Student Support Case Management

Refer Students CARE Team Student Assistance Fund

Overview

Located in the Undergraduate Deans Office, Student Support Case Management supports the holistic needs of Bryn Mawr’s undergraduate students by assisting students who are experiencing difficulties that interfere with learning, development, and success and ensures that they are connected to appropriate resources. Student Support Case Management partners closely with Bryn Mawr’s Class Deans, Health and Counseling Services, Access Services, Residential Life, Academic Support, and Financial Aid to provide comprehensive support to students. Student Support Case Management also convenes Bryn Mawr’s CARE Team; a multi-disciplinary team that coordinates interventions and support for students.

If you have immediate concerns for your safety or others, please contact Campus Safety at 610-526-7911.

Call Campus Safety

Refer a Student for Support

Student Support Case Management works with students who are experiencing concerns that may impact their academic success and well-being. To connect a student with Student Support Case Management, please use the OwlsCARE form. Students may also use this form to self-refer.

OwlsCARE Form

When to Refer a Student for Support

Bryn Mawr College faculty, staff, students, as well as student’s families and outside community members are encouraged to submit an OwlsCARE referral when they are concerned about an undergraduate Bryn Mawr student. Referrals should be submitted when a student is experiencing health and wellness challenges, complex personal situations, academic concerns, and financial concerns.

The OwlsCARE form is received and reviewed during normal business working hours. For emergencies, or if you believe someone is an immediate threat to themselves, others, or the campus community, please call 911 or Bryn Mawr Campus Safety at 610-526-7911.

CARE Team

Bryn Mawr’s CARE Team is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and responsive campus environment where students can thrive academically, emotionally, and personally. The CARE team works collaboratively with individuals across the Bryn Mawr community to identify and assist students in distress by coordinating early interventions to prevent crises. This includes connecting students to mental health care, housing, academic support, and other critical resources. The CARE Team’s goal is to play a vital role in supporting a culture of care across campus.

Staff members, faculty, friends, parents, family members, and community members are in critical positions to notice when an individual might benefit from assistance and additional support. If you notice a student displaying any of the academic, physical, emotional, or risky/dangerous behaviors listed below, or if you notice something just seems off, those are indicators that a referral to the CARE Team may be warranted. A referral to the CARE team allows trained administrators to objectively assess any level of risk to self or others that may exist and provide an opportunity to intervene and support those in need.

The CARE Team addresses behavior that occurs on and off campus for current students, and consists of representatives from the Dean of Students’ Office, Counseling Services, the Office of Student Integrity, Residential Life, Student Success, and Campus Safety. The CARE Team has authority from Bryn Mawr College to engage in behavioral intervention (gather data, assess risk, and deploy interventions). The CARE Team conducts its work in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), other applicable laws, and Bryn Mawr College policy.

OwlsCARE: Refer a Student to CARE Team

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Academic

Argumentative, frequent crosstalk, or non-compliance with reasonable faculty requests
Technology misuse/abuse
Poor focus or decrease in attention
Strange or concerning writing that is off topic from prompt
Disruptive, or unusual participation in class
Fixation or focus on an individual, place, or system
Hardened or inflexible thoughts or speech (e.g., unwilling to consider alternate thoughts or evidence)
Themes of suicide, death, and/or dying in papers/writing projects that are off topic from the prompt

Emotional

Emotions displayed to an extreme degree or for prolonged time (e.g., sadness, anxiety, fearfulness)
Inappropriate emotional outbursts (e.g., unprovoked anger/hostility, sobbing)
Expressions of hopelessness, isolation, or worthlessness
Themes of suicide, self-harm, or reference to death and dying
Change in typical personality without explanation (e.g., more outgoing, or more withdrawn than usual)
Difficulty connecting with the community, making social connections, etc.
Challenges coping with a life event (e.g., death in family, relationship breakup)
Marked irritability, anger, or hostility, frequent conflict with others
Disclosed mental health issue (e.g., depression, anxiety, mood disorder, eating disorder)
Strange or concerning behavior (e.g., seeing or hearing things other people don’t)
Delusional or paranoid speech or actions (e.g., statements/actions that demonstrate a clear detachment from reality)
Panic or excessive worry over relatively common troubles
Teasing or bullying; receiving or giving

Physical

Chronic fatigue or falling asleep at inappropriate times
Marked change in personal hygiene or appearance
Noticeable increase or decrease in energy level
Dramatic weight loss or weight gain
Impaired speech or confused disjointed thoughts
Frequently appears “hung-over” or attends class intoxicated
Noticeable signs of self-harm that seem unusual (e.g., cuts, burns)

Dangerous/Risky

Direct threat communicated to professor/instructor, staff, student, or other individual(s)
Expression of racist or discriminatory thoughts or other hardened beliefs
Bullying actions including cyberbullying
Self-injurious behaviors (e.g., cutting, burning)
Physical assault (e.g., pushing, shoving, punching)
Aggressive behavior (e.g., throwing objects, slamming doors)
Storming off when frustrated or angry
Conversations that are designed to upset others (e.g., discussions of weapons, violence, death)
Objectifying and depersonalizing language
Arguing with intent to embarrass, shame, or shut down others
Inability to care for oneself
Sexually harassing or aggressive actions toward others
Stalking behaviors, with or without intent to harm
Excessive alcohol or drug use
Profoundly disturbed or detached view of reality

The Student Assistance Fund was established through a donor gift to support Bryn Mawr’s undergraduate students that experience financial hardships due to unanticipated events or emergencies during their time at Bryn Mawr. All undergraduate Bryn Mawr students are eligible to apply to the Student Assistance Fund. Requests are reviewed by a committee comprised of administrators from Student Success, Student Life, the Impact Center, and Financial Aid. Students demonstrated financial need and their request are evaluated by committee members in making a funding determinations.

The Student Assistance Fund will resume reviewing applications at the beginning of the Fall semester. If there is an urgent need, please contact Lindsay Van Ostenbridge (lvanostenb@brynmawr.edu)

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Eligibility

To be eligible for Student Assistance Fund support, you must be:

A full-time undergraduate student
Enrolled in the current term in which funds are requested
Receive need-based financial aid
Able to show you have exhausted all need-based financial aid options available, including student loans

Can be eligible for advance payment or reimbursement.

Eligible Expenses

The following are examples of expenses that are eligible to be covered by the Student Assistant Fund:

Travel expenses due to a serious illness, death or emergency in the student’s immediate family
Essential dental work or eyeglasses for the student
Unforeseen medical expenses for the student
Replacement of essential personal belongings due to fire, theft or natural disaster
Safety needs, such as winter clothing for students from warm climates

Ineligible expenses for the Student Assistance Fund include:

Tuition and fees
Housing and Meal Plan Costs
Costs associated with Junior Year Abroad (JYA)
Books and supplies (this is covered by financial aid)
Loss of parent income due to COVID-19 – please contact the Financial Aid Office for questions, or see the financial aid change in circumstance process
Medical expenses of a family member (not the student) – please see financial aid change in circumstance process

Student Assistance Fund Committee

The committee is made up of representatives from Student Success, the Impact Center, and Financial Aid.

Additional Information

Note: Although some expenses are not eligible for the Student Assistance Fund, students are still encouraged to complete the online form. The Financial Aid Office will follow up with students who are ineligible for this funding to discuss the student's situation.

Students should pursue all other institutional financial resources, including student loans (Federal Loans for US citizens and Permanent Residents, Bryn Mawr Loans for students without US citizenship), before applying to receive funds. The amount given is determined by the need and subject to the availability of the funds. A student is typically eligible to receive funding once per academic year. Student assistance funds do not need to be repaid and are distributed on a case by case basis. Funds will be made available as soon as possible and are generally limited to $1000.

You may be contacted by a member of the Dean’s Office to discuss your circumstance and they will consult with campus partners, including the Financial Aid Office, if appropriate. This fund is not associated with the financial aid application process. Financial aid applicants who have special circumstances that relate directly to the financial aid process should contact the Financial Aid Office.

Student Assistance funding may create a taxable event that could require reporting to the IRS by the recipient.

From 2021 through June 2022, $39,775.58 was paid to students who experienced hardships. To request a copy of this report, email the Dean's Office (deansoffice@brynmawr.edu) in the Dean's Office.

Privacy Practices

Student Support Case Management conducts its work in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the staff are considered mandated reporters under Clery and Title IX.

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