The Basic Needs and Case Management departments at Cal Poly Pomona have been reimagined into the Care Center, a new department that serves as the first place to send students who are of concern, in distress, or who may need basic needs support.
The center held an official grand opening and open house on Feb. 14 complete with a ribbon cutting, lunch, and guided tours of the new space.
“Well-being and basic needs are key components to unlocking the true value of a CPP education. With the opening of the Care Center, we gain a team of advocates who connect students experiencing crisis to resources to ensure they succeed,” said President Coley in her remarks.
The center, located on the first floor of the Campus Center Marketplace (Bldg. 97), next to the Career Center, assesses and offers a coordinated institutional response to students who are dealing with personal, academic, or social concerns that are impacting their success at the university.
Additionally, case managers connect students with basic needs services including short-term emergency housing and/or rapid rehousing, assistance with food resources including grocery education and CalFresh support, and financial resources through an emergency grant application process.
The Students of Concern Referral Form, available as an easy-to-find button on the Care Center homepage, allows anyone, regardless of whether they are a member of the Cal Poly Pomona Community or not, to submit a referral, ensuring a timely and coordinated response.
“We encourage anyone who may be concerned about themselves or others, or who may need basic needs support, to submit a referral form,” said Weston Prisbrey, interim assistant dean for health and wellbeing.
Once a form has been submitted, the student will be connected to a case manager who will initiate outreach to schedule a meeting. During this meeting, the student and case manager will discuss the barriers faced by the student and talk about a variety of campus and community resources.
“The case manager’s goal is to connect the student with any resource that may mitigate these barriers, so they are able to be successful at Cal Poly Pomona,” said Prisbrey.
The Care Center is also home to the Clothes Closet, the popular boutique where students can receive free professional clothing items for interviews, conferences and more. The Closet is available for in-person browsing Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For more information about the Care Center or to reach out with questions about the Students of Concern Referral form, email carecenter@cpp.edu or call 909-869-5071. For situations where there is an immediate concern for someone’s health and safety, University Police should be contacted.