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򽴫ý on the Pace Pleasantville Campus
Counseling Center

RED CARD: Recognizing and Reaching Out to 򽴫ý of Concern

This informational guide provides resources to help faculty and staff recognize and assist students of concern. As staff and faculty, you are often the first to see distressed and/or disruptive students. As such, you are in a position to encourage and help students connect to the support they need. Your expression of concern and offering of resources could be critical in helping to save a student from emotional, academic, and other distress.

When faced with a disruptive or distressed student, the most important first step is to determine if there is danger to anyone.

  • If there is immediate danger to anyone, call 9-1-1 and then Pace Security
  • If you are not certain about immediate danger, call Pace Security and/or the Counseling Center for consultation and input. After hours, Pace Security can contact the on-call counselor
  • If there is no danger but the student is having academic and/or personal issues, refer them to the appropriate campus resource(s)

(See resources and numbers at bottom of the page)

First Alert Team

Led by the Dean for 򽴫ý office, this multidisciplinary team from key University offices intervenes when a student򽴫ýs well-being is of concern. When necessary, team members will contact a student to support the student and to help them create an action plan for success. If you are concerned about a student򽴫ýs well-being, please complete a Student of Concern report by clicking on the blue 򽴫ýNew Incident򽴫ý button on the Guardian platform. Email the Dean for 򽴫ý (Pleasantville) or Dean for 򽴫ý (New York City) or Dean for 򽴫ý (White Plains) if you have any questions.

CARE Team

Also led by Dean for 򽴫ý office, the CARE Team is committed to improving campus safety through a proactive, collaborative, objective, and thoughtful approach to prevention, identification, assessment, intervention, and management of situations that pose or could pose a threat to the safety and well-being of the campus community. If you believe there is an individual and/or situation that is posing such a threat or you are concerned for the immediate safety of a student, immediately contact Security on the appropriate campus. Please also complete a Student of Concern report by clicking on the blue 򽴫ýNew Incident򽴫ý button on the Guardian platform.

Observe signs. Pay attention to clusters, frequency, duration and severity of signs. Then prepare, voice, act, and wrap up.

Academic Signs

  • Test anxiety
  • Discrepancy between potential and actual achievement
  • Repeated absences
  • Excessive procrastination
  • Uncharacteristically poor work
  • Repeated requests for special consideration and/or extensions
  • Morbid or bizarre themes on assignments
  • Behavior that regularly interferes with the decorum of the classroom
  • Shift in discussion from academic to personal issues

Physical Signs

  • Marked change in personal hygiene
  • Dramatic weight gain or weight loss
  • Impaired speech, garbled/disjointed thoughts
  • High levels of irritability
  • Unruly, aggressive, or abrasive behavior
  • Disorientation, seeming "out of it"
  • Frequent falling asleep in class, listlessness, other sleep disturbances
  • Emotions displayed to an extreme degree or for a prolonged period
  • Excessive drinking or drug use
  • Behavior that regularly interferes with public decorum

Interpersonal Signs

  • Disclosure of personal distress
  • Withdrawal from others
  • Extreme dependency on others
  • Recent traumatic experiences or losses
  • Expressed concern about the student by peers
  • Stalking or harassing
  • Delusions or paranoia
  • Verbal abuse

Emergency Signs

  • Direct or indirect expression of suicidal thoughts
  • Direct or indirect expression or homicidal thoughts
  • Severe loss of emotional control
  • Gross impairment in thinking ability
  • Loss of connection with reality
  • Physical violence
  • Written or verbal threats

Prepare...

  • Trust your instincts and observations and be proactive
  • Consult with the Counseling Center and/or other campus resources, including your supervisor, to discuss issues and courses of action
  • Identify campus and community resources for the student
  • If safe, find a private spot to meet with student
  • Allow sufficient time to talk
  • Attend to your safety, consider letting colleagues know about a difficult upcoming conversation and its location and time
  • If you decide not to have direct contact with the student, refer the situation to another appropriate University resource

Voice...

  • Share your observations and concerns directly and calmly
  • Be specific about the behaviors or communications that have raised your concerns
  • Listen and repeat back what the student shares
  • Avoid challenging or becoming argumentative with the student
  • Recognize the student's distress
  • Ask directly if the student wants to hurt himself or others. This will not put these ideas into the student's head
  • Balance your inability to promise confidentiality with respecting the student's privacy
  • Highlight the importance of the student getting some professional and other support

Act...

  • Share referrals and resources
  • Assist the student in contacting these referral sources
  • If possible, offer to walk the student to the appropriate resource
  • Reiterate this and any other steps the student should take
  • Encourage the student to keep the appointment and set up a follow up with the student
  • Help the student also identify personal supports in their life
  • Normalize getting help, highlighting how many students do so with great success during their college and graduate school years

Wrap Up...

  • Keep a written summary of all contact with the student and others around the issue
  • Consult with your supervisor and/or the Counseling Center after an incident
  • Set up a follow up appointment with the student
  • Consider a referral to the CARE Team
  • If desired or warranted,

Important Resources And Telephone Numbers

IN AN EMERGENCY: Call 9-1-1 and then 򽴫ý Security: Pleasantville (914) 773-3400 or New York City (212) 346-1800 or White Plains (914) 422-4111

University Resources

  • Academic Success (Law School) (914) 422-4108
  • Athletics (Student Success and Services) - Westchester: (914) 773-3684
  • Center for Student Engagement - New York City: (212) 346-1590
  • Center for Student Engagement - Pleasantville: (914) 773-3767
  • Community Standards and Compliance: (914) 597-8784
  • Counseling Center - New York City: (212) 346-1526
  • Counseling Center - Westchester: (914) 773-3710
  • Dean for 򽴫ý - Pleasantville: (914) 773-3351
  • Dean for 򽴫ý - New York City: (212) 346-1306
  • Dean for 򽴫ý - White Plains: (914) 422-4146
  • Human Resources: (914) 923-2730
  • International 򽴫ý and Scholars Office: (212) 346-1368
  • LGBTQA+ Center - New York City: (212) 346-1966
  • LGBTQA+ Center - Pleasantville: (914) 773-3628
  • Learning Center - New York City: (212) 346-1329
  • Learning Commons - Westchester: (914) 773-3721
  • Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX Compliance Office: (212) 346-1310
  • Office of Multicultural Affairs - New York City: (212) 346-1546
  • Office Multicultural Affairs - Westchester: (914) 773-3628
  • Office of Residential Life and Housing - Pleasantville: (914) 597-8777
  • Office of Residential Life and Housing - New York City: (212) 346-1295
  • Office of Residential Life and Housing - White Plains: (914) 422-4136
  • Office of Sexual and Interpersonal Wellness - New York City: (212) 346-1931
  • Office of Sexual and Interpersonal Wellness - Westchester: (914) 597-8783
  • Pace Women򽴫ýs Justice Center: (914) 287-0739
  • Student Accessibility Services - New York City: (212) 346-1526
  • Student Accessibility Services - Westchester: (914) 773-3201
  • Student Services and Campus Affairs (Law School): (914) 422-4107
  • University Health Services - New York City: (212) 346-1600
  • University Health Services - Westchester: (914) 773-3760

In The Community (Westchester)

  • Hope򽴫ýs Door Domestic Violence Shelter/Support: (888) 438-8700
  • The Loft: LGBTQA Community Services Center: (914) 948-2932
  • My Sister򽴫ýs Place Domestic Violence Center/Support: (800) 298-7233
  • Victims Assistance Services: (914) 345-9111

In The Community (New York City)

  • Safe Horizon (Victim Assistance): (212) 577-7700
  • Sanctuary for Families Domestic Violence Shelter: (212) 349-6009
  • Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program (SAVI): (212) 423-2140
  • The LGBT Community Center: (212) 620-7310

PRIVACY STATEMENT: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) permits communication about a student experiencing a health or safety emergency. Observation of a student򽴫ýs behavior are not FERPA protected. With appropriate consideration for student privacy, this information should be shared with University personnel.

Navigating a crisis? Refer to our In an Emergency? web resource for further support. This resource supplies life-saving mental health information to 򽴫ý students, staff, and faculty by putting vital information and support options at your fingertips, just in case you or a friend needs help.

View a printable version of the Red Card (Westchester) (PDF) and the Red Card (New York City) (PDF)