Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line (BCCAL)

The Behavior Concerns Advice Line is now the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line to address questions or concerns from our university community about COVID-19. Are you worried about a student in your class, bothered that your roommate has been acting differently, or concerned about the behavior of a co-worker? Do you have questions about COVID-19 and need support or resources? If so, contact the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line at 512-232-5050 or submit your behavior concerns or COVID-19 questions online.

Cases that present an immediate threat to self, others, or property should be considered an emergency and should be directed to The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD) by calling 911.

The Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line has been expanded to support The University of Texas at Austin community during the COVID-19 pandemic. By calling 512-232-5050 - Option 2 for COVID-19, students, faculty and staff can be assisted in English and Spanish with COVID-19 support including:

• Resolving Protect Texas Together app malfunctions, errors or questions.
• Information and support to answer questions about contact tracing.
• Reporting positive COVID-19 test results for students. Students will not get in trouble for testing positive. Faculty and staff should report COVID-19 tests and/or symptoms to the Occupational Health Program.
• Support identifying options for safe self-isolation, including City of Austin Isolation Facility coordination as requested by students living in Austin.
• Personal case managers for students impacted by COVID-19, to coordinate support throughout their experience and for the rest of the semester.
• Financial support for the impact of COVID-19 through the Student Emergency Fund or by referral to the Staff Emergency Fund.
• Support for faculty implementing academic accommodations for students impacted by COVID-19.
• Class absence notifications and academic accommodations for students impacted by COVID-19.
• Answers and information for COVID-19 questions and concerns

Share behavior concerns or COVID-19 questions by phone or online

Share Behavior Concerns Online or Submit COVID-19 Questions Online

Frequently Asked Questions

• What types of COVID-19 questions and concerns can the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line address?
• What is the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line?
• What are behavior concerns?
• Why should I call the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line?
• How do I contact the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line?
• Is it possible to remain anonymous?
• Will my conversation be confidential?

What types of COVID-19 questions and concerns can the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line address?

The Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line has been expanded to support The University of Texas at Austin community during the COVID-19 pandemic. By calling 512-232-5050 - Option 2 for COVID-19, students, faculty and staff can be assisted in English and Spanish with COVID-19 support including:

• Resolving Protect Texas Together app malfunctions, errors or questions.
• Information and support to answer questions about contact tracing.
• Reporting positive COVID-19 test results for students. Students will not get in trouble for testing positive. Faculty and staff should report COVID-19 tests and/or symptoms to the Occupational Health Program.
• Support identifying options for safe self-isolation, including City of Austin Isolation Facility coordination as requested by students living in Austin.
• Personal case managers for students impacted by COVID-19, to coordinate support throughout their experience and for the rest of the semester.
• Financial support for the impact of COVID-19 through the Student Emergency Fund or by referral to the Staff Emergency Fund.
• Support for faculty implementing academic accommodations for students impacted by COVID-19.
• Class absence notifications and academic accommodations for students impacted by COVID-19.
• Answers and information for COVID-19 questions and concerns

What is the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line?

The Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line is a service that provides The University of Texas at Austin’s faculty, students and staff an opportunity to discuss their concerns about another individual’s behavior. Starting in August 2020, BCAL is now BCCAL to answer your questions about COVID-19. This service is a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). An individual can either call the line at 512-232-5050 or share their concerns using either the behavior concerns or COVID-19 questions online submission form.

Trained staff will help callers explore available options and strategies. They will also provide appropriate guidance and resource referrals to address the particular situation. Depending on the situation, individuals may be referred to resources including but not limited to Student Emergency Services in the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center, and the Employee Assistance Program.

What are behavior concerns?

Examples of situations in which faculty, students or staff may need advice include, but are not limited to:

• A faculty member may come across an essay containing comments that suggest a student is experiencing serious emotional issues.
• A student may be concerned that she has not seen or heard from her roommate in over a week during a busy time in the semester.
• A staff member may be unsure of the appropriate protocol after hearing rumors about potentially volatile comments made by another employee.
• Students may notice that their teaching assistant’s behavior is unpredictable — sometimes the TA does not show up for class, is perhaps not making much sense during lectures, or the TA seems to have stopped caring about his appearance. Students in the class are concerned about the TA and they don’t want him to lose his job.
• A student may appear to be distressed in class and her behavior is somewhat out of the ordinary.
• A student in a study group may not be acting like himself.
• A staff member notices that a co-worker has been yelling at people and seems angry all the time.

Why should I call the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line?

An important way for the university community to feel connected is to create opportunities for caring and concern. The Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line provides a central resource to anyone who is concerned about an individual and may not be sure about how best to help them. Additionally, the advice line provides support in answering questions regarding COVID-19 beginning August 2020. By calling the advice line, or submitting information online, campus and community support networks may be accessed; optimizing the chance that individuals will receive needed assistance. Contact the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line if you are concerned about someone and want to help.

How do I contact the Behavior Concerns and COVID-19 Advice Line?

You can contact BCCAL by dialing 512-232-5050. Selecting Option 1 will connect you to trained staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for behavior concerns. 512-232-5050 – Option 2 will connect you with trained staff available to answer COVID-19 questions and connect students, faculty or staff with appropriate resources during business hours, Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Trained staff will also return urgent voice messages left Monday – Friday 6 – 10 p.m. or over the weekend.

Any faculty, staff or student can share their behavior concerns or submit COVID-19 questions using the appropriate online forms. Forms are processed during normal business hours, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. If the form is submitted after hours, it will not be addressed until the following business day.

Is it possible to remain anonymous?

An individual can choose to remain anonymous when calling or submitting an online form. The university will, to the extent possible, respect the wishes of callers concerning their anonymity, but there may be situations where the identity of the caller will need to be disclosed or will become apparent because of the actions taken to address the situation.

Will my conversation be confidential?

The university will, to the extent permitted by law, maintain the confidentiality of the conversation except as needed to make referrals or follow up on the subject discussed. In some instances, however, the university may be required to release information in response to a court order, subpoena, or open records request.