The Dean’s Behavioral Intervention Team (DBIT) is a team of representatives from multiple campus units that develops a comprehensive response to critical incidents and students of concern. DBIT is concerned with the health and well-being of students and the campus community, confidentiality and privacy issues, and respect for student rights and the rights of others in the community who are affected by a student’s behavior. The Dean’s Behavioral Intervention Team is situated within the Dean of Students Office in order to ensure comprehensive, coordinated, and consistent care and response to critical incidents and students of concern. DBIT discusses the following types of incidents:
- Complicated situations in which a student’s behavior creates a real or perceived danger to him/her or others in the community; threat(s) of harm to self or others
- Repeated concerning behaviors indicating a pattern of instability or significant distress
- Behaviors that are disruptive to academic or living environments on campus
- Campus- or unit-wide scenarios that directly affect the well-being of multiple students or negatively impact a specific community
- Complex student situations that have or may have an impact the student’s ability to function successfully in the University community
DBIT gathers information about students of concern and/or critical incidents and assesses that information to develop a response strategy that addresses the needs of the student as well as the safety and well-being of the community. Team members will share information with others on campus as necessary, in order to manage or address the situation effectively. The team will identify a person(s)/unit(s) to be responsible for coordinated follow-up and response, and will continue to monitor the disposition of a case to gauge whether additional follow-up is needed, if the response was effective, and applicable lessons learned for future cases. The team will also make recommendations to university officials of appropriate actions consistent with university policies and procedures, when necessary.