Beginning Monday, Aug. 9, UT Knoxville-area faculty and staff will have a new service at their fingertips which will help maintain a safe and healthy environment for the UT community.
The new 946-CARE (946-2273) hotline will offer an avenue for employees to share their concerns for themselves or others. Whether an employee needs help coping with a work or personal problem, or fears that a co-worker may need help coping with a work or personal problem, trained personnel will be just a phone call away. Each call will be handled with the utmost sensitivity and concern and every situation assessed carefully.
“The 946-CARE hotline is critical to our ability to support the UT Knoxville faculty and staff, to provide a mechanism for reporting their concerns and to connect them to appropriate resources, whenever possible,” Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said. “This initiative promotes the welfare of our campus community and reinforces our commitment to each other as members of the UT Knoxville family.”
Faculty and staff are encouraged to utilize the 946-CARE line if they notice signs of distress in themselves or others. Some signs of troubling behaviors include depression, a fixation on weapons, anger or paranoia and social isolation. Learn more about warning signs for distressed individuals at http://hr.utk.edu/care.
“The safety and well-being of our faculty, staff and students are our top priorities,” said Mary Lucal, Human Resources employee relations counselor. “We foresee the 946-CARE line as a tool to keep our campus safe for everyone.”
By calling the hotline, employees can access the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), conflict mediation, campus ombudsperson, law enforcement intervention and mobile crisis suicide prevention teams.