1. Southern Connecticut State University
  2. Dean of Students
  3. Students in Distress

Students in Distress

Quick Reference Guide (pdf)

Student Support Team

Please note that the Student Support Team is not a 24-hour service and only receives referrals during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). If you have a concern after hours, please contact University Police at (203) 392-5375. If you are experiencing an emergency situation or have an imminent safety concern, please dial 911. 

Mission Statement

The Southern Connecticut State University Student Support Team gathers information from personal contact with students, faculty, staff and family members in order to provide a proactive, collaborative and coordinated approach to support students in distress. The Student Support Team addresses concerns about student behavior and personal issues, including mental health concerns, and strives to promote individual student wellbeing and success while maintaining the overall safety of the campus community.

Purpose

The purpose of the Southern Connecticut State University Student Support Team is to provide a confidential, respectful and proactive model of support while simultaneously promoting a positive, healthy and safe student experience.

Key Objectives

  • Identify and gather information about students of concern or in distress.
  • Assess the information and determine the most effective response.
  • Define a plan/response that addresses both the needs of the student and the safety of the campus community.
  • Implement responses in a way that de-escalates a potential crisis, reduces or removes any potential threats and attends to the specific needs of the individual student.
  • Monitor each individual student case and follow up to determine if the response was effective and identify any additional steps that might need to be taken.
  • Provide consultation to faculty, staff and students regarding how to assist and engage students of concern or in distress.
  • Educate the campus community about the resources available and how to effectively navigate those resources. 

A special thank you to the following institutions and their Behavioral Intervention/CARE Teams, whose websites were the model for our own website’s content and design: University of Rochester, Central Michigan University, Ozark Technical Community College, Union College, and University of Southern Indiana.