KU Care Referral Team Expands Services to Employees

University of Kansas Student Affairs and Human Resources announce an expansion and renaming of the Student Care Referral Team (SCRT). The team has been renamed the Support and Care Referral Team and will extend services to support the well-being of KU employees.

Jeff Stolz, Director of Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Katie Varner, Director of Employee Relations, both in Human Resources, have joined the SCRT.
 
The SCRT has been assisting students and the KU community since its inception in 2008. The addition of Student Support and Case Management in 2018 greatly enhanced the network of support and care for students in our community. Extending services to now include employees aligns with KU’s Jayhawks Rising objective to Improve Health and Wellness under the Healthy and Vibrant Communities priority.

When is a Care Referral Appropriate?
Members of the KU community are encouraged to provide referrals when they have reason to believe someone is struggling and may need care and support. Signs a care referral may be appropriate include:

• An individual is experiencing significant distress due to personal, financial, academic or work factors.
• An individual is experiencing a significant mental health or medical issue and needs guidance for how and where to get help.
• An individual needs assistance finding and navigating resources and doesn’t know where to begin or how to access help, and you are not equipped to offer that support.
• Anytime you are concerned about the safety of someone in our community, particularly if you are concerned they may cause harm to themselves or others.

Reminders

• Whenever possible, address your concerns directly with the individual for whom you have concern in a private and supportive manner. Offer to connect them to SCRT through a referral.
• Care referrals are private but not confidential. A member of the SCRT will reach out to you and the individual to gather information, learn more about needs, and offer resources, supportive policies and other supports.
• The SCRT is not an emergency resource and does not replace the need to call 911 or 988 (suicide and crisis lifeline) in situations for which you have imminent safety concerns. A care referral after the emergency call can be helpful to connect the person to resources and supports after emergency services have responded.

Learn more about the Support and Care Referral Team. Learn more about wellness resources available to KU employees.

Contact: Jennifer Wamelink, Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Chair of the Support and Care Referral Team (wamelink@ku.edu)