Welfare & Wellness Checks that Help, Not Harm

Welfare and wellness checks are some of the most high-stakes interventions on campus, especially when they involve potential violence risk, suicidal behavior, or students living with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia-spectrum conditions. Done well, they can prevent harm, build trust, and connect students to the care they need. Done poorly, they can escalate risk, traumatize students, or create unnecessary conduct or criminal exposure.

This program provides a clear, practical framework for Residential Life staff, campus safety, sworn and non-sworn officers, and BIT/CARE teams to conduct welfare checks in a manner that is safe, trauma-informed, and behaviorally grounded. Using scenario-based learning and stepwise protocols, we address when and how to initiate checks; the respective roles of RAs, professional Res Life staff, BIT/CARE, counseling, and police; specific considerations for suicide risk, acute agitation, psychosis, and manic episodes; and strategies to avoid over-criminalization or stigmatizing responses. Participants will learn how to gather pre-visit information, approach doors, communicate clearly, assess immediate risks, document actions, and coordinate next steps and follow-up—all while prioritizing dignity, safety, and adherence to legal/ethical obligations.

Key Topics Include

• Decision points: When a check is warranted (and when it’s not), including threat-related reports, non-response patterns, third-party concerns, and suicidal indicators.
• Role clarity: Distinguishing responsibilities for RAs, professional staff, BIT/CARE, counseling, sworn and non-sworn officers; who leads, who supports, and how to coordinate in real time.
• Suicide risk focus: Core questions, observable red flags, immediate safety actions, and linkage to counseling/after-hours protocols.
• Responding to bipolar & schizophrenia-spectrum presentations: Recognizing warning signs of mania, psychosis, disorganized behavior, or escalating agitation; reducing sensory overload; avoiding provocative language; using calm, simple, non-confrontational approaches.
• Threat and safety considerations: Balancing officer safety, community safety, and student rights; managing weapons concerns, third-party threats, or credible targeted violence indicators.
• Trauma-informed practice: Minimizing unnecessary force, stigma, or public exposure; involving support persons when appropriate; documenting in neutral, behavioral language.
• Documentation & debrief: What to record, how to communicate outcomes to BIT/CARE, and how to debrief difficult checks to improve future response.

Learning Objectives

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

• Determine when and how to initiate a welfare/wellness check using clear behavioral, threat, and suicide-risk indicators, and route concerns through an agreed-upon decision framework.
• Conduct coordinated, trauma-informed welfare checks—whether led by Residential Life, sworn or non-sworn police, or jointly—that prioritize de-escalation, preserve student dignity, and address the specific needs of individuals experiencing suicidal crisis, manic episodes, or psychosis.
• Integrate welfare check outcomes into the broader campus safety net by documenting accurately, notifying BIT/CARE and clinical partners, and establishing follow-up plans that reduce future risk without over-pathologizing or criminalizing mental illness.

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.