During such times when anxiety may be at its highest, please remember that the NEOMED Care Team is here for you, classmates and co-workers. See the Care Team FAQ below for more information.
Q. What is the Care Team?
A. The Care Team is a campus-wide network of resources to encourage mental health, well-being and help-seeking throughout the campus community. The Care Team focuses on prevention, early intervention and provision of support services for individuals in the NEOMED community who are experiencing distress or engaging in harmful or disruptive behaviors.
Q. Do I call the Care Team in an emergency?
A. No. The Care Team assesses non-emergent concerns and behaviors. If you feel someone is in immediate danger, you should always call 911.
Q. How are referrals made?
A. Referrals can be done through our online form located at neomed.edu/neomedcares/care-team.
Referrals can be made anonymously. Although we prefer you add your contact information (in case we have follow up questions), please know that we accept all referrals ― including anonymous ones ― as they can be a great resource to help someone in need.
Q. Will a person find out I referred them to the Care Team?
A. Only if you tell them yourself. Confidentiality is important for this team to be effective and all members take confidentiality seriously. All Care Team members sign confidentiality agreements annually.
Q. What happens after I make a referral for a person of concern?
A. Once the information is submitted to the Care Team, we make an assessment. Typically, we try to find someone who already has a close relationship with that person of concern, and that person may reach out to the person of concern.
A typical referral for a person of concern would include the following steps:
- Kali Meonske, director of public safety, and Russell Spieth, Ph.D., managing director of campus mental health and consultant/trainer, will review the referral to determine if it is an emergency or a non-emergency concern.
- If it appears to be an emergency concern, they will access the appropriate emergency response, such as a police-safety check. (As a reminder, please call 911 for emergencies not the Care Team).
- If it appears to be a non-emergency concern, they will discuss the situation with the appropriate Care Team members to determine who will reach out to the person of concern. Members include representatives from Student Services, the Colleges and faculty development.
- The outreach would be compassionate, strengths-based and collaborative. The goal is to help the student or employee access the right support(s), such as counseling and/or psychiatry.
- A representative of the Center for Student Wellness and Counseling Services (CSWCS) participates on the Care Team to provide their expertise. However, they maintain confidentiality and will not disclose whether a student is participating in CSWCS without an appropriate student-signed authorization to release information between CSWCS and the Care Team.
- Representatives of Human Resources and legal counsel participate on the Care Team to provide their expertise. However, they adhere to employment laws, Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and confidentiality. An employee referral to the Care Team may involve NEOMED’s employee assistance program.
Q. Is the Care Team punitive to students or employees?
A. No. Our goal is to connect distressed individuals to the right resources.