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Behavioral Intervention Resource Team (BIRT)

If you are having suicidal feelings, or having difficulty controlling the urge to hurt yourself or someone else, or know someone who is having these feelings,
seek help immediately (click here)

 

The Moreno Valley College Behavioral Intervention Resource Team (BIRT) provides support to facilitate, coordinate and provide for psychological evaluation and behavioral intervention when needed. The team monitors, "connects event dots," and is available as a behavioral intervention resource to prevent a crisis and promote emotional and behavioral wellness in a student of concern, so that student can function optimally in the classroom. Pro-active Behavioral Intervention Resource Team involvement helps prevent student crisis on a personal level, so that with early intervention, a distressed student can stay in school and accomplish his or her goals. Furthermore, by helping individual students, Moreno Valley College campus safety is enhanced for everyone.

Please feel free to contact any one of the Moreno Valley College Behavioral Intervention Team members should you be concerned about a student's behavior.

 

Contact
Information
Guidelines for
Emergencies
List of
Resources
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ)

 

Mission Statement

The Behavioral Intervention Resource Team (BIRT) addresses distressed, disruptive or dangerous behavior in students and offers assistance, education resources and consultation to faculty and staff in an effort to positively affect student retention and campus safety.

 

Meetings

  1. Meetings will be held every month during fall and Spring Semesters, and frequency may change depending on need.
  2. The committee will determine the schedule for winter and summer sessions according to need and availability of members.
  3. Minutes of meetings will be maintained by the office of the chair, Health Services
    Director.
  4. Telephone meetings may be called by any member should they decide a report they have taken cannot wait until the next meeting.

 

Agendas and Minutes

2016-2017

2015-2016

2014-2015

2013-2014

 

Guidelines:

  1. Goal is to intervene early to provide support and behavioral response to students displaying disruptive, disturbed or distressed behaviors.
  2. Disruptive behavior can occur in classrooms, online, via e-mail in writings or anywhere on the campus.
  3. Faculty or staff may report behaviors as:
    1. Sleeping in class more than 2-3 times
    2. Absence from class
    3. Acting out in class
    4. Poor preparation or inconsistent work product in class
    5. Excessive excuses/requests for exception to class work requirements
    6. Overly aggressive behavior toward others
    7. Limited ability for redirection or limit setting
    8. Impairment of thought, verbalization, or writings
    9. Poor Decision making capacity
    10. Strange or inappropriate behavior in the setting
    11. Overreaction to circumstances
    12. Violence, exhibited acting out, writings, verbalizations, endorsement of violence as seen in the media
    13. Delusional expressions, appearance of hallucinations, paranoid thoughts, related signs of psychosis
    14. Lack of expression, concern, commitment and inability to care
  4. Team members will determine the level of distress, disturbance or severe disturbance based on the following classifications.
    1. Distressed students
      • Students who are emotionally troubled
      • Individuals impacted by situational stressors and/or atraumatic event
      • Possibility of some psychiatric symptom
    2. Disturbed Students
      • Behaviorally disruptive, unusual or acting bizarrely
      • Show indications of a lack of touch with reality
      • Destructive, apparently harmful to others
      • Possibly substance abusing
      • Showing a complete lack of social norms in their behaviors
      • Erratic behavior
    3. Severely Disturbed Students:
      • Suicidal
      • Para-suicidal (self-injurious, eating disordered)
      • Individuals engaging in risk-taking behaviors (e g, substance abusing)
      • Hostile, aggressive, relationally abusive
      • Individuals deficient in skills that regulate emotion, cognition, self, behavior and
      • relationships

Assessment of risk will be done using the CUBIT Risk Rubric, and recommendations for intervention will be guided by this rubric. See Procedures.

 

Referrals:

  1. Faculty, staff or students may report distressed, disruptive or dangerous behavior to any team member.
  2. The team member will complete an incident report in preparation for the following
    BIRT meeting.
  3. The committee will decide from time to time who in the committee will be a central person to report by phone to other members in those cases deemed emergent Telephone triage will be noted at the bottom of the BIRT incident intake report form which is limited to the committee's use.
  4. If deemed an emergency by the team member, the team member will notify the Campus police (911 or 8171), then the Vice President of Student Services or his designee as soon as possible.
  5. The reporting person may remain anonymous.
  6. If an employee is reporting a difficult situation with another employee, the referring party should be told to contact Human Resources Director.
  7. The report will be discussed among members of the team at the next scheduled meeting, with a recommendation for action to the faculty member within one week of the BIRT meeting.
  8. Recommendations may or may not include consultation with the Dean, Student Services for disciplinary action or the Vice President Student Services.

 

Interventions: (In general, for specifics see Procedures)

  1. Distress: Confront and suggest resources
  2. Disturbed: Confront and Refer
  3. Severe Disturbance: Refer or intervene

 

Contact Information (including members):

  • Health Services office:
    • Phone number: (951) 571-6103
    • Location: PSC-6 (see map)

 

MVC Behavioral Intervention Resource Team (BIRT)


Dr. Dyrell Foster
VP of Student Services
BIRT Oversight
951-571-6120
Eugenia Vincent
Dean Student Services
Student Discipline
951-571-6384
Sgt. Tom Shenton
MVC
Police Sergeant
951-222-8171
Ann Yoshinaga
Dean
Academic Support
951-571-6383

Julio Gonzalez
Director, Middle College
High School
951-571-6409
Dr. Michael Paul Wong
Dean, Student Services
Counseling
951-571-6251
Dr. Nicole Smith
Director, Disability Support
Services
951-571-6317
Sue Tarcon
Director, Student Health
& Psychological Services
951-571-6103

Angela Boland
Student Employment
Personnel Specialist
951-571-6252
Dan Casella
Supervisor, Psychological
Services
951-571-6103
Frankie Moore
Student Activities
Coordinator
951-571-6149
Sr. Officer Shaun Frantz
MVC
Police Specialist
951-222-8171

 

In addition, electronically fillable "Disruptive Student Behavior" form is readily available on the Forms section for documentation purposes.

For emergencies or urgent needs outside the regular business hours of Health Services, the following agencies will connect you with someone who can evaluate your situation and provide help.

 

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY,
CALL 911

 

  • LOCAL RAPE CRISIS: 866-686-7273 (www.rarcc.org)
  • DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: 888-805-6455, or 800-226-4257
  • NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: 800-273-8255
    Suicide Prevention
  • NATIONAL HOPELINE NETWORK: 800-784-2433
    Suicide Prevention
  • CALIFORNIA YOUTH CRISIS LINE: 800-843-5200
    A statewide, toll-free, 24-hour, confidential hotline for youth age 12-24 for information, support, and referrals to local resources.

 

Less Urgent Matters

College can be an exciting time, and it can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful. Depression, anxiety, substance use, and eating disorders are common mental health issues experienced by students. Counseling and support services can help students identify and manage personal concerns, learn more about themselves, and make positive life changes. Talking about issues and concerns in a safe and confidential environment can enable students to become more successful in college and life.

 

Resources