Care Team
The UAA Care Team is a multidisciplinary group that works to promote a safe, caring and productive learning, living and working environment at UAA.
what the Care Team does and who is on it
what happens after a Care Report is submitted
what happens to records and retention policy
more detailed info for staff, faculty and other institutions
For more information about when and how to reach out for help for a student:
Submit a Care Report
(This form is hosted on a third-party, secure and private database called Maxient.)
If you have trouble submitting a report online, call the Dean of Students Office 907-786-1214 or email uaa_careteam@alaska.edu.
When to Reach Out to the Care Team
If you are concerned about a student, friend, or family member who attends UAA, the UAA Care Team is here to help them.
In the case of emergencies, please call 911 first.
Emergencies include (but are not limited to):
- Suicidal thoughts with a plan (method, time or place to complete suicide)
- Suicidal thoughts and unwilling to receive help or participate in a plan to remain safe
- Engaging in life-threatening self-harm (e.g., significant substance abuse, extreme disordered eating, frequently driving under the influence)
- Threatening violence to someone else
- Incapacitated from substance abuse
- Unable to function independently (hallucinating, detached from reality)
After calling 911, please submit a Care Report.
Typical Behaviors Reported to the Care Team
Recognizing that everyone is unique, the following list of behaviors are not exhaustive, just a starting point if you are concerned about a student. (Students are also welcome to refer themselves to the Care Team!) In particular, note if the student is acting in a manner different from their normal behavior—this often warrants a closer look by the Care Team.
Emotional Signs
- Inappropriate emotional outbursts (e.g., unprovoked anger or hostility, sobbing)
- Exaggerated personality traits—more withdrawn or more animated than usual
- Expressions of hopelessness, fear, or worthlessness
- Themes of suicide, death, or dying in papers/projects, when not part of a course topic or project
- Direct statements indicating distress, family problems, or other difficulties
Physical Signs
- Falling asleep in class or other inopportune places
- Dramatic change in energy level (either more or less)
- Worrisome changes in hygiene or personal appearance
- Significant changes in weight (either gain or loss)
- Signs of intoxication (bleary-eyed, hung-over, smelling of alcohol or marijuana)
- Noticeable cuts, bruises, or burns
Academic Signs
- Deterioration in quality/quantity of work
- A negative change in classroom or research performance (e.g., drop in grades)
- Repeated missed assignments or exams
- Repeated absences from class or from research / science lab
- Disorganized or erratic performance
- Decline in enthusiasm in class (e.g., no longer choosing a seat in the front of the room)
Concerning Behaviors
- Bias or otherwise fixated thoughts (e.g., not just expressed once to antagonize)
- Bullying behaviors
- Direct communicated threat to a professor, another student, or a staff member
- Prolonged non-verbal passive aggressive behaviors (e.g., sitting with arms crossed, glaring or staring, refusal to speak or respond to questions or directives)
- Self-injurious behavior (e.g., evidence of cutting, burning, bruising, or exposing previously unexposed self-injuries)
- Physical assault (e.g., pushing, shoving, or punching)
- Throwing objects or slamming doors
- Conversations that are designed to upset others (e.g., descriptions of weapons, killing, or death)
- Psychotic, delusional and/or rambling speech
- Arrogant or rude talk to a professor, staff member or other students
- Objectifying language that depersonalizes the professor, other students and/or a staff member
How and Who To Reach Out To
Care Team Availability
The UAA Care Team is available during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm), but does not have on-call services nor monitor cases that come in during evenings or weekends.
Outside Business Hours Options
To assist a student in crisis outside of normal business hours, please do one or more of the following:
- call University police at 907-786-1120 or local police
- contact community resources such as:
- Alaska Careline at 877-266-4357 (for individuals having thoughts of suicide)
- Providence Hospital Psychiatric Emergency Department 907-563-3200
- go to a local hospital emergency room
After taking these important steps, then submit a Care Report and indicate the other actions that have been taken.
Students Living On Campus
To assist a student in crisis who is in on-campus housing, call the Resident Advisor-on-Duty. Contact information for the Department of Residence Life (DRL) can also be found on the DRL website.
- For residents who live in the Main Apartment Complex (MAC), please call 907-529-9176.
- For residents who live in North Hall, please call 907-306-9685.
- For residents who live in the Templewood Townhomes or East Hall, please call 907-529-9178.
- For residents who live in West Hall, please call 907-312-3308.
- For residents living on-campus over the summer, please call 907-529-9176.
After taking these important steps, then submit a Care Report and indicate the other actions that have been taken.
Family or Community Members
Family or community members who would like to communicate concerns regarding student safety and well-being:
- If it is of a pressing nature, please contact University Police at 907-786-1120.
- For less pressing matters, family or community members are also welcome to submit reports to the UAA Care Team directly using the online report form.
- The Care Team is available to talk to family or community members about services that the Care Team provides and can be reached at 907-786-1214 or uaa_careteam@alaska.edu.