Concerns and Response (CARE) Team

Iona University is committed to using its best efforts to provide faculty, administrators, staff and students with an environment that is as safe and as free from threats, intimidation and violence as possible. At times threats to the safety and security of the campus environment may come from outside sources, such as acts of terrorism or from individuals who are not members of our community, but who nevertheless come to our campus with the intention of doing harm. Most often, however, concerns about safety involve members of our own community, who may pose a danger to themselves or to other individuals, or who may otherwise be exhibiting signs of distress.

As a student, faculty member, administrator or staff member you may be unsure about what to do and whom to contact, when, and if, you do encounter a member of our community who is exhibiting signs of distress. Here we provide information about how to proceed when you are concerned about a community member.

Making direct threats of violence to others;
Making direct threats of harm to self;
Exhibiting behavior that disrupts or impedes the conduct of usual and customary classroom and/or co-curricular activities;
Behavior that makes others feel threatened or unsafe, such as stalking or making threatening or belligerent comments;
Expressions of intent to harm self or others in e-mails, text messages, away messages, assignments, or in other writings;
Preoccupation with death, violence, and/or having access to firearms;
Difficulty containing anger or accepting limits; assaultive behavior;
A diminished capacity to think logically or coherently or to "make sense;"
Significant and indiscriminate abuse of alcohol, illegal substances or over-the-counter supplements, diet pills or performance enhancers;
Exhibiting obvious signs of a severe eating disorder or of self-injurious behavior;
A rapid and marked deterioration of an individual's appearance, performance, and/or general behavior;
A history of prior violent behavior; and/or
Extreme social isolation and/or marked difficulty in getting along with peers.

In an emergency situation you should contact the Office of Campus Safety at (914) 633-2560. You can also contact the New Rochelle Police Department from a landline by dialing 911 or via cell phone by dialing (914) 654-2300.

Always take direct threats of harm to self or others seriously.
If you are unsure, please err on the side of caution.
Please report behaviors of concern using the procedures discussed below.

Concerns About A Student
Concerns that you have about a student who may pose a danger to self or others or who may be in significant distress should be forwarded to a member of the CARE Team.

The CARE Team will carefully consider the information you have provided and may gather additional information in order to determine whether the behavior is of low, high or medium risk. Depending on the risk level of the behavior, the CARE Team may have a conversation with the student of concern, refer the student for assessment or counseling, make the student aware of other helpful campus resources, and/or apply sanctions outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. In more high risk situations, the CARE Team may require assessment, notify other campus officials, notify parents, or even implement procedures outlined in the Iona University Emergency and Disaster Plan.

Upon your request, the CARE Team will preserve your anonymity as a reporter. With regard to the student of concern, the CARE Team will abide by the disclosure restrictions outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the ethical codes of the disciplines represented on the CARE Team. Members of the Iona community should be aware that FERPA does not prohibit reporting behavior you have observed or conversations you have had (in a non-counseling situation) with a student regarding danger to self or others to a University official.

Concerns About a Non-Student
If you are concerned about a member of the Iona community who is not a student, please contact the Director of Human Resources at (914) 633-2067 to report your concerns. If you feel this is an emergency, during non-business hours contact Security at (914) 633-2560.

The CARE Team is the clearinghouse for all information regarding students of concern at Iona University. It was formed to insure that all relevant information about students of concern is reported to one central source. This information will then be investigated for the purpose of providing timely and effective intervention, as appropriate.

The current composition of the CARE Team is as follows:

Joel Quintong
Dean of Students
(914) 633-2360
jquintong@iona.edu

Liz Olivieri-Lenahan
Associate Dean of Students
(914) 633-2360
eolivieri@iona.edu

Felicia Colangelo
Director of Student Success
(914) 633-2639
fcolangelo@iona.edu

Diane Ferrero-Paluzzi, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, School of Arts & Science
Associate Professor, Communication Science & Disorders Department
(914) 633-2053
dferrero-paluzzi@iona.edu

Jamie Fogarty
Senior Associate Athletic Director
(914) 633-2320
jfogarty@iona.edu

Rebecca Gonzalez
Assistant Director of Residential Life
(914) 633-2664
rgonzalez@iona.edu

Adrian Navarrete
Director, Campus Safety
(914) 633-2245
anavarrete@iona.edu

Daneshea Palmer
Director, Comprehensive Assistance Program (CAP)
Director, Accessibility Services Office (ASO)
(914) 637-2774
dpalmer@iona.edu

Rosemary Rubbo, MA
Associate Dean, LaPenta School of Business
(914) 633-2256
rrubbo@iona.edu

Colin Seifrit
Director of Residential Life
(914) 633-2336
cseifrit@iona.edu

Brielle Stark-Adler, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Director, Iona University Counseling Center
(914) 633-2039
bstarkadler@iona.edu

Laurie Wenchell, MS.Ed.
Senior Director, Center for Advising and Academic Services
(914) 633-2447
lwenchell@iona.edu