West Georgia Technical College KnightCARE Program Helps Students in Need
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magine being a college student and not having enough food to eat; struggling with a difficult math class; finding yourself in a domestic violence situation; suffering from debilitating depression and suicidal thoughts; or living on the streets because you have nowhere else to go. West Georgia Technical College, through an initiative implemented by the Technical College System of Georgia, created a team called KnightCARE to provide support for students just like these. "West Georgia Tech has been on the leading edge of this movement, and our team has collaborated effectively to help students who are in greatest need," says Dr. Kelly Steed, associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and chair of the KnightCARE team. KnightCARE is named after the school's mascot, the Golden Knights. The word "CARE" is an acronym for Campus Awareness Response and Evaluation. KnightCARE is a multidisciplinary team that meets regularly to review concerns shared by students and staff and determine how to provide assistance to individuals dealing with mental health issues, suicide risk, domestic violence or dangerous behavior. “The KnightCARE team coordinates a wide range of resources for students," she says. "Team members from academic affairs, student affairs, accessibility services, dual enrollment and campus safety work together on each of our cases. We help students in crisis find a counselor, connect with social service agencies or work with instructors when they need extensions on assignments. Our students are not always aware that the college provides these services at no additional cost, so we help them
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connect with the resources they need.” WGTC partners with Tanner Medical Center for its Golden Student Assistance Program to offer students sessions with a licensed counselor. Sometimes students may be afraid to ask for help, so the KnightCARE team practices something called active referrals. “Research shows that outcomes improve when we help the student make that first appointment with a therapist and follow up to see if they benefitted from the sessions," she explains. "We also stay in touch to find out what other types of support the student needs to ensure that they can remain enrolled and be successful academically." Occasionally, students need financial assistance or support from social service agencies, so WGTC maintains relationships with social service providers in all of the counties within its service region. "We sometimes work with homeless students," she says. "Others may be experiencing a domestic violence situation, and others may be single parents who don’t have childcare. They may need temporary housing, financial support, information about scholarship opportunities or job placement services. The college provides some of these resources, or we may refer them to an outside agency. We tailor each intervention to the person’s specific needs."
Campus Safety Ensuring the safety of WGTC’s campuses is another part of the KnightCARE team's mission. "Because of the nationwide concern about violence on college campuses, the KnightCARE team works with everyone in the WGTC community to detect warning signs and address safety concerns proactively,” she says. The college trains all faculty and staff on best practices for campus safety. “WGTC is fortunate to have a dedicated police force with fully trained, experienced officers," she says. "We have coverage from WGTC police every moment that one of our campuses is open." James Perry, WGTC’s chief of police, keeps the KnightCARE team updated on current research and laws impacting campus safety. WGTC police also lead safety teams on each campus to keep students and staff aware of the school’s procedures for dealing with emergencies. "WGTC has five campuses and three instructional
