The New England Conservatory CARE (Concern, Assessment, Response, Evaluation) Team provides coordinated support for students in distress and addresses concerns about student behavior, academic progress, and personal issues, including mental health concerns. The CARE Team gathers information from personal contact with students, faculty, staff and family members, as well as from reports submitted by members of the community.
The CARE Team is committed to the following:
• Identifying students of concern who are in need of extra support
• Assessing the most appropriate way to intervene and support a student
• Addressing student behaviors that impact our community
• Intervening so a student may achieve academic and personal success
• Balancing the needs of an individual student with the needs of the community
To make a referral to the CARE Team:
Some behaviors that might warrant a referral to the CARE Team include, but are not limited to, the following:
Potential Threat of Harm to Self or Others
• History of on-going discipline problems
• Social withdrawal or severe discomfort in social settings
• Expressed paranoia/mistrust
• Impulse control problems
• Expression of violence in writings and drawings
• Significant substance abuse
• Fascination or preoccupation with violence or weapons
• Sees violence as a desirable or acceptable way of solving problems
• Obsessive stalking or monitoring of others
Emotional Distress
• Unusual changes in personality, eating, and sleeping patterns
• Increased isolation and social withdrawal
• Unkempt, irritable, or disconnected
• Behavior reflects increased hopelessness or helplessness
• Inability to focus and concentrate
• Difficulty with memory or decision making
When would a referral to the CARE team not be appropriate?
• Emergency or imminent threat of harm to self or others
• Making direct threats to harm themselves and/or others
• Developing the capacity or means to carry out a plan to harm themselves and/or others
• Giving away possessions and saying goodbye (in person or via social media) to family and friends
What Can You Do?
• Immediately call Public Safety or dial 9-1-1. The CARE Team does not respond to emergencies.
• Be prepared to provide clear details such as who, what, where, and when
Follow instructions provided by Public Safety or the Boston Police Department