Care and Support Team

Student Care and Support Team

The Student Care and Support Team recognizes that university can be a stressful time for many students and situations can occur where students may require additional support. Students may encounter a sudden change in circumstances or experience ongoing challenges that cause unexpected setbacks in their academic journey. The role of the Student Care and Support Team is to work one-on-one with students to identify and assess their various needs, facilitate access to supports, and follow-up with students, as needed.

What is a Care and Support Manager?

The role of a Care and Support Manager is to support students with any questions or concerns they may have relating to their academics, well-being, finances or any other challenges they may be experiencing. A Care and Support Manager is a point of contact for students to access information and resources on-campus or in the community. It is important to note that a Care and Support Manager is not a crisis responder. If you or a student you know is experiencing a personal crisis and needs immediate support, please refer to our Get Help Now page.

What Will a Care and Support Manager Do?

A Care and Support Manager will review a Care Report and will send an outreach by email to the student within 1-2 business days. The outreach will include booking links to schedule a meeting with a manager of their choice to further discuss their situation. The Care and Support Manager will meet with the student, listen to their needs, offer relevant resources, and connect the student to appropriate supports either on-campus or within the community. Care and Support Managers collaborate with other departments on campus and rely on their expertise to support student success. In complex or multifaceted cases, the manager may follow-up after the initial meeting to ensure that the student continues to be well-supported and confident moving forward with their academics. It is important to note that a Care and Support Manager does not provide crisis support or counselling. To access crisis support, please refer to our Get Help Now page. To access Counselling Services, please visit our Counselling Services webpage.

Members of the Carleton community including faculty, staff, and students can reach out to the Student Care & Support Team for any of the reasons below:

  • A student is experiencing circumstances that are negatively impacting their academic, personal, or financial situation
  • A student is transitioning to or from their studies due to medical leave and/or hospitalization
  • A student needs assistance navigating their options for support
  • A student is struggling or in distress and does not know who or where to reach out


Faculty and staff can reach out to the Student Care & Support Team by submitting a Care Report. Students may also wish to submit a Care Report on behalf of themselves or a peer.

Frequently Asked Questions for Students

A counsellor provides guidance on personal, social, and psychological problems. They can offer professional advice on coping mechanisms, processing emotions and more. A Care and Support Manager assists students with identifying and connecting to appropriate resources to suit their needs, which may include a referral to counselling services.

Yes. You can reach out to a Care and Support Manager at any point during your time at Carleton. You can reach out on behalf of yourself and/or another student at Carleton.

You will receive an email with booking links to schedule a meeting with a manager of your choice.

No. Meetings with the Student Care and Support Team are voluntary unless specified otherwise by the Office of the Associate Vice President Student Health & Wellness. Sometimes a concerned friend, faculty, or staff member will refer a student who they believe may benefit from additional support; however, you may not feel the need to access our services at that time.

You are welcome to decline our services or connect with us at a later date if needed. The person who referred you will not be notified of your decision to access or decline support.

No, you will not be charged for a change in your ability to attend a scheduled meeting.

Please email carereports@cunet.carleton.ca to inform us of your absence and our team will reach out to reschedule your appointment.

During your initial meeting the Care and Support Manager will introduce themselves and their role at Carleton. They will invite you to discuss your situation and identify any barriers you may be facing. They will recommend resources and services to access on campus or in the community that would be beneficial to your circumstances. The Care and Support Manager will assist in connecting you to those supports and may follow-up with you as needed.

Most students require just one meeting with a Care and Support Manager. Once you are referred to the appropriate service or resources, you can engage in support from that team moving forward.

If another concern presents itself, you are welcome to connect with our team again. In some cases, a student may attend additional meetings or receive periodic check-ins from their manager if the manager feels this would be beneficial and/or under the advice of the Associate Vice President Student Health & Wellness.

Your privacy is protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The Student Care and Support Team is the only entity who will have access to your information. Your information will only be shared outside of our team when you have provided your consent.

The only exception to this occurs when there is an imminent concern for the safety of yourself or others. In these situations, we may need to consult with Campus Safety Services, Ottawa Police Services, and/or your emergency contact.

Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty and Staff

You should refer a student to the Student Care & Support Team if their mental or physical health is affecting their academics, they are experiencing complex life situations, they have a pattern of requesting extensions for medical or mental health reasons, or if you are unsure if they are connected with appropriate supports on campus. Please note that in cases where there is an imminent risk to the student (e.g. suicide risk, harm to self), faculty and staff should follow the following protocols:

  • On Campus: Call Campus Safety Services at 613-520-4444
  • Off Campus (in Ottawa): Call 911 and provide the information, alternatively, you can call Campus Safety Services at 613-520-4444 for assistance
  • Off Campus (outside of Ottawa): Contact Campus Safety Services at 613-520-4444 who will be able to connect with the student’s next of kin or engage with the police service having jurisdiction in the student’s location for resources and support in that area.

Please note that in urgent situations having another party involved may delay the response as, in most cases, OPS may need to hear from the person who is initially expressing the concern or reporting information rather than a second party. Once these steps are taken, faculty and staff should send a Care Report to the Student Care and Support Team to complete the follow-up and provide ongoing services.

You can refer a student to the Student Care & Support Team by submitting a Care Report.

You will receive an email confirming that we have received your report and will be reaching out to the student.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), no further information will be disclosed.

Yes, if you are unsure if a referral is appropriate, you may wish to contact the Student Care & Support Team at carereports@cunet.carleton.ca to discuss the case.

It is important to note that in cases where there is an imminent safety concern (e.g. suicide risk, harm to self or others), faculty and staff must not hesitate to contact Campus Safety Services for on-campus emergencies and Ottawa Police Services for off-campus emergencies.

Yes, you are welcome to discuss the case with a Care & Support Manager. They can offer guidance and coaching on how to approach or respond to the student. You can contact the Student Care & Support Team by email at carereports@cunet.carleton.ca.

It is important to note that in cases where there is an imminent safety concern (e.g. suicide risk, harm to self or others), faculty and staff must not hesitate to contact Campus Safety Services for on-campus emergencies and Ottawa Police Services for off-campus emergencies.