Reporting Students of Concern

The Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) of Los Medanos College has the goal of supporting faculty, staff, and administrators in linking students of concern to campus and community resources.

This includes assisting in extreme, moderate and mild situations of concern involving anyone on campus. If there is an extreme concern, call for immediate help. We understand that situations may present as needs for student support, addressing a student’s behavior through the Student Code of Conduct, or both.

How Can I help
How Can I Help?

Report Students of Concern

Why Submit a Report

Why Submit a Report

Reporting a student on their behaviors of concern is to aid in early intervention, risk assessment, and referrals to support student success and ensure safety of the LMC community

What happens next graphic

What Happens Next

Once you share your concern, Appropriate office intervenes, BIT team reviews to provide comprehensive support

The 4 Ds

The following categories of behavior are designed to assist you in reporting/referring a student of concern. Keep in mind that the "4 Ds" merely provide as a guideline for where to go with your concerns and that many situations may not cleanly fit into a distinct category. Don't worry if you are not sure exactly what to do. When in doubt, err on the side of making that call.

The following are examples of situations to help guide you:

  Distressed Disturbed Disruptive Dangerous
Definitions Distressed behavior causes concern for the person’s well-being. Disturbed behavior may be highly inappropriate, irrational, delusional, and makes others uncomfortable. Disruptive behavior interrupts the classroom or work environment and represents an escalation or “acting out” of distress or inner disturbance. Dangerous behavior threatens the safety and well-being of others.
Examples
  •  Tearful or crying
  • Highly anxious, agitated, panicky
  • Withdrawn, shut down
  • Irritable, confrontational
  • Deterioration in physical hygiene, weight change
  • Negative change in attitude
  • Pronounced or sudden changes in attendance patterns
  • Paranoid
  • Hallucinatory
  • Disorganized thought/speech
  • Anger outbursts, hysterics
  • Extremely agitated
  •  Hostile, defiant
  • Harassing, bullying
  • Acting out, disruptive behaviors in classroom
  • Chronic rules violations
  •  Threatening: verbal, non-verbal, written
  • Threats to harm self or others directly or indirectly
  • Threats of suicide
  • Under the influence of alcohol or drugs

What to do

Distressed/Disturbed Disruptive/Dangerous

If the student is in immediate crisis, call the Counseling office at (925) 473-7449, or walk the student to the Counseling office.

If the immediate crisis is outside of the Counseling office hours, call Police Services Emergency line at Ext. 3-7333 or dial 911.

If the student is not in immediate crisis, submit a “Wellness Referral Flag” through LMC Connect.

Once a referral is received, a representative will offer the student information/services based on the comments included in the referral.

If the situation cannot be de-escalated or there is an immediate threat, call Police Services Emergency line at Ext. 3-7333 or dial 911.

If the situation can be de-escalated and there is no immediate threat, submit an electronic Student Conduct Report or contact the Dean Of Student Success, Dave Belman, at dbelman@losmedanos.edu or (925) 473-7423.

 

If after using this guide you remain unsure of what to do, you may contact any of the members of the LMC BIT Team for support:

 

Download a version of this guide for printing

Portions of this guide are adapted from guides created by the City Colleges of Chicago SIT Team, Diablo Valley College CARE Team, and Texas Tech University.

*More resources are available on the counseling services employee resources web page