Each team shall be multidisciplinary, when possible, and may include school administrators, mental health professionals, school resource officers, and other necessary personnel. Each district should obtain guidance from their own legal counsel regarding the management of threat assessment records. School shootings like this are becoming increasingly common, with the declining state of student mental health and the social and economic pressures of the pandemic coinciding with a spike in such violence.Administrators are desperate for proven strategies to keep their students safe. While law enforcement should be part of the BTAM team, they do not necessarily need to participate in every BTAM case. Law enforcement was involved and many steps were taken to ensure the safety of students and staff. Any new members of the team are required to complete an approved training program upon appointment. A threat assessment determines the level of concern (Meloy et al., 2011); that is, how dangerous is this student at the time of the assessment. Ben readily admits during an interview that he had intended to shoot up the bus as he has been the victim of repeated bullying and had his thumb broken by another student named John on the bus last week. It is important for BTAM teams to document the actions taken to support their good faith efforts to identify, inquire/investigate, assess, and manage threatening situations. Celebrating School Psychology Awareness Week, US Department of Education Hosts First Ever School Psychology Roundtable, U.S. Department of Education School Ambassador Fellowship, "Nothing is More Powerful than an Idea Whose Time has Come", Joint Statement from Members of the Disability Community and Allies on Gun Violence Prevention Policy and Mental Health Disabilities, School Safety and Gun Violence Prevention Messaging Should Not Escalate Anxiety, Namaste: Incorporating Advocacy into your "Practice" - Back to School 2019, Building Capacity for Safe and Successful Schools: 2019 Public Policy Institute Recap, 2019 NASP/GW Public Policy Institute Featured Speakers, House spending proposal addresses several NASP priorities, Affecting Change Through Social Media: Tips to Stay Engaged and Informed After Convention is Over. A thoughtful threat assessment process provides an opportunity for school officials to respond with empathy and support to students facing mental health challenges and connect them with resources that will support their healing while keeping their entire school community safe. The Great Divide - Reaching Across the Aisle, NASP Releases Federal Policy Platform for 116th Congress, The Impact of 2018 Midterm Elections on the Future of Education, Achieving Funding Equity through State Funding Formulas. They seize her computer which has no hit list or postings about violence. In the following list, we provide guidance on models for threat assessment, assessment tools, and information collection and -sharing concepts and centers. An official website of the United States government. These changes serve to broaden the legislated purview of school behavior threat assessment teams, and provide schools with a model policy "for the establishment of an assessment team or teams in each local school system." This document To facilitate data-based and objective decisions and minimize the risk of erroneous decisions based on profiling characteristics, personal biases, or misperceptions, school boards should adopt BTAM policy and procedures that contain the following elements: (a) established authority for school professionals to act on reported threats or concerning behaviors and provide guidance on the establishment of a best practice model; (b) establishment of a well-trained, multidisciplinary school or district-level BTAM team with clear expectations of roles and duties of all members; (c) establishment of integrated and interagency systems, relationships, and partnerships; (d) awareness training for staff, students, parents, and community partners; and (e) proactive and preventive social and emotional initiatives and mechanisms for providing comprehensive school mental and behavioral health services; (f) confidential reporting procedures; (g) clear guidelines for information sharing; and (h) procedures for determining disciplinary action when warranted. Clear and confidential reporting mechanisms help to identify the subject/situation whose behavior or impact has raised concern. The following pages provide sample forms to help schools document information related to all aspects of threat cases, from initial report/intake, triage, assessment, initial case management, case updates and case closure. Is it easily resolved, the threat is retracted, an explanation and/or. Essentials of School Threat Assessment: Preventing Targeted School Violence. He is a licensed psychologist and an internationally recognized expert on school safety, youth suicide, self-injury, bullying, school crisis prevention and intervention, and threat assessment. Our threat assessment forms are freely available here. Moreover, schools using our model of threat assessment have substantial reductions in the use of school suspension and lower rates of bullying. Mrs. Jones is concerned about her daughters safety. Tips from a Psychologist on Conducting School Threat Assessments Threat assessment teams must be multidisciplinary in membership and, to the extent possible, include the following individuals: 1. a school psychologist, school counselor, school social worker, or other school employee with expertise in The Virginia Model for Student Threat Assessment 1 information about violent crime, the evidence from multiple sources is consistent in indicating an overall decline in school violence from the early 1990's to recent years. This approach, which has been empirically proven, is based on the motto that prevention must start before there is a gunman at the school door., The Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines have an overwhelmingly high success rate: studies have shown that after implementing CSTAG, 99% of threats are not carried out, and only 1% of students are expelled or arrested.. PDF Fidelity Evaluation for Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines 1 ENHANCING SCHOOL SAFETY USING A THREAT ASSESSMENT MODEL An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence National Threat Assessment Center July 2018 This guide was prepared by the staff of the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) Lina Alathari, Ph.D. Chief Ashley Blair, M.A. PDF School Safety and Crisis - National Association of School Psychologists PDF Student Threat Assessment as a Standard School Safety Practice CONDUCT SAFETY EVALUATION. Step 1. Decisions on record keeping are important, as maintaining records establishes a legal and behavioral justification for intervention. This threat assessment process includes four steps: SCENARIO 1 A middle school student B says his friend S is planning something big. 4. Professor Dewey Cornells team pioneered this work in 2002, and their research on school violence and effective threat prevention, used across the United States, remains a trusted framework in prevention. According to ORC 5502.263: (A) As used in this section, "evidence-based" means a program or practice that does either of the following: (1) Demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research findings or positive evaluation that such a program or practice is likely to improve relevant outcomes and includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of the program or practice; (2) Has a statistically significant effect on relevant outcomes based on: (a) Strong evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study; (b) Moderate evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study; or, (c) Promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented correlation study with statistical controls for selection bias.. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Threat Assessment: Analysis Worksheet (11 Key Questions) The analysis of the information gathered during the Threat Assessment Inquiry should answer the following two questions: Is the behavior of the student consistent with the movement on a path towards an attack? Most students who are evaluated after making a threat can even continue their education at the same school. Without appropriate intervention, students facing severe mental health challenges may experience symptoms that manifest as violence. The police concluded their investigation and determined that the threat was unfounded. Each program approved under this section must be an evidence-based program that provides instruction in the following: (1) Identifying behaviors, signs, and threats that may lead to a violent act; (2) Determining the seriousness of a threat; (3) Developing intervention plans that protect the potential victims and address the underlying problem or conflict that initiated the behavior and assessments of plan results. Threat assessment helps schools address these types of scenarios. (LockA locked padlock) However, prevention must start before there is a gunman at the school door. School threat assessment is a more proactive and flexible violence prevention practice that is used when an individual threatens to commit a violent act or engages in threatening behavior. PDF School Based Threat Assessement Toolkit - passwp.wildapricot.org In any organization, club or sport,, Evidence-Based Professional Development for Paraprofessionals This Paraprofessional Professional Development Plan is shared with permission from Prince George's County Public Schools. Please note, if a school building has a similarly constituted safety team, that team also may serve as the threat assessment team, provided that the team and each member comply with the requirements of this legislation. School Threat Assessment The BTAM team then conducts an inquiry to gather additional data in a lawful and ethical manner and assesses information regarding situation, context, and developmental or disability factors to determine if the subject/situation poses a threat of violence or harm to self or others. The superintendent did not allow the principal to send a letter to parents acknowledging that a threat of violence had been made. Although schools have a relatively low rate of violent crime in comparison to other settings, concerns about school shootings have stimulated increased school security and use of zero tolerance discipline. The BTAM team also needs to take into consideration their own biases to ensure this process does not contribute to the disproportionality that exists within disciplinary practices. Threat assessment involves determining whether a student poses a threat of violence (they have intent and means to carry out the threat). Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines. This article is authored by Dr. Scott Poland and was originally published online in Campus Safety. In order for schools to recognize threats and stop violence from happening, they needthreat assessments. In Person & Online. While the incident shocked the nation, there were potential warning signs that could have been picked up with a robust, comprehensive threat assessment plan. Upon completion of each Threat Assessment team members training (every three years) each district building is required to submit proof of completion of an approved training program with their buildings emergency management plan. PDF Sample Threat Assessment and Management Forms - Virginia Department of No case is black and white but proper threat assessment will help schools make the best decisions they can based on the information they have. Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model, National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), U.S. Secret Service, Basic Threat Evaluation and Reporting Course (B-TERC, 1-day), U.S. Department of Homeland Security - National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Office, Threat Evaluation and Reporting Course (TERC, 3-day), Contact Regional Prevention Coordinator - Jordan Garza - Jordan.Garza@hq.dhs.gov, Making Prevention a Reality Through Threat Assessment and Threat Management, Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG): CSTAG Level 1 Training, CSTAG Level 2 Training, Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG), School Behavioral Threat Assessment Training, Safer Ohio Schools Using Threat Assessment Management, BIT Standards Training, Risk Rubric, Violence Risk Assessment, Online (Delivered through PSW's Learning Management System (LMS)), Identifying Behaviors of Concern and Addressing Levels of Threat, Threat Assessment Team Training for Educational Institutions, Suicide Awareness & Violence Prevention for School Staff. We understand the importance of a developmental and systems perspective to help school staff make good decisions that both maintain school safety and help students be successful. However, if the threat is legitimate and mitigation actions need to be taken, an SRO/law enforcement officer may become engaged in a consultative or direct role. Effective threat assessments for schools: A 5-step framework - Liberty 3 22 Pa. Code 14.133. NTAC Chief Dr. Lina Alathari announces the team's latest research, "Mass Attacks in Public Spaces - 2019," at a press conference in Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2020. Unfortunately, despite repeated attempts to intervene, the administration did not search the student for weapons and tragically, the student was returned to class with his firearm undetected in his backpack. Schools do not need to predict who is going to commit a violent act if they focus on identifying and helping students in need of assistance. The school community needs to be educated on behaviors that are unacceptable and how to recognize and report when someone is struggling and is at risk for potential harm to self or others, such as possessing a weapon, making violent verbal threats or concerning social media posts, or showing sharp changes in behavior. Topics covered include how a threat assessment team can be integrated into the broader framework ofschool safety, security, emergency management and preparedness. The school team includes Score 0 or 1 1. Determine the Threshold for Law Enforcement Intervention. FREE. 5. Threat Assessment and Reporting - SchoolSafety.gov | School Safety What actions should the school take in this scenario? IMPLEMENT AND MONITOR THE SAFETY PLAN. 5 PA Public School Code, Article XIII-E (Threat Assessment). PDF The author(s) shown below used Federal funding provided by the U.S 2 PA Public School Code, Article XIII-E (Threat Assessment). Various methods for reporting can include directly reporting to a trusted adult, a tip line, a reporting app, email, voice mail, link on the school/district website, or 911 call. This document does not need to be completed for every threat made between students in the "heat-of-the-moment" such as during a fight. Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates, https://www.secretservice.gov/data/protection/ntac/ssi_guide.pdf, Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Plans, https://www.rems.ed.gov/docs/REMS_K-12_Guide_508.pdf, National Association of School Psychologists, A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools, https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-framework, http://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis, PREPaRE School Safety and Crisis Response Training Curriculum, http://www.nasponline.org/professional-development/prepare-training-curriculum, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), U.S. Why Should School Psychologists Care About Medicaid? S denies she ever said anything about school violence and remarks, I do not know why someone threw me under the bus. The police search the home of S and find no weapons. Heres how it works: The first step in Cornells model is evaluation when teachers or school administrators hear of a threat, they need to gather as much data on the incident as possible. PDF SCHOOL THREAT ASSESSMENT DECISION TREE - Jordan School District Prevention means building a supportive school climate, helping students in distress, and taking appropriate protective action before a conflict or problem escalates into violence. United States Secret Service Note that schools are NOT required to use these forms. This website is general in nature, and is provided as a courtesy to you. Please submit agency or school district location (City, State). The American Academy of Pediatrics recently declared a state of emergency for childrens mental health. B tells the police he was joking and S never made a threat against the school. PDF The Virginia Model for Student Threat Assessment Additionally, there were 25 in 2019 and 24 in 2018. identification of students at risk for violence. Before the shooting, teachers and administrators had noticed several red flags including concerning videos, drawings, and web searches for ammunition on school computers. While there is no magic formula to prevent all violent acts, threat assessment is one of the best ways for schools to keep their staff, students, and communities safe. As such, it is imperative that BTAM processes are followed with fidelity and in accordance with IDEA, Section 504, FERPA, and other civil rights and privacy laws. When I providethreat assessment training, I focus specifically on schools. (PDF) Overview of the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines Deputy Director Leon Newsome introduces NTACs "Protecting Americas Schools" report in Chicago in 2019. Nov 2019 Protecting America's Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence Jul 2018 Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence Apr 2010 Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education May 2008 Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The American Rescue Plan Act What Does this Mean for the Funding of School Mental Health Services? Back up team members also need to be trained and accessible to fill in when primary team members are unavailable. He recommends informing the victim and parents about the potential threat, working with counselors to resolve the conflict, and considering disciplinary action against the student when applicable. home|about|services| clients|news|contact, (434) 974-9746 | dcornell@SchoolTA.comP.O. A lock Threat Evaluation and Reporting Course (TERC, 3-day) U.S. Department of Homeland Security - National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Office. Proper threat assessment can help schools avoid overreacting to transient threats. The situation is then managed by implementing problem solving supports and, if warranted, an intervention and monitoring plan to prevent harm where possible and to reduce/mitigate impact of the situation. Would your school staff know how to respond? Threat Assessment at School The BTAM team should consider all data, including risk and protective factors, and identify the level of concern (low, moderate, high, imminent), which will guide the team in directive actions and supports to be taken. . Prevention and mitigation rely on relationships and connectedness amongst students, staff members, and the community. There is no magic or mathematical formula or a specific number of risk factors and warning signs that determine any specific level. A threat assessment is a process of evaluating the risk of violence posed by someone who has communicated intent to harm someone. We provide workshop training and professional development for schools in threat assessment, a violence prevention strategy using the Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines. Threat Assessment at School Brief Facts and Tips Threat assessment is intended to prevent violence and involves both assessment and intervention. Step 8. S is very involved in the church where her father is the minister and she is very active in the care of her younger siblings. School authorities expressed a need for more training, consistent with the safety audit report that only 77% of team members had received formal threat Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. In fact, BTAM is most effective when it is embedded within a comprehensive multitiered system of support (MTSS) and other efforts to promote a positive school climate and effective and positive discipline practices. c. Information sharing must support the school threat assessment process. School safety is the responsibility of all. The BTAM teams also need to be aware of any cultural implications that may affect willingness to report because of past community traumas or historical incidents that make it feel acceptable to disclose serious incidents to those in authority. 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, P: 301-657-0270 | Toll Free: 866-331-NASP | F: 301-657-0275, 2021 National Association of School Psychologists, NASP: The National Association of School Psychologists, A Career in School Psychology: Frequently Asked Questions, Best Practices in School Psychology 7 (Print & Digital), Model School Psychology Intern Supervisor Recognition, Guidance Regarding Graduate Intern Hours in Response to School Closures, Integrating the NASP Practice Model Into Graduate Education, NASP 2024 Call For Presentation Proposals, You Should Present at the NASP Convention, Suggestions for Funding PREPaRE Trainings, Organizations That Have Held PREPaRE Workshops, FamilySchool Partnerships: Five Tips for Successful Problem Solving With Parents, Seven Habits of Highly Effective Schools: How School Psychologists Can Promote School Change, Five Considerations for Developing Suicide Prevention Supports in the Schools, Pitfalls of Using Translation and Interpretation Services in Schools, How to Prepare for an Evaluation for a Student With Visual Impairments, Postsecondary Transition for Autistic Adults, Working With Spoken Language Interpreters in Educational Settings, Mission MTSS: Two Easy Ways to Use Statistics to Analyze Data, Simple, Summative Skills: Incorporating Brief Positive Psychology Practice Into Your Day, Creating the Psychologically Safe Learning Environment, Get Out of the Testing Rut: Expanding Your School Psychology Role by Understanding Your District's Needs, Oral Reporting of Assessment Results for Maximum Impact, Culturally Responsive Interviewing: Proactive Strategies for BIPOC Students, Beyond Self-Care Sunday: Four Surprising Ways to Prevent School Psychologist Burnout, Five Clues in Your Data: Identifying Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Five Questions Intern Supervisors Should Ask New Interns, Restorative, Collaborative Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans, School Psychologists Should Embrace Telecounseling as an Option in the Post COVID-19 World, Stress and Anxiety: Im Not Just the Presenter, Im Also a Client, Social Media and Crisis Intervention: Opportunity and Danger, Thinking Versus Knowing: The Key to Measuring Intelligence, Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), Testing Accommodations: From the 2019 Admissions Scandal to the Bigger Scandal of Poor Decision-Making, Trauma, Stress, and the Postpandemic Opening of School: Lets Not Pathologize Students Emotional Needs, How to Prevent Students From Experiencing Psychosis, Promoting School Psychological Service Delivery Through Active Self-Care, Problem-Solving the Complexities of Reading Comprehension, National School Psychology Certification Board Members, Excellence in School Psychological Services (ESPS) Recognition Program, Graduate Program Approval and Accreditation, Trainings for Program Submissions and Reviewers (2010 Standards), Trainings for Program Submissions and Reviewers (2020 Standards), Informal Ethical Problem Solving of Colleague's Misconduct, Notification of NASP Ethical Disciplinary Action, Ethics and Professional Practices Board Members, Using Ethical Problem-Solving to Respond to Racism (Webinars), School Psychology Credentialing Resources, Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, NASP 2020 Practice Model Organizational Principles, Government and Professional Relations (GPR) Committee, Promoting Equity, Diversity, and SEL: Advocacy Toolkit, School Psychologists as Social Justice Advocates, The NASP Policy Platform and the Biden Administration, Get Ready: Student Loan Payments Will Resume at the End of Summer, 2023s Public Policy Institute Is All About Students Civil Rights, All Aboard the Omnibus: Increases in Federal Education Investments in FY 2023, Mental Health Grant Applications Are Open, Updates to the NASP Federal Policy and Legislative Platform, The Future of the Profession: Graduate Student Advocates, We Need to Share Our Advocacy Success Stories, PSLF Waiver Success Story: Ending the Cycle of Debt, Advocacy During the NASP 2022 Annual Convention, Finding Inspiration and Energy at NASP 2022, Beyond the Classroom and Into the Community, Building Back Better: This Year's Progress and Next Year's Outlook, Advancing Equity Through Social Justice Action, Regulation and Relationships: Advocacy in Action, Advocacy: How to Win Friends and Influence People, New Year, New Ideas: Advocating for the Four Cs, Hill Day Prep: Getting to Know the Shortages Bills, How Advocacy for Mental Health in Schools Impacted One Colorado School District, All in on Education: A Closer Look at President Biden's FY2022 Budget.
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