About RLC CARES

CARE Team Purpose and Mission

Established in 2013, the Richland College CARE Team is a diverse group of Richland faculty and staff members who provide support and assistance to members of our college community. The CARE Team maintains an online referral form that enables college staff members, students, and community members to refer students who need attention. Professional Counselors on the team assess referrals to determine the need for and type of intervention.

The mission of the Richland College CARE Team is to connect students with appropriate campus services, provide referrals to community resources as needed, and monitor the progress of referred students. The goal of the CARE Team is to identify distressed individuals early and provide them with needed support. Because of Richland’s culture of care for all individuals, the online website is available to report concerns. By working as a team, fragmented care is reduced and the safety of the campus is improved. In emergency situations the CARE Team refers students or college employees to the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) chaired by the Vice President of Student Development. The BIT Team can respond immediately to situations of a serious nature such as behaviors that pose a danger of harm to self or others or that may disrupt the learning environment at the college.

The CARE Team works to:

  • Support student success
  • Provide a structured, positive method to respond to students whose behavior is disruptive
  • Assist in protecting the health, safety and welfare of the members of the college community
  • Serve as a resource for college employees

The CARE Team also provides consultation and support to faculty and staff members including problem-solving suggestions, conflict resolution ideas, classroom/office management strategies, and training to address concerns directly such as workshops on:

  • Creating a Classroom Climate Conducive to Learning
  • Campus Safety and Crime Prevention
  • Effective Communication Skills
  • Classroom Management Strategies
  • Customer Service for Front-Line Employees
  • Handling Disruptive Students on Campus
  • Campus Support Services
  • How to Identify and Refer Students or Staff Members (Kognito)
  • Kognito

Who are the members of the CARE Team?

The CARE Team is composed of representatives including the following:
The Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services
The Counseling Center
The Richland College Police
The Health Center
Human Resources
Faculty
Richland Collegiate High School
Disability Services

How does the CARE Team help individuals?

When someone is referred, members of the CARE Team convene, review the referral, and determine what services on campus or in the community would best address the person’s needs. A member of the CARE Team meets with the person and develops a unique plan to support the individual.

The CARE Team makes an initial assessment for risk of harm to self or others. If there is an immediate risk of harm to self or others, then the referral is sent directly to the BIT team, who will intervene appropriately.

How do you know when to refer someone to the CARE Team?

You should refer someone to the CARE Team anytime you are concerned about the safety or well-being of a student, faculty or staff member or the safety of the college campus. All referrals are treated with the highest level of confidentiality.

When you make a referral to the CARE Team, it is important that you identify yourself. The CARE Team will do everything possible to protect your identity. Submitting anonymous reports makes taking action much more difficult, but if for some significant reason you must remain anonymous, please provide as much information as possible.

How do you refer a person to the CARE Team?
There are several easy ways to refer someone to the CARE Team:

  • Complete and submit the online referral form
  • Send us an email at rlccares@dcccd.edu
  • Call Richland Counseling Services during normal business hours

    • 972-238-3771

  • Come to the Counseling Center in the Lakeside Resource Center, E082, El Paso Hall