Community Assessment, Response and Education (CARE) Team

The Community Assessment, Response, and Education (CARE) Team proactively identifies, assesses, and offers a coordinated institutional response to challenging, disruptive, or harmful behaviors to support the safety and success of the Purchase College community.

The team coordinates it’s response through collaboration with our community partners (e.g. faculty, staff, and students) as they utilize incident reports (link), Starfish flags (link), and other tools, to alert the team of concerns.

The CARE Team is chaired by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and includes members from Advising & Academic Support, Community Standards, Counseling & Behavioral Health Services, Disability Resources, Health Services, Residential & Student Life, and University Police.

The team will partner with other offices depending on the concern. These offices may include — but are not limited to — the Office of Diversity & Compliance, Academic Affairs, Athletics, EOP/MAP, as well as individual faculty or staff.

If you have general inquiries that cannot be funneled through Starfish, please email the team at saf.careteam@purchase.edu.

Concern for Students and Reporting

  • If you believe that a student is experiencing difficulties or is struggling with an issue and is beginning to display signs of distress, trust yourself; your observations are likely accurate. Submit a Starfish flag (link) regarding “behavioral concern” even if you are unsure.
  • Submit a Starfish flag (link) if you notice observable behaviors that cause you to be concerned about a student’s personal or academic well-being or believe a student may be a threat to themselves or others. Please be sure to check the appropriate concern (i.e. attendance concern, missing/late assignments, student behavior concern, etc.). If you need assistance determining which Starfish flag to use, please visit our Student Support and Outreach webpage (link).
  • Submissions are reviewed and evaluated for appropriate outreach or follow-up.
  • Starfish alerts, incident reports, and the CARE team are NOT intended for an emergency response. If you need to report an emergency please call Purchase College University Police at 914-251-6911.

After a concern is reported the CARE Team will:

  • Serve as the primary contact to assess, assist, and respond to concerns for students’ well-being.
  • Provide outreach to identified students.
  • Identify appropriate on-campus community resources to assist the student.
  • Make referrals connecting students with available on-campus resources.
  • Monitor progress and offer follow-up as needed.
  • Assist and offer additional support when there is an elevated level of concern about a student.

The CARE Team is a non-clinical support service, not to be mistaken with therapy or counseling. Students who exhibit the need to be connected with a mental health professional will be referred to Counseling & Behavioral Health Services (link).