CARE Team Process - Student Care & Outreach

Academic Signs

• Lack of communication with professor
• Decline in enthusiasm for class
• Deterioration in quality or quantity of work
• Continual seeking of special provisions (extensions on papers, make-up exams)
• Missed assignments, exams, labs, group meetings, or appointments, especially if markedly different from previous behavior
• Disclosure of concerns with ability to complete work or stay focused
• Conflicts in group work and/or group projects
• Overblown or disproportionate response to grades or other evaluations
• Perfectionist tendencies
• Disruptive, hardened, or unusual participation in class (e.g. questions off-topic, argumentative in discussions)
• Written or artistic expression of unusual violence, morbidity, social isolation, despair, or confusion; includes essays or papers that focus on suicide or death
• Extreme disorganization or erratic performance

Emotional Signs

• Explosive or impulsive behavior
• Emotions that are extreme for the situation
• Teasing or bullying (receiving or giving)
• Social withdrawal, isolation, loneliness
• Change in typical personality (more outgoing or more withdrawn than usual)
• Difficulty dealing with an event (e.g. death of loved one)
• Mentions dealing with depression, anxiety, substance use, eating disorder, etc.
• Marked irritability, anger, hostility, etc.
• Talking to or seeing things that aren’t there
• Delusional or paranoid speech or actions
• Difficulty connecting to others
• Expressions of hopelessness, worthlessness, etc.
• Talks about themes of suicide, loss of will to live, etc.
• Directly mentions self-harm, suicide, or harm to others
• Excessively demanding or dependent behavior
• Lack of response to outreach from course staff
• Shakiness, tremors, fidgeting, or pacing

Physical Signs

• Signs of self-injury (cuts, burns, etc.)
• Deterioration of physical condition (lack of personal hygiene, unkempt clothing, significant weight loss, etc.)
• Frequent or chronic illness
• Disorganized thought pattern; slurred or confused speech
• Chronic fatigue or falling asleep at inappropriate times
• Attends class or work hungover/intoxicated, or frequently appears hungover/intoxicated
• Noticeable cuts, bruises, or burns
• Unusual inability to make eye contact

Other Signs

• Relying and confiding heavily on peers to support through daily tasks and crisis moments
• Struggling to adjust to cultural or institutional norms (U.S., GA, GCSU)
• Financial concerns
• Increased substance use
• Disclosure of being a victim of a hate crime, bias incident, or racism incident
• Food or housing insecurity
• Concern about a student by his/her peers or teaching assistant
• A hunch or gut-level reaction that something is wrong 

Name the concern

• “I’ve noticed that…”
• “Lately you’ve seemed…”
• “It seems like…”

Ask Open-ended Questions

• “How have things been going for you?”
• “What has been difficult for you lately?”
• “What could help make things better?”

Demonstrate Empathy

• “Thank you for sharing that. It sounds difficult.
• “You’re really dealing with a lot right now.”

Summarize What you Heard

• “So what I heard you say…”
• “Let me make sure I understand…”
• “What I’m hearing from you…”

For immediate concerns, call GCPD at 478-445-4400 or call 911.

If no immediate concern for safety or a need for immediate response, complete the online referral form, call Student Care & Outreach at 478-445-7535 or email care@gcsu.edu.