Behavioral Intervention Team

Delaware County Community College is concerned about the health, welfare and safety of its students, faculty and staff. It is committed to providing an environment where individuals are able to learn, work and teach successfully. To this end, the College has established the Behavioral Intervention Team.

The Behavioral Intervention Team is a multi-disciplinary assessment group that will assess and respond to students, faculty and staff in apparent or potential distress at any of the College's campuses or sites. Although the team focuses on preventing a threat and/or crisis before it occurs, it will react to sudden or crisis behavioral concerns when they occur. It is not meant to take the place of standard classroom management techniques, alter the student code of conduct or replace other processes, including the complaint or harassment processes. The team provides a structure that allows all community members to be actively engaged in creating a safe environment, and it centralizes the reporting of concerning behavior, publicizes current policy and encourages early intervention.

Please be advised that this reporting resource is monitored from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If your concern is an emergency please call 911. If you are having a psychological crisis or mental health emergency, please either call 911 or proceed to your nearest crisis unit. You may also call The Delaware County Crisis Connection Team at 1-855-889-7827, the Chester County Crisis Service at 610-280-3270 or in Philadelphia 215-686-4420.

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Goals

• Balance needs of the individual and those of the College
• Provide consultation and support to faculty and staff
• Connect members of the College community to needed resources
• Provide a formal protocol for addressing behaviors that impact the College community
• Review information reported by faculty, staff and students; centralize the collection of concerning behaviors; and conduct thorough investigations
• Determine and initiate appropriate response
• Coordinate follow-up, ensure that services, support and resources are deployed effectively 

Reasons for referral

• Concern about a person's behavior
• A person's behavior indicates acute personal distress
• A person exhibits bizarre behavior
• Concern a person is suffering from impaired mental status 
• Concern the person may be suicidal
• A pattern of disruptive or disturbing behavior 

Protocol

Reports or referrals to the Behavior Intervention Team may be made by faculty, staff or students. When a referral is submitted through the website, each team member immediately receives the report via email. The team evaluates each report during regular meetings to address the appropriate response to each individual.

Potential Outcomes

The team may:

• Recommend no action, pending further observation
• Assist faculty or staff in developing a plan of action
• Refer student to existing on-campus support resources
• Refer employee to services through Employee Assistance Program
• Refer individual to appropriate community resources
• Facilitate a meeting between concerned parties
• Mandate psychological assessment
• Recommend voluntary or involuntary removal from a class or the College
• Make other recommendations consistent with College policies or procedures

Team Members

• Grant Snyder, Vice Provost for Student and Instructional Support Services (chair)
• Mary Jo Boyer, Acting Provost
• Raymond Viscusi, Director of Safety & Security
• Christine Doyle, Counselor
• Charles Schnur, Director of Student Conduct
• Mitch Murtha, Dean of Counseling & Completion Services
• Amy Williams-Guadioso, Assistant Dean of Retention & Completion
• Rich McFadden, Assistant Dean of Public Service & Social Sciences
• Ann Binder, Director of Disability Services

FAQ

Who can submit a report?
Anyone who is concerned about the behavior of a student or employee of the College is encouraged to use the incident report form. Some students may feel more comfortable reporting a concern to counselors, faculty or staff members who will send the information to the BIT.

Should I approach the person first?
Whenever possible, you should express your concern directly to the person.

What if I'm not ready to make a report, but I just need some advice about handling a student issue?
You can also contact the Vice Provost for Student and Instructional Support Services (610-359-4145), the site coordinator at a location or the counseling services at any of the locations for consultation on a concern. These individuals can provide tips, idea and resources on how to approach a situation.

What if I'm not sure if I should report the concern?
You are registering a concern based on an observed behavior (e.g. verbal exchange, disruption, inappropriate action) not making a determination. Let the Behavioral Intervention Team weigh the information and decide if gathering more information is warranted.

How do I know if the concerning behavior is a BIT issue or is more appropriately handled by other College resources?
You do not need to make this determination. The critical step is that you report the concerning behavior. If another College resource is more appropriate, the BIT will refer the person and transfer the information to that resource.

What will happen after I make a referral?
BIT team members evaluate every report and make a decision about whether the person should be assessed or interviewed.

Will the person get in trouble?
The focus of the BIT is caring and concern and making sure the person is appropriately supported. If there is an alleged conduct violation for a student, it could be referred to the Office of Student Conduct or for a faculty/staff member to Human Resources.

Can I submit anonymously?
You are encouraged to identify yourself because this may assist the BIT if clarification or additional information is needed. Anonymous reports will be evaluated.

What should I do if I have a question not answered above?
All questions and suggestions are welcomed. You can contact the Vice Provost for Student and Instructional Support Services (610-359-4145) or the site coordinator at a location.  

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