USF Cares

USF’s Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) team meets weekly to promote student success and campus safety by facilitating the identification and support of individuals who demonstrate behaviors that may be early warning signs of possible troubled, disruptive or violent behavior. The team collaborates, collects information, identifies risks and intervenes when appropriate to protect students from harming themselves or others. The Behavioral Intervention Team uses a proactive approach that balances the needs of the student who may be in crisis and the overall safety of the campus community. The BIT team is also trained and serves as the threat assessment team on campus when the need arises.

Behavioral Intervention Team Members 

• Dean of Student Life
• Vice President of Mission Integration
• Directory of Safety & Security
• Director of Institutional Diversity and Title IX Coordinator
• USAP Counselor
• As needed: Campus Nurse, Director of Residence Education and Student Life, Office of Accessibility Services, Director of the Academic Center for Excellence, Assistant Director of Safety & Security

Behavioral Intervention Team Goals

• To provide early intervention for individuals in crisis
• To assist individuals in mitigating sources of distress and get them back on a path towards success
• To serve as a centralized resource for collecting and evaluating information
• To promote and support campus safety
• To educate the campus community about identifying concerning behaviors and the role of intervention teams
• To foster a culture of reporting
• To balance individual privacy with community safety

Behavioral Signs of Concern

• Statement of harm to self or others
• Aggressive behavior
• Marked changes in appearance/behavior
• Bias-related statements
• Fascination with violence/weapons
• Problems with drugs/alcohol
• Bizarre behavior
• Depressed mood
• Heightened anxiety
• Difficulty relating to others
• Disruptive behavior
• Work-related problems

When to Report

If a concern involves an immediate safety risk to self or others, please call 911 or the Safety & Security team at 815-740-3200. It is the responsibility of faculty, staff, and students to report any situation that could possibly result in harm to anyone at the university. Any member of the campus community may become aware of a troubling person or situation that is causing serious anxiety, stress, or fear and, if so, this information should be provided to the BIT Team.

The Unusual Incident Report is an easy-to-use tool to share nonemergency-related concerns about student behaviors and potential barriers to success. Staff from the Dean of Student Life’s office lead the coordination of these reports and are trained to assist. Any individual connected with the USF community is welcome to submit a Unusual Incident Report. Upon submission, the referrer will receive a receipt confirming the referral, which indicates staff will activate a coordinated response to support the student or students involved.

Threat Assessment Team Response

As appropriate to the circumstances of a particular situation, the Behavioral Intervention Team may engage in activities that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Gathering information from multiple sources (on campus and outside the institution) regarding the person or situation of concern and evaluating the information to determine whether the person or situation of concern poses a threat of violence, self-harm, or both;
• Developing, implementing, and monitoring intervention strategies and management plans, which are designed to respond appropriately to statements, behavior and/or circumstances that generate concern that an individual may pose a threat.
• Coordinating with appropriate authorities, including law enforcement, medical personnel, and other outside agencies, as appropriate;
• Implementing reporting protocols and developing strategies to encourage reports from the campus community;
• Assisting in conducting periodic campus-wide awareness education for students, staff, and faculty regarding threat assessment, threat management, pertinent information-sharing issues, and the team’s responsibilities.

The university has specific policies that are important for each student to be aware of. Click here to visit the MyUSF Portal and review links to various policy documents in the Student Handbook.

The University of St. Francis is dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure learning, teaching and working environment. For more information on our safety protocols, visit the Safety & Security page.

A complaint expresses serious dissatisfaction concerning a University of St. Francis employee, department, service, process or an administrative action by the university that requires clarification, investigation and/or resolution because the student believes the result to be unfair or inconsistent with USF policy or usual practices. Click here to review or submit the USF Complaint Form.

Joliet has many medical facilities to turn to in an emergency. Specific policies regarding returning to campus following a hospitalization can be reviewed here, under “Emergency & Hospital Policies.”

Every member of the University of St. Francis community should be aware that St. Francis is strongly opposed to discrimination, including sexual harassment, and that such behavior is prohibited by university policy. It is the intention of the university to take whatever action may be necessary to prevent, correct, and, if necessary, discipline for behavior which violates this policy. Click here to read more about USF Title IX policies and information.