The goal of the Behavioral Intervention/Care Team (BIT) is to serve as a resource team to students that are in need of support beyond academics. The BIT is able to link students with resources in the community to provide needed assistance. Common areas of support include shelter/housing, counseling, and psychiatric assistance, among others. The BIT also provides a proactive and holistic approach to addressing concerning behaviors in students. In these situations, the idea is to intervene and provide support before these students develop more serious problems such as attempts to commit suicide or violent actions against others.

Should you have any immediate questions or concerns, please call the Dean of Students office at 240-500-2526.

The Behavioral Intervention Team has established guidelines to assist faculty in determining when to make a referral. This list is not an all-inclusive list but will provide examples of specific situations which would warrant a referral.

Referral Guidelines May Include:

• Emotional Indicators
  • Direct statements of distress, family problems or other difficulties
  • Unprovoked anger or hostility
  • Exaggerated personality traits: more withdrawn or more animated than usual
  • Expressions of concern about a student by his/her peers
  • A hunch or gut-level reaction that something is wrong
• Physical Indicators
  • Deterioration of physical appearance
  • Lack of personal hygiene
  • Excessive fatigue
  • Visible changes in weight
  • Bleary-eyed, hung over or smelling of alcohol
• Safety Risk Indicators
  • Any written note or verbal statement which has a sense of finality or a suicidal flavor
  • Essays/papers which focus on despair, suicide, or death
  • Statements to the effect that the student is “going away for a long time”
  • Giving away of prized possessions
  • Self-injuries or self-destructive behaviors
  • Severe depressions

Additional Resources

• Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Community Resources, Hotlines, and Helplines

Student Resources

• Student Assistance Form

Staff/Faculty Resources

• Academic Integrity Reporting Form
• General Student Report Form