Taryn Zard, Staff writer
Recently, in celebration of 125 years of the University’s core Benedictine values e.g. community, listening and respect for persons, Saint Martin’s has launched a new program to help benefit students’ overall safety and well-being. Saints Care is a single contact point for any and all student concerns. Whether your worries involve school, health, behavioral issues, safety, or life in general, Saints Care is here to help. Students, family, and faculty alike can fill out a simple form for a student they have concerns for. The person who submits the form will receive an email confirmation once it is received. If submitted during business hours, a speedy response of two or three days is to be expected. As always, if the situation can be dire, call 911. Or, if your position is not quite as serious, but you still want a more immediate response, Public Safety can be reached at 360-438-4367.
According to the Dean of Students, Melanie Richardson, you can rest assured that Saints Care is a private system. Despite having a “meet the staff” page on the website, once a form is completed online, only the Saints Care Coordinator gets notified. The coordinator will either respond directly or assign the concern to a case coordinator. Additionally, if you are seeking a completely confidential source on-campus, you can always visit the Saint Martin’s Health Service Center, or you can make an appointment at the Counseling and Wellness Service Center. The Wellness Center also has a de-stress coloring book in the waiting lounge, in case you do not wish to talk, but would just like a distraction-free place to calm down and collect yourself.
Another private source available for students is Saint Martin’s very own Confidential Support Person, Emily Coyle, Ph.D. There are plenty of resources on campus that have been carefully designed to help benefit you. Saints Care is not always a “one and done” situation; if you—or the individual the form was for—has an ongoing situation, you will be continually updated on how things are proceeding and what steps are being taken to help. The office of the Dean of Students is always open to new and familiar faces. You can reach the Dean’s office at 360-438-4367.
The goal of Saints Care is not to make you feel obligated to fill out any reports, but rather empower students to raise concerns about issues they see occurring on campus. Through collaboration, we can improve this campus community by creating opportunities to help one another.
The Belltower 