What is the Behavioral Intervention Team?
Wayne State College is committed to providing a safe educational environment for all students and employees. The Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) serves as an information clearinghouse and early intervention vehicle to assess and manage potentially dangerous situations and to assist students experiencing difficulty. The team also serves as a resource to faculty, staff, and students who may have a concern about another member of the campus community.
Referrals to the BIT may be made by any member of campus community by contacting the Dean of Students. Information received will be handled confidentially, with the purpose of assisting the student, faculty, or staff person named. The regular meetings allow each part of the team to react in a timely manner to campus issues.
BIT members include Campus Security, Wayne Police Department, Counseling, Residence Life, and Student Services representatives.
What to do: Recognize, Respond, Refer, Report
Recognize: Become familiar with and acknowledge signs of distress.
Respond: Respond directly to students in a non-judgmental manner, listen to students’ concerns.
Refer: Learn your limits as a caregiver. Call 911 to request law enforcement and/or medical staff to handle life-threatening situations. Refer students to the Counseling Center, Kanter Student Center 103, phone 402-375-7321 for mental health issues.
Report: Report your concerns via the online form [here], email the BIT team, or call the Dean of Students at 402-375-7213
Emergencies and non-emergencies
If it is an emergency, call 911. Emergencies include:
- Medical situations where individual has loss of consciousness, seizure, etc.
- Behavioral event when student poses an immediate threat to self or others.
If you have a non-emergency concern to report, complete the online form.
Call 402-375-7216: If you have questions, the Campus Security number is answered 24/7. If Campus Security is not available to answer the phone, calls roll over to the Wayne, Nebraska Wayne Police Department Dispatcher.
Provide as much information as possible when you report
Regardless of the route followed to report, each entity needs the same kind of information: 911 dispatchers, the form, and/or calls to the non-emergency Campus Security number 402-375-7216!
- Student, employee, or other’s name and ID (if known)
- Brief factual description of the incident or behavior
- Direct quotes whenever possible
- Where and When the Incident occurred
- Names and contact information of witnesses
- Your name, position and complete contact information
- Include all emails or other information available, e.g. Facebook screen shots
- Save voice recordings, text messages, emails or other electronic messages
How to know when to make a report
Identifying students who need help – student may exhibit one or more of the behaviors noted below. Please also list other concerns not included in this list.
- An incident and/or confrontation occurs that disrupts usual tasks of the classroom or other parts of campus
- A person appears confused or lost, seems unaware of their surroundings
- Loss of interest in previously important activities
- Less care about personal appearance than typical for that person
- Recent drop in grades, missed classes, late assignments
- Unruliness and/or disrespect toward others that may be disjointed, odd, or unusual
- Talking or writing about suicide or intended violence toward others
- Abrupt changes and/or swings in mood, e.g. angry to withdrawn
- Attending class under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs
- Other – please specify
Protocol
The WSC BIT considers all referrals and associated information respectful of the privacy of all parties. After a report is submitted online, the BIT team receives the information via email. For reports that require immediate attention, the BIT convenes immediately to develop an appropriate response. Non-emergency referrals are discussed during regular BIT meetings.
Action Steps following a referral
• BIT team members will review the incident
• Additional information may be requested from the reporter and/or witnesses
• BIT members assess threat to the campus
• Appropriate intervention is determined and/or action is taken
• Feedback is provided (when appropriate and in keeping with state and federal guidelines)