Threat Assessment Team

Students of Concern Team Mission



The mission of the Students of Concern Team (SOC) is to promote a safe and healthy learning environment at UW-Stout by assessing and coordinating response to students whose behavior raises concern for serious health and safety risks to themselves or other members of the campus community.

Purpose

The purpose of the SOC is to serve as a central network focused on prevention and early intervention in community situations involving students experiencing extreme distress or engaging in harmful or disruptive behaviors.  The Team will provide collaborative consultation and develop strategies to address concerns regarding students’ well-being or behavior that is potentially harmful to self and/or others or is disruptive and/or threatening.  This team will regularly assess these situations in the university community and will recommend and/or take action in accordance with existing university policy.

Typical consultations may involve students with suicide risk, eating disorders, alcohol and drug problems or aggressive/disruptive behavior.  Behavior of concern may be demonstrated physically, verbally, or in writing.

Responsibilities

  • Receive, investigate, respond to and track information about difficult situations involving students. 
  • Develop specific strategies to manage potentially harmful or disruptive behavior with regard to safety and rights of others and minimize the disruption to the university community.
  • Make recommendations to university officials on appropriate action consistent with university policies and procedures.
  • Evaluate, recommend and implement university policies in relation to the coordination of university response to potentially harmful or disruptive behaviors/situations.

 

Team Members and Responsibilities

Representatives from the Dean of Students Office, Counseling Center, Health Center, University Housing, Disability Services and University Police will serve on the team.  Other university officials may be asked to serve on the team in specific situations as needed.  The Team will consult with UW System Legal Council as needed. 

The team will meet weekly during the academic year, and as needed when school is not in session.

Chair Functions

The Dean of Students will serve as the team chairperson.  Chair functions include but are not limited to the following:

  • Prepare meeting agenda
  • Facilitate meeting and managing meeting time
  • Ensure post meeting follow up

Member Responsibilities

  • Add new students to weekly agenda as much in advance as possible
  • Bring relevant information about students on agenda to meetings
  • Participate in fact finding, team discussion and team decision making
  • Follow up and implement team recommendations
  • Maintain confidentiality

 

Team Access

All members of the Team will be available to consult with members of the University community regarding students at risk.  Team members should consult with the chair or other team member to determine if a student needs to be addressed before the next scheduled meeting.  Faculty and staff in need of consultation may contact any member of the team and present the facts of the situation.  Access persons will triage requests and determine appropriateness and level of priority.   The concerned faculty/staff member will be encouraged to attend the team meeting to discuss the situation with the team.  The team will respond to all situations in as timely a manner as possible. 

Educating Campus Community About When/How to Use SOC

Information about how to access the team will be disseminated at the beginning of each fall semester via e-mail/university mail to the university community.  The notice will present the team’s efforts as a proactive measure and will include how to request team consultation. 

A process will be developed by the Team to further educate key stakeholders regarding how/when to access the SOC Team.

Team Procedures

Regarding each student situation the Team will:

  • Review university policies related to the management of behavior that is potentially harmful to self and/or others or is disruptive/threatening to the community.
  • Work on setting appropriate behavioral boundaries within existing university policies
  • Examine specific departmental procedures and recommend a course of action. 
  • Consider specific issues including the assessment of potential violence, evidence of mental health issues, environmental causes etc., and make recommendation for containment of the disruption and for utilization of resources.

Potential Outcomes:

  • No action necessary
  • Behavior Agreement
  • Assist faculty, staff or department to develop a plan of action
  • Referral to on campus resources
  • Referral to appropriate community resources
  • Parental/Family Notification
  • Voluntary medical leave of absence
  • Disciplinary Action
  • Involuntary withdrawal from school

Outcome Tracking

An annual review of all of the students discussed by SOC will be conducted to assess academic, behavioral and referral outcomes.

Documentation and Confidentiality

Administrative notes of the meetings will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file by the Dean of Students Office.  These notes will document the students discussed, the situation prompting concern, any plan of action, and the party or parties responsible for following up.  Team members may also maintain their own documentation for the purpose of sharing relevant information in their own offices. 

Sharing of information by individual team members will be guided by the respective legal and professional standards of confidentiality governing their work. In cases involving protected medical and mental health treatment information, written authorization may need to be obtained prior to releasing information at the team meeting.

Team Members

Joan Thomas
Dean of Students
Phone: 715/232-1181
E-mail: thomasj@uwstout.edu

John Achter
Director, Counseling Center
Phone: 715/232-2468
E-mail: achterj@uwstout.edu

Ann Hoffman
Assistant Director, University Housing
Phone: 715/232-2353
E-mail: hoffmanan@uwstout.edu

Janice Lawrence-Ramaeker
Director, Student Heath Services
Phone: 715/232-2114
E-mail: ramaekerj@uwstout.edu

Deb Shefchik - Chair
Director, Disability Services
Phone: 715/232-2995
E-mail: shefchikd@uwstout.edu

Lisa Walter
Chief, University Police
Phone: 715/232-2266
E-mail: walterl@uwstout.edu

Additional Information