Published on: September 10, 2025
A NABITA Testimonial by Erica Caloiero, Vice Provost for Student Affairs, University of Vermont
At the University of Vermont, we bring deep care and commitment to our work with students, fostering a close-knit community that goes well beyond the classroom. We are a medium-sized university with a welcoming small-town atmosphere, and our CARE Team is a group of committed experts with a deep understanding of our campus, students, and community. With decades of collective experience and skill, we provide compassionate, personalized guidance.
However, as student mental health challenges continue to intensify in today’s higher education landscape, it became clear that our traditional approach needed the support of a structured model, so we turned to NABITA. We sought a framework to enhance our team’s efficiency and consistency, without requiring additional resources or staff. The result has been transformational.
Building on Strength with Structure
Our goal was to create a unified framework that could both leverage the strengths of our CARE Team and ensure its sustainability. Before NABITA’s involvement, we sometimes noticed pressure to react to the most immediate (or “loudest”) aspects of a student’s situation, such as a student’s emotional intensity, a parent’s urgency, or concerns raised by colleagues. We wanted a way to more objectively assess observable behaviors. While our reliance on instinct and professional training reflected both our deep commitment and expertise, we knew the consistency and structure of a more standardized process would ultimately better meet our goals.
Working with NABITA helped us take that step. Their approach wasn’t about replacing what we had; it was about elevating and scaling it. By adopting the NABITA model, we have preserved the care and flexibility we value so highly, while introducing new strengths related to discernment and role clarity.
A Customized and Collaborative Process
TNG Consultant Linda Abbott, M.S., LMHC, LPC, provided outstanding leadership throughout our partnership with NABITA and its parent firm, TNG. Linda expertly guided us through a process that helped us better understand our strengths and opportunities for growth. Following this in-depth work, she facilitated targeted training that enabled us to translate insights into actionable improvements.
Linda’s sensitivity to our campus culture was truly invaluable. As part of the program review, she conducted interviews with CARE Team members and campus stakeholders, investing time to understand our institutional history, values, and specific challenges. And importantly, Linda encouraged us to build upon what makes our campus unique. She helped us organize our strengths into a cohesive, effective framework, supported by streamlined processes, clearly defined roles, and shared accountability.
Our team agreed that Linda’s training was exceptional, as were the tools and frameworks she introduced, which go beyond generic templates or theoretical advice. NABITA offered us a comprehensive, best-practices-based system, and the result we saw was practical, impactful, and sustainable.
Operationalizing Care for Shared Success
One of the most valuable shifts has been the ability to operationalize what it means to do CARE Team work at UVM. Our team remains grounded in our institutional values, and now it operates with shared language, frameworks, and decision-making tools that have helped us achieve greater consistency, clearer roles, and a more unified voice in our work.
We’ve also built a stronger sense of collective accountability. Our team members feel less overwhelmed. They know what to expect and how to contribute, which has improved not only student outcomes but also our internal collaboration.
Perhaps most importantly, this experience has shown us what’s possible when CARE Team work is both high-structure and high-compassion. Our CARE Team is more connected, our work is more focused, and our students benefit from a process that is both thoughtful and responsive. It’s a perfect confluence of structure, accountability, role definition, and clarity, and we’re excited for what comes next.
Bring Structure to Your CARE Team
NABITA can help you align your CARE Team with a customized approach that reflects your campus culture and priorities. Consider beginning with a program review, followed by staff training tailored to your needs, as we did at the University of Vermont.
Schedule your NABITA Program Review and Training today. Contact inquiry@tngconsulting.com to get started.