What is HEART?
The Harm Evaluation Assessment Reduction Team (HEART) is an interdisciplinary team of De Anza College faculty, staff and administrators who are dedicated to fostering a safe campus community.
If you are concerned about a student or other member of the campus community, don’t remain silent – tell someone! By working together, we can help keep our campus community safe.
Tips for helping a Student in Crisis
HEART Mission
HEART members are committed to ensuring safety by using a proactive approach to preventing violence and reducing harm on campus. Through the use of accepted principles and practices of threat assessment, the team uses a collaborative approach to identify, assess and manage incidents as they arise, and to resolve potential violence and safety issues.
HEART works to
- Improve communication across campus and gather more accurate and detailed information about potential threats or safety risks
- Identify individuals of concern, based upon reports, and determine if they pose a risk of harm to self or others
- Assess situations based on credible information and rapidly develop an action plan to address concerns
- Implement intervention strategies to manage the situation and prevent harm
How to Report an Incident
Click on the red button to open the Report an Incident webpage with links to the various Maxient forms, which you can use to provide a detailed description of the incident and your assessment. Be sure to include the name and CWID of the student or other involved parties, if you have that information.
When filling out the form, please provide as complete an account as possible, including
- Whether a grade penalty was issued (if the incident is an academic integrity violation)
- Whether you have notified your supervisor, manager or division dean
- Whether the police were notified (provide police report number if applicable)
Attach electronic documents by clicking the “Add Item” button on the Maxient form. You may also submit paper documents via interoffice mail to Michele LeBleu-Burns, Dean of Student Development and EOPS.
Please contact the Student Development office at 408.864.8828 if you have any questions or problems with completing the online form. The office is located in Hinson Campus Center (Lower Level), Room 165.
What Happens Next?
HEART works to help students, faculty and staff members before they find themselves in crisis. Your referral to HEART will initiate a series of steps to review, assess and assign appropriate resources to assist the individual, while reducing risk to the college community.
HEART holds regular, confidential meetings and follows a protocol to determine appropriate action. Steps may include the following
- A HEART member may contact the person whose behavior prompted the report, to help connect them with resources such as counseling, financial aid, health and wellness care, social agencies or legal advice.
- HEART may determine that contact isn’t necessary because an action plan is already in place and working.
- A HEART member may contact the person who filed the report, to provide resources they can share with the individual of concern. This would only happen if the reporting party has expressed an interest in participating further.
- HEART may refer the individual of concern to the dean of Student Development or a designee, for the purpose of developing a behavioral agreement.
- When appropriate and in compliance with privacy laws, a HEART member may contact the reporting party to provide an update on actions taken.