Although Calvin College respects a student's right to individual choice, the Student Life Division has a responsibility to intervene when such choices create serious risk of harm to self or others. A student with an eating disorder may pose such a risk.

When Student Life staff members are made aware of a student's struggle with an eating disorder, they will make efforts to refer the student for appropriate assessment and care. Normally the assessment will begin with referral to the Broene Counseling Center, but referral may also be to Student Health Services, the on-campus dietician employed by Creative Dining Services, the Dean of Residence Life or of Student Development, or an off-campus therapist.

The student's Broene Center counselor will discuss with the student the elements of an appropriate treatment plan and its goals, and he or she will seek to arrive at an agreement with the student concerning an appropriate plan for counseling and other care. In many cases, the treatment plan will involve other staff members, who will be named on the Release of Information Form-Coordinated Care Agreement (copy attached).

When the student's situation warrants, minimal expectation for the student to remain in treatment, and to remain enrolled as a student, will be stated and agreed upon by the student and the counselor. Guidelines for determining these expectations are attached to this policy. An outline of the functioning of the coordinated care team is also attached.

The student's involvement, signing of the release form, and agreement to a coordinated care plan are voluntary.

If a student's physical or mental health condition puts the student at serious risk of harm to self or others, and if the student refuses to cooperate in counseling or other treatment plan recommendations or fails to make adequate progress toward the goals identified for counseling and treatment, it may be necessary for the college to take action to remove the risk of harm. Such action may include (1) contacting the student's parents, spouse or other family members to discuss psychological or medical treatment options other than those that can be provided by the college and, if necessary (2) suspension for reason of physical and mental health conditions incompatible with continued enrollment.

For more information, visit the Broene Counseling Center web site.