Referring Confidently with CARE: Steps and Strategies for Submitting CARE Referrals

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Presenters: Amanda Sanford and Gina Loschiavo

Summary

In this presentation, Amanda Sanford and Gina Loschiavo from PCC’s Division of Student Support and Intervention detail how faculty and staff can effectively submit CARE referrals to support students facing personal, academic, or life challenges. The presenters explain the broader scope of their division, which oversees CARE referrals, Urgent Student Needs Funding, Title IX, student conduct, and college appeals. They highlight that CARE referrals make up the majority of their workload, supporting students with basic needs, mental health concerns, housing instability, and navigating college processes.

The speakers share practical strategies for talking to students about referrals. They demonstrate how to use role articulation, reflect a student’s language, and set clear, supportive boundaries both in person and over email. Additionally, they walk through the step-by-step process of filling out the online referral form, emphasizing the importance of using objective, fact-based language. Finally, the coordinators clarify what happens after a referral is submitted, how student outreach works, key limitations of the student-led process, and criteria for specialized resources like Urgent Student Needs Funding.

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Presentation Outcomes

  • Understand the scope and purpose of CARE referrals within PCC’s Division of Student Support and Intervention.
  • Apply effective communication techniques, including language mirroring and role articulation, when discussing CARE referrals with students.
  • Identify the types of student concerns supported through CARE referrals, including basic needs, academic struggles, and mental health challenges.
  • Submit effective CARE referrals using objective, fact-based descriptions and direct student quotes.
  • Recognize the post-submission workflow, student outreach procedures, and the voluntary nature of CARE support.
  • Distinguish when to refer a student for CARE support versus academic advising, Title IX, or immediate 24/7 crisis intervention.

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