Center for Safer Schools to Host Threat Assessment Training

Center for Safer Schools to Host Threat Assessment Training

The North Carolina Center for Safer Schools will offer free, virtual School Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Training on Friday, Oct. 20 and Friday, Oct. 27. The sessions will be hosted by the CFSS in partnership with the BeTA Unit of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and will be conducted by Ontic.

Behavioral threat assessment is a best practice for helping to identify potential active shooter incidents, stalking and other targeted violence in K-12 schools and school districts. An effective, functioning behavioral assessment team is a critical component of keeping schools safe and preventing violence. Behavioral threat assessment and management provides a proactive, evidence-based approach for identifying individuals who might pose a threat and for providing intervention before a violent incident occurs.

BTAM training will provide fundamental information about school violence and how prevention is possible. The sessions will cover how to build and operate a school threat assessment team at the school or district level and assist with managing the assessment after completion.

The training will provide detailed instructions on specific procedures to use when addressing threatening behavior in school, including how to screen cases, gather information, analyze the information, make an assessment and implement an intervention plan when needed. The sessions include multiple group exercises in which participants can practice using these procedures.

BTAM training is appropriate for the following personnel:

• District leadership/school board
• School administration
• School psychologists, social workers and counselors
• Special education personnel
• School Resource Officers/school security specialists
• Local, county and state law enforcement
• Human Resources
• Legal counsel
• Existing threat assessment team members
• Others interested in school safety

Register for BTAM training at the following links. The two full-day sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Please sign up for only one session, as they’re the same.

• Friday, Oct. 20
• Friday, Oct. 27

BTAM training is supported by a grant awarded by the STOP School Violence Training and Technical Assistance Program and is closed to the media. You may not use, record or reproduce the content or any commentary without the express written permission of the host. Invited and registered attendees may use the written materials, subject to copyright.

For more information on School Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Training, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov.

About the Center for Safer Schools

The Center for Safer Schools serves to promote safe learning environments for North Carolina K-12 schools. The CFSS serves as a hub of information and technical assistance on school safety to school faculty and staff, law enforcement, youth-serving community agencies, juvenile justice officials, policymakers, parents/guardians and students. CFSS staff focuses on school climate, school discipline and emergency preparedness concerns for North Carolina’s public K-12 schools. CFSS staff is available to provide training, guidance and technical assistance upon request for school faculty and staff and those working with children and adolescents. The CFSS is headed by Karen W. Fairley, Executive Director.