Documentation Standards for BIT/CARE Teams

Effective documentation is one of the most powerful tools available to Behavioral Intervention and CARE teams for mitigating risk and coordinating care. Clear, timely, and consistent records not only support continuity of care for students, faculty, and staff but also create an auditable trail that demonstrates sound decision-making, adherence to policy, and alignment with best practices. This session will outline practical standards for BIT/CARE documentation, including what belongs in a note (and what does not), how to capture the “just right” level of detail, and how to ensure all team members are using shared formats and language.

Using real-world examples and a structured framework, presenters will address common pitfalls, such as emotional, sparse, overly technical, or creative-writing-style notes, and replace them with models that emphasize objectivity, clarity, and action. Participants will leave with concrete strategies to standardize note formats across platforms (e.g., Maxient or comparable systems), reduce liability exposure, support cross-departmental collaboration, and make it easier for any team member (or external reviewer) to understand what occurred, how risk was assessed, and why specific interventions were chosen.

Guidance Example:

• Poor: “Student is a mess and clearly not coping. Went off on their professor and is probably dangerous. We talked about it and decided to keep an eye on them.”
• Better: “Alex, a second-year student, was referred by faculty after raising their voice in class, leaving abruptly, and stating, ‘You’ll regret this’ when presented with a failing exam grade. BIT/CARE reviewed available reports and assessed the behavior as moderate concern, with no specific, credible threat identified at this time. Action items: Case manager to meet with Alex within 48 hours; counseling outreach to be initiated; faculty to be provided guidance on reporting any additional concerning behavior. Pathways triage level: Moderate. Follow-up scheduled for next BIT meeting.”

Learning Objectives

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Describe the essential elements of high-quality BIT/CARE documentation, including who, what, where, when, why, how, triage level, and action steps, and explain how consistent documentation supports safety, continuity of care, and legal defensibility.
• Differentiate between effective and ineffective case notes (e.g., overly brief, overly emotional, technical/jargon-heavy, or narrative/fiction-style entries) and revise documentation to reflect objective, concise, and policy-aligned standards.
• Implement a standardized documentation process (such as DAP, DART, SOAP, or a team-adapted template) within a secure case management system to ensure timely entries, reduce duplicate records, and promote shared accountability across all team members.

InterACTT has teamed with DPrep Safety to share these monthly conversations related to threat and violence risk assessment in K-12, college, and workplace cases. Our team and expert guests will discuss topics related to risk and protective factors, interviewing techniques, deception detection, impression management, social media threat, incels, white supremacy, gatekeeping/triage, behavioral intervention teams, cultural competency, report writing, and case management.