Frequently Asked Questions

Filing a CARE referral allows you to let us know if you would like to connect a student to support with basics needs or mental health resources as one example. In addition, if you are concerned about a student’s wellbeing or behavior.  For example, if a student is exhibiting behavior that is unusual, unpredictable, or otherwise of concern please fill out a CARE referral.  The CARE referral can also be used to alert the appropriate University officials about a non-emergent medical or mental health concern that a student may be facing.  If you are unsure if the behavior warrants a referral, please file to allow the CARE team to assess the situation.  Someone from the CARE team will contact you within one week to discuss the report and appropriate next steps.

As a caring individual, you may wish to connect with the person you are concerned about before submitting a referral.  You can let the student know you are concerned about them and that you made the referral to the CARE Team for them to get additional support. However, there is no expectation that you do this and if there is a concern of threat or self-harm it is best to consult with the Student Care Center or Dean of Students Office to determine the best way to connect with the student.

Once a CARE referral is filed, a case manager from the Student Care Center or staff in the Dean of Students Office is assigned and will begin outreach. The first step is always to connect with the person who filed the referral. From there the case manager outreaches to the student.

The Student Care Center, Dean of Students Office and CARE Team members are the only campus entity with access to the CARE referrals and CARE Team meetings are closed meetings.  CARE referrals are a part of a student’s secure educational record. As such, CARE records are covered under FERPA regulations, thereby protecting the privacy of the student.  Also note that students may have access to their educational records under FERPA, which may include access to the name of the person filing a report and the content of the report. If you are unsure of what information to include in the report, please give us a call at 303-615-0220.

The CARE Team will attempt to handle all matters judiciously.  We cannot guarantee that the person(s) involved will not be able to find out the source of the report.  However, we will try to speak with you before we contact the person in the report if possible.

You are encouraged to identify yourself because this may assist the case managers if clarification or additional information is needed.  Anonymous referrals will be reviewed, but the case managers may be limited in providing follow up.

Anyone can make a CARE referral.  This includes students, parents, faculty and staff, and other community members.

There are a variety of possible actions that may occur once a CARE referral has been filed.  Based on the nature and concern level of the report, the student’s other or past behavior(s), and the context of what’s occurred, the following are possible ‘next steps’ once the CARE referrals is received:

• The DOS/SCC may research the situation to gather additional information to guide recommendations.
• The DOS/SCC may educate the reporter on how to assist the student (i.e. making a referral to a campus resource), if the person making the report is comfortable doing so and if appropriate, given the nature of what has been reported.
• The DOS/SCC may reach out to the student directly to request a meeting, to make a referral, or to take other action.
• The DOS/SCC may refer the situation to the Student Conduct process, if there’s evidence of a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. The CARE Team may provide consultation to the Student Conduct Officer in these cases.
• The DOS/SCC may share information with campus and community agencies with applicable services/jurisdiction.
• The DOS/SCC may monitor the student’s behavior for any trends/future behaviors.

In all cases, staff in the  Dean of Students Office or Student Care Center will contact the person who made the report within one week to confirm receipt and share any appropriate follow up information.

If you’ve been contacted regarding a CARE Referral, it means that someone is concerned about you and the University wants to learn more about what’s going on so that we can help support you and/or the individuals who have concerns. A case manager will then reach out to setup a time to meet with you to learn more about how we can support you.  Whether it is a matter of talking through a particular situation and sharing relevant context, or determining the best way to help you through a challenging situation, meeting with a case manager will be an important early step so that we can understand you and your situation.

If you have concerns about a classmate, friend, or peer who is a MSU Denver student you might want to file a CARE Referral. Keep in mind that it is better to err on the side of sharing information so that professionals can assess the situation and determine how to best proceed.

For example, please file a CARE Referral if:

• You observe or overhear something in class or on campus that is troubling;
• A friend or classmate shares that he/she is in a tough spot and you think that person may benefit from assistance;
• You have noticed a significant change in the behavior of another student (for example, someone who was generally upbeat and engaged is now seemingly down and/or withdrawn); or
• You have any reason to believe that a fellow student may be harmful to self and/or others.

NOTE: for an emergency situation in which harm is imminent, immediately contact the Auraria Police by dialing 911 from any campus phone or 303.556.5000 from a cell phone.