Testimony by Assistant Director of Retriever CARE Brandyn Holtzinger, entitled, “From Gut Instinct to Objective Decision-Making: How NABITA Transformed My Approach” was published on the National Association for Behavioral Intervention Association (NABITA) website on May 5. Three years ago, the Retriever CARE team partnered with NABITA and its parent organization, TNG Consulting, to adopt a more evidence-based approach to their work. NABITA’s experts conducted a complete policy and program review, led customized case management training, and provided ongoing consulting support.
Holtzinger said that this led to a complete change in staffs’ approach, ensuring the work was more student-centered and visible. “...we changed how we present ourselves and engage with the campus community. To better reflect our supportive mission, we rebranded from the Behavioral Risk Assessment and Consultation Team (BRACT) to Retriever CARE. This change shifted how students perceive us.
“We also introduced a streamlined, anonymous referral form and began specific outreach to students. As a result, we have seen a significant increase in student self-referrals, which were once rare. Our total case volume has more than doubled in two years, showing that people are finding us more easily and allowing us to provide support sooner. Consequently, we have seen a decrease in high-acuity cases, suggesting our proactive approach is working. Our team structure has also evolved. Following BIT Standard 5: Team Membership, we expanded from three people to a multi-tiered system with core, inner, and outer circles. This structure now includes representatives from Residential Life, the Academic Success Center, the Provost’s office, Human Resources, the Office of Equity and Civil Rights, UMBC Police, Student Conduct and Community Standards, the Graduate School, Accessibility and Disability Services, Financial Aid, and the Office of International Students and Scholars.” Holtzinger also shared that Retriever Care plans to fund a database update in the near future.
Holtzinger added, "This shift has made our work more proactive, visible, and impactful, and our efforts were even recognized as a success during our recent Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation review.”
Learn more about the Dean of Students office and Retriever Care.