“Working as a student support case manager in the Office of the Dean of Students and as a member of the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) is a dream. I get to help students find the support they need for whatever they’re going through. BIT is a multidisciplinary team that responds to concerns that friends, family or professors have about a student’s behavior. The team gathers information to assess their potential risk of harming themselves or others.

We’re not about kicking students out of school. If we get a report of concern, we’ll reach out and say, ‘You’re not in trouble. We really do want to help you.’ They’re not required to meet with us, but we want them to know that they matter. It’s really easy on a big campus for students to feel like they’re lost in the crowd, and we want to let them know someone cares. If they do want help, then we try to get them what they need, because so many students don’t know all of the resources at their disposal. We have great relationships with partners across campus like the victim-survivor advocates, Counseling Center, Center for Disability & Access, law enforcement and academics who all collaborate to do what’s best for the student. And we help support students who are in crisis. It’s not always a crisis that could escalate to violence. Maybe they lost a loved one or were in a car accident and they fell behind in their classes and think, ‘Oh, I just have to fail.’ Nope, that’s not the case. We have processes and can help you through them.

I am amazed by the resilience of our students. The reality is I’m just helping make the connections—the students are doing all the hard work.”

—Allison Frost, student support case manager, Office of the Dean of Students and BIT member