Concerned About a Student? | Student Health and Wellness

Concerned About a Student?

The CASS team receives referrals from students, faculty, staff, family members, friends, and other concerned stakeholders. If you would like to refer a student concern to CASS, you can connect with use in the following ways:

Online: Fill out our form
Phone: (434)-924-7133
Email: [email protected]
In Person: CASS is located on the fourth floor of Student Health and Wellness.

If you have an urgent concern about a student’s safety or well-being after-hours, you can reach us via CASS on Call for non-clinical consultation to determine appropriate resources, referrals, and next steps

Tips for Making an Effective Referral

If you have an immediate concern about a student’s safety or wellness, always call 911. CASS is a non-clinical resource that cannot provide clinical consultation. For SHW emergency and crisis care resources click here.
If you have an urgent concern about a student that does not require immediate safety and wellness attention, please call us. Phone is the best way for us to quickly assess and respond to urgent needs.
Share as much information as possible about who you are referring, if they are aware of your referral, and the nature of the concern. The more information we have, the more effective we can be in supporting a student.
Tell your student about your referral to CASS so they can anticipate outreach from a CASS member.
CASS members are bound by FERPA regarding the information that we can share about your student. We work to be collaborative in our approach to supporting students, but we prioritize student’s privacy and preferences whenever possible.
CASS staff members are not confidential employees. While we keep information about students and student concerns private, we do engage with University partners to respond to urgent health or well-being needs, and follow corresponding reporting obligations as Responsible Employees/Mandatory Reporters/Campus Security Authorities.

what else can you do?

If a student approaches you to share a difficult experience or circumstance, you can and should take active steps to be a part of their support network in addition to referring to CASS.

Clarify Expectations

When a student trusts you enough to share difficult information or a challenging situation, knowing who to report or refer the information to is critical in offering the best support possible. Be honest with the student and tell them you would like to refer them to additional support resources. Do not promise confidentiality but assure the student they any follow-up will be discreet.

Share What You Know

Provide the student any information that you have about available resources and make it clear that the best option could be referring them to additional people or offices, while emphasizing your role. It is not your responsibility to provide ongoing care for the student, but it is important to make a connection to the appropriate resource for that follow-up care.

Consult to Coordinate a Timely Response

Pay close attention to language alluding to self-harm or suicidal ideation/intent and consult with appropriate University personnel to coordinate care for the student as soon as possible. Always report serious or persistent behavior of this nature to CASS. In urgent circumstances, contact 911 or CASS on Call as appropriate.

Listen Sensitively and Carefully

Distressed students can be weary and cautious about sharing sensitive information. They may find it difficult to articulate their distress to you. Ask direct questions with care and compassion to help connect them to appropriate resources.

Be Mindful of Basic Needs

Students experiencing challenges that interfere with their access to basic needs like food, housing, and emergency financial support often find it challenging to know where to start when seeking support. Just like any other crisis, this can impact their ability to be academically successful. If you encounter a student struggling to meet basic needs, contact CASS. Learn more about our basic needs resources.

Take Care

Supporting a student can impact your personal wellbeing. CASS encourages you to access care services for yourself with resources from UVA, the community, or friends and family. Let CASS know if you need any additional support that we may be able to assist with.

Referral FAQs

Is it possible to remain anonymous when reporting a concern?: When referring to CASS, we encourage you to tell the student about the referral. This lets the student anticipate outreach and know that you are also a support resource for them. Identifying the referral source to the student is determined on a case-by-case basis and CASS cannot guarantee anonymity to referrer.
I've seen/heard/witnessed something I'd like to disclose.: CASS works to support students by connecting them to a variety of resources. Often disclosures are helpful context for our staff when framing conversations with students. CASS is able to receive information and disclosures but are bound to mandatory reporting guidelines.
Does Care and Support Services contact family members/emergency contacts?: CASS has the ability to contact family members and emergency contacts if we have reason to believe a student is a threat to self, others, or their wellbeing is at risk. CASS does not contact family and emergency contacts in all cases, and works to honor students’ preferences whenever possible.
Can you make my student contact me?: No. CASS can work with students and let them know that you have reached out in the hopes of connecting with your student, however, CASS will not facilitate communication between a student and referrer in this capacity.
Do I have to report what a student tells me?: If you are employed by the University and are a responsible employee (not confidential), you must adhere to the UVA Responsible Employee guidelines.