilities & Deaf Services
Terri Kinstle
Faculty, Psychology
Ben Ostiguy
Special Programs Coordinator, Thrive Center
Zenaida Maysonet Soto
Coordinator, Counseling Services, CHD
Donna Rowe
Faculty, Human Services
Renee Tastad
Asst. VP Student Affairs & Dean of Enrollment Mgmt.
