Consultation Team

Background & Purpose

The UCI Consultation Team was first established over two decades ago in response to a potential threat of violence. The gathering of representatives from across the campus proved useful in discussing the complex issues involved and a plan for intervention.

The Team functions as the campus' Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) or threat assessment team. The Consultation Team brings together campus partners to review, discuss and manage a broad array of issues of concern to campus safety or well-being, involving students, faculty, staff and community members.

Core Members

Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Wellness, Health & Counseling Services	Marcelle Hayashida, Ph.D. Associate Vice Chancellor
Office of Campus Social Work	Brenda Lapinid, LCSW Director
UCI Police Department	Matt Mahoney Police Lieutenant
Campus Counsel	Andrea Gunn Eaton Chief Campus Counsel
Student Life & Leadership	Rameen Talesh, Ed.D. Dean of Students / Associate Vice Chancellor
Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct	Kim Burdett, Ph.D.Director
Counseling Center	Frances Diaz, Psy.D. Director

Activated Members

Campus representatives across the campus are invited to join the Team as needed. Examples of partners that may be brought in to consult are academic deans, department or unit managers, and representatives from Student Housing, CARE, the Student Health Center, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, Academic Personnel and Human Resources.

Examples of How an Issue May Be Brought to the Team

The Team is made aware of a student who has recurrently been hospitalized under an involuntarily psychiatric hold due to concerns for their safety
A campus department may contact a core member with concerns about a community member acting in an erratic manner and sending aggressive, hostile messages

Flow diagram for both critical and non critical circumstances.

Should You Contact the Team?

First things first. If you are concerned about an imminent threat to safety, such as someone's direct threat of harm to themselves or others, immediately call 911 or the UCI Police at (949) 824-5223.

Examples of situations where you should not wait to call the police include if you are concerned about someone's welfare, or they are exhibiting aggressive, assaultive behavior. For instance, you're concerned about a possible missing person who has hinted about suicidal ideation, or someone on campus has been violent or destructive toward people or property.

If the matter you would like to consult about is regarding an act of violence or threat against a UCI campus employee that has occured on the worksite, the most appropriate channel through which to bring this concern would be the UCI Workplace Violence Prevention Program, by submitting an incident report. You can also contact the WVP program manager in instances when you have questions (e.g., you’re unsure where the incident occurred or whether the alleged victim is an employee).

The WVP Program was implemented beginning July 1, 2024. The program manager is responsible for investigating all incident reports and ensuring they are processed through to completion, including bringing cases to the attention of the Consultation Team when appropriate.

If there is no imminent threat or you have already contacted the police, referral to the Consultation Team would be warranted when an issue is acute or includes multiple concerns requiring a coordinated response from multiple campus departments. The Consultation Team can assist in coordinating the appropriate departments to take a proactive stance to prevent or manage the issue.

If you would like to consult as to whether your concerns should be brought to the Team, please contact a core member to discuss. Even if we are not the right place for your concern, we are happy to help direct you to other appropriate campus resources as needed.

Privacy Notice: The Consultation Team works to keep matters as confidential as possible, contacting and sharing with offices on a need-to-know basis while operating under FERPA guidelines.