West Georgia Technical College KnightCare

West Georgia Technical College KnightCARE Program Helps Students in Need

Imagine 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 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 sites in seven different counties, so we have to identify safety risks and work with those situations before they escalate into a crisis,” she explains. "We may see an alarming social media post, observe distressed behaviors in class or overhear something in a conversation that concerns us. When any kind of threat is involved, we take that very seriously. We want to assure our students we are doing everything we can to protect their safety when they are on campus."

Addressing Suicide Risk

WGTC is currently implementing a campaign to help students and faculty become aware of the warning signs of suicide. The campaign teaches students and staff how to identify warning signs sent by someone who is thinking about suicide; for example, posts in an online discussion forum that disclose prior suicide attempts, classroom behaviors that suggest worsening mental health symptoms or comments to friends about feeling overwhelmed or helpless.

"Individuals often plan suicide attempts in advance and give clues ahead of time," she explains. "We want our students and staff to know that we’re paying attention to those signals. We talk about the importance of establishing a baseline and understanding what the person’s 'normal' is. If someone who’s usually outgoing and talkative suddenly becomes withdrawn, stops showing up for class or work, or looks like they haven’t slept, those can be warning signs. Helping someone get into therapy and simply making them aware that people at WGTC care about them can make a positive difference."

Donating to the WGTC Foundation is one way the community can help. The foundation provides emergency funding that can be a game-changer for WGTC students or staff members.

“There is a significant amount of poverty in our college community," she says. "When we hear of these concerns, the WGTC Foundation provides funding to assist with financial needs. Another way the community can help is to inform WGTC if they provide any type of social services in our region so the KnightCARE team can help students connect with them.

"I’m proud of the work we do. I think that’s because we all share a common sense of purpose and sincerely care about the well-being of our students. Everyone puts aside their individual roles and comes together to do whatever we can to serve the college community. That’s why we're here." WGW