CARE at Mines: Crisis Assessment, Response and Education
If this is an emergency and/or there is a potential threat to you or someone else
24/7 Confidential Crisis and Suicide Resource
Looking for a 24/7 confidential crisis or suicide resource?
Contact Colorado Crisis Services
Need to speak to a trained professional right away?
Call 1-844-493-TALK(8255) or text TALK to 38255
At Colorado School of Mines, we are dedicated to the well-being of our students and have developed a community in which we care about one another. The members of our community are our most important resource and we are committed to creating positive experiences for everyone. We have a significant amount of resources available to help students to be successful and we encourage you to utilize all of these to help you reach your full potential.
We recognize that you may unexpectedly face some challenging times at Mines, including personal and academic difficulties, which could impact your success. Whatever the challenge, from not knowing the location of a faculty member’s office to the loss of a loved one, know that the staff and faculty at Mines are here to help. We are ready to listen to and understand your concerns, help you create actions plans for success, and connect you with resources that can assist. Caring is our passion and we are dedicated to your success.
You can help us in these efforts by keeping a watchful eye out for things happening in our campus community. The resources linked to this website will provide you with information on tools and techniques for helping, identifying concerning behaviors, and ways to report incidents. Each member of the Mines community is encouraged to review the resources and make the choice to provide assistance to those in need or contact those at Mines who are trained to help whenever a situation arises.
Overview
Living, learning, and working at Colorado School of Mines can cause stress and may be the reason that someone is displaying distressed or disruptive behavior. The Student Outreach & Support (SOS) Team provides assistance to the campus community to help access and find solutions for managing these difficult situations.
Colorado School of Mines is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for the members of the campus community. If you find yourself in a state of distress, we encourage you to seek out relevant services for assistance.
Distressed and disruptive behavior usually includes a change in a person’s performance, appearance, or emotional state and may be symptomatic of a person’s inability to manage personal or emotional difficulties. Behaviors may include:
- Sleep disturbances (too much or too little)
- Class attendance or participation issues
- Change in personal hygiene
- Altered performance in academic/organization pursuits
- Difficulty making decisions
- Heightened emotional response
- Over dependence on others
- Self-harm behaviors (cutting, burning)
- Expressed suicidal thoughts
- Engaging in risky behaviors that are out of character/context
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
If you have noticed any of these behaviors in yourself or others, or other behaviors for which you are concerned, please click on the “SOS Referral” link above to start the support process and seek assistance.
If there is a potential for danger to self or others, Public Safety or Golden Police should be called immediately (9-1-1 or 303-273-3333).
Refer
Mines’ faculty, staff, and students will often be the first to encounter a person who is in distress. Your assistance in helping individuals in these types of situations is greatly appreciated and extremely important. This website provides useful information regarding recognizing and responding to situations that can cause distress in individuals.
Additionally, the site contains information about ways you can make appropriate referrals to campus resources.
While this page is monitored frequently, no immediate response or action will be made by the SOS team. Again, please call 9-1-1 if this is an emergency.
Referral Form Tips
We understand that asking for help can be difficult – especially when providing personal information pertaining to someone you care about. However, please realize that some situations require this information in order for an issue to be resolved. All SOS Referrals are treated with the highest possible level of professionalism, confidentiality and discretion. It is important that you provide as much information as possible.
FAQs
After reviewing an SOS Referral and discussing the matter, the Case Manager may:
- Determine that there is no need for further action but will continue to monitor the situation.
- Contact the individual that submitted the referral and provide suggestions and ways to appropriately respond to the concerning behavior.
- Contact the individual of concern directly to provide support.
- In situations that require immediate action, such as situations where an individual is in immediate threat of harming self or others, the BIT Team may coordinate with CSM Public Safety or local law enforcement to assist in the response.
CARE stands for Crisis Assessment, Response, and Education. Under CARE is the broad support system for students and both the Student Outreach & Support (SOS) Team and the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) work together to accomplish the following:
- Helping to create a campus culture that supports and cares and looks out for one another
- Assisting the campus community by developing and implementing education and outreach related to bystander intervention, crisis management, and campus resource promotion
- Monitoring and assessing activity in the campus community to identify signs or potential threat as early as possible
- Developing appropriate response plans to situations of distress within the campus community
- Reviewing reports of concern about members of the Mines community
- Serving as consultants for to members of the Mines community to support them in assessing concerning behavior and building actions plans to help others
- Assisting with the development of policies and procedures for the institution related to concerning behavior that is taking place within the members of the campus community.
Resources
Campus
Career Center –https://www.mines.edu/careers/
Center for Academic Services and Advising –https://www.mines.edu/casa/
Code of Conduct Information –https://www.mines.edu/policy-library/student/
Counseling Center –https://www.mines.edu/counseling-center/
Disability Support Services –https://www.mines.edu/disability-support-services/
Financial Aid –https://finaid.mines.edu/
Food Services –https://minesdining.sodexomyway.com/?
Health Center –https://www.mines.edu/student-health/
Human Resources Office –https://www.mines.edu/human-resources/
International Student Services –https://www.mines.edu/global/
Multicultural Engineering Program –https://mep.mines.edu/
Public Safety –https://www.mines.edu/campus-safety/
Registrar’s Office –https://www.mines.edu/registrar/
Residence Life and Housing –https://www.mines.edu/residence-life/
Student Life Office –https://www.mines.edu/student-life/
Title IX at Mines (Sexual Assault Reporting) – https://www.mines.edu/institutional-equity-title-ix/
Veteran’s Affairs –https://www.mines.edu/veterans/
Writing Center –https://hass.mines.edu/enrichment/campus-writing-program/
Local Community
COLORADO CRISIS SERVICES
www.ColoradoCrisisServices.org
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CALL?
If you don’t know where to begin getting mental health, substance use or emotional help for yourself or someone you know—start here. We provide confidential and immediate support, 24/7/365. If you are in crisis or need help dealing with one, call this toll-free number 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255 to speak to a trained professional.
When you call Colorado Crisis Services, you will be connected to a trained crisis counselor. We offer translation services for non-English speakers, we engage in immediate problem solving, and we always make follow-up calls to ensure you receive continued care.
Our walk-in crisis services are open 24/7, and offer confidential, in-person crisis support, information and referrals to anyone in need.
The Blue Bench
http://thebluebench.org/
The Blue Bench (formerly RAAP) is metropolitan Denver’s only comprehensive sexual assault prevention and support center. Since its founding in 1983, they’ve worked tirelessly to eliminate sexual assault and diminish the impact it has on individuals, their loved ones and the community.
Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA)
http://www.ccasa.org/
The Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA) is a membership organization promoting safety, justice, and healing for survivors while working toward the elimination of sexual violence.
Victim Outreach Incorporated
http://www.victimoutreach.org/
The mission of Victim Outreach Incorporated is to promote the healing of people impacted by crime and trauma. Our hope is that people impacted by crime and trauma lead healthy, productive and inspired lives.
Rehabs.org
https://rehabs.org/centers/colorado/
Rehabs.org was developed by bringing together experts in substance misuse treatment from leading nonprofit, academic, and government institutions. Through this important resource, individuals can hear stories from people with similar experiences, discover the answers they need for recognizing and dealing with substance misuse, and locate support.
BIT
The Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) is a broad-based committee that includes representation from across the campus community that works together to support student success. Just because a student meets with a SOS Case Manager does not mean the student’s situation is automatically brought to the BIT Team. SOS Case Managers are responsible for assessing a student’s situation and referring to the BIT Team if necessary. If you are unsure of whether your situation arises to the level of submitting a SOS Referral, please feel free to contact the Director of Student Outreach and Support.
Ayla Engelhart, Director, Student Outreach and Support, Co-Chair
aengelhart@mines.edu
Derek Morgan, Dean of Students, Co-Chair
BIT Team Members:
Sam Ralston, Assistant Director of Community Standards
Karla Perez-Velez, Director of CASA
Jennifer Domenico-Brock, Director of Health Center
Marla Draper, Director of Disability Support Services
Mary Elliott, Director of Residence Life and Housing
Jessica Salazar, Associate Counsel
Dustin Olson, Director of Public Safety / Chief of Police
Sandra Sims, Director of Counseling Center
Colin Terry, Associate Dean of Students
BIT Consultants, As Needed
