Supporting Student Well-Being with the CARE Network

Central to this work are our Care Managers. Care Managers are dedicated student support specialists ready to assist in goal and priority setting, success planning, leaves of absence and returns, and coordinating supports for students experiencing complex challenges. They collaborate regularly with our Integrated Care team in the Center for Health and Wellness, and act as knowledgeable referral agents to a wide variety of college resources. While Care Managers frequently work with students experiencing challenging circumstances, they are also available for proactive success and support planning. Reach out at middcares@middlebury.edu for additional information or to schedule an appointment with a Care Manager.

What is the CARE Network?

The responsibility to support and care for one another is a core component of the Middlebury College community. One important way we can achieve this is by sharing our concern if we notice someone struggling. The CARE Network allows faculty, staff, and students to communicate challenges to a student’s success and well-being when they see them. This could be related to behavior, academic performance, or concerning ideas about self harm a student has expressed. Through CARE forms, the Student Affairs team can evaluate a situation and work collaboratively to develop an effective response. 

What faculty see in the classroom can be fundamentally different from what a residence director sees in a residence hall, a coach sees during practice, a job supervisor sees at work, a Public Safety officer sees when doing rounds, or a trusted mentor hears from a concerned friend. The CARE Network allows us to take in all of this information and utilize it to support students.

Additionally, faculty use the CARE Network to complete certain administrative tasks such as the following:

• Incomplete requests
• Course warnings
• Administration Committee petitions

Students may use the CARE Network to do the following:

• Request a fifth course
• Extend a leave of absence
• Submit an Administration Committee petition
• Express concern for a friend through the CARE form

Examples of what to report on the CARE form

Human behavior lies along a continuum. We become concerned when a student’s behavior is causing distress to themselves, disrupting the residential or academic environment, and/or making others feel unsafe or distressed.

• Increases in anxiety, worry, fear, or feelings of being overwhelmed
• Excessive fear of public places (outside of “stay home” advice)
• Paralyzing fear about the future
• Increase in potential mental health symptoms
• Changes in engagement
• Isolating/withdrawing from others
• Not “showing up” for class
• Missing assignment deadlines
• Unusual talkativeness
• Decrease in engagement/talkativeness from what is “normal” for them
• Racing thoughts, hard to follow
• Distractibility
• Changes in affect/emotions
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Excessive crying
• Increased energy
• Abnormally upbeat, jumpy, or wired
• Increased activity, energy, or agitation
• Exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence (euphoria)
• Decreased/increased need for sleep
• Decreased ability to focus or concentrate
• Decrease academic/work performance
• Missing assignments
• Poor attendance
• Decrease in self-care/hygiene
• Changes from previous level (pre-COVID-19)
• Not sleeping
• Unhealthy coping strategies
• Increase in alcohol or drug use
• Increase in risky/impulsive behaviors
• Disruptive behaviors
• Sudden anger
• Noticeable changes in personality

Please avoid labeling students with mental health issues (e.g., is depressed, acting manic, etc). Instead, stick with concrete behaviors (e.g., crying in class, speaking rapidly, jumping from topic to topic).