CARE and Support team hosts CARE Carnival event

Liberty University’s CARE and Support team held its first CARE Carnival event Oct. 25 on the Academic Lawn to increase awareness of the resources the department provides to students.  

 The event aimed to be a fun but professional way for students to learn about the services that CARE (Collaborate, Assess, Resource, Empower) provides.  

“Having an opportunity to use an event to draw attention not only to the services provided but also just put names to faces and be able to have actual real interactions with students and talk about that was … (the) idea,” Bethany Holt, director of CARE and support staff, said. “We are hoping it will become an annual thing that we’re able to do.” 

Students participated in in several games including a mini golf challenge, trivia and beat-the-buzzer games. The event had food and beverages such as snow cones, lemonade, apple cider and popcorn.  

Students were thrilled to participate in the event’s activities. Those that visited all the stations at the event were entered into a raffle for prizes including a Nintendo Switch, sports equipment, a JBL speaker, an Owala water bottle and two $125 gift cards. 

Located in Green Hall room 1838, the CARE and Support team’s mission is to maintain the safety and well-being of the Liberty community through evaluating behaviors and patterns in order to assess students’ needs and provide them with help.  

“We do offer one-on-one meetings with students to … get a sense of what their story is, what their challenges are, whatever kind of barriers they feel like they’re experiencing,” Holt said.  

They operate using a referral system, which relies on students and professors to speak up if they notice someone in distress. More than 1,000 referrals have already been received this semester.  

The CARE and Support team does not provide professional counseling, and they are non-disciplinary.  

After talking with a CARE and Support staff member, students have the option to be transferred to another department such as Counseling and Psychological Services, the Office of Community Life or the College of Applied Studies and Academic Success, depending on the issue the student is facing.  

Although mental health concerns tend to be the leading cause of referrals, CARE and Support also aids students in other areas such as academics and relational problems between roommates.  

All Liberty students, including those online, can use the services provided by CARE and Support. No students have been turned away.  

“Even if they come in as a walk-in, we’ve tried to shuffle things around and make sure that there was someone who could meet with them,” Holt said.  

For more information, visit www.liberty.edu/students/dean/care-and-support.  

Davis is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion.