Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management for K-12 Schools
Courses by Dr. Melissa A. Reeves
PCG offers a four-module course series: BTAM101, BTAM102, BTAM103, and BTAM104: Foundations, Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management: Best Practices for K-12 Schools. This series was developed in 1998 to provide research and guidance.
BTAM Best Practices for K-12 Schools Foundational Training
About This Course
This series of course modules will focus on the process and procedures needed to establish a consistent school- or district-wide approach to behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM). Integrating insight from current statistics, case studies, legal cases, and post-incident reviews, these courses will teach the roles and responsibilities of a multidisciplinary team. This workshop accompanies the book Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: K-12 Schools by Dr. Reeves.
This course includes:
BTAM 101- Foundations of Threat Assessment
BTAM 102 - Legal & Ethical Considerations Receive an overview of the constitutional amendments and legal guidelines that apply to BTAM
BTAM 103 - 8-Steps to Building a Threat Assessment Program
BTAM 104 - Conducting a Threat Assessment
BTAM 103 and 104 modules also include the following downloadable worksheets and resources to guide the BTAM process:
- 8-Step Action Plan
- screening tool
- case worksheet
- interview questions
- sample report forms for teams to use when conducting a threat assessment
- Case management worksheets and sample report forms will be provided to help guide the threat assessment process.
How to conduct a threat assessment using best practice procedures according to the US Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) model and guidelines
Through these courses, participants will learn:
- How to establish a consistent school or district-wide approach to BTAM using the eight steps identified by USSS/NTAC
- How to assess for risk using best practice guidelines and procedures established by the US Secret Service and US Dept of Education
- How to conduct a BTAM screening and full assessment
- The critical risk factors and warning signs contributing to risk
- Primary prevention strategies to break the code of silence
- Strategies for intervention, postvention, and working with difficult parents
- Legal and ethical considerations when conducting a threat assessment
These courses are essential for any professionals serving on school or district BTAM teams such as school administrators, school psychologists, school counselors, school social workers, school resource officers, and school law enforcement. They can also be helpful for interventionists, special education professionals or case managers, nurses, community mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, and those who work with threat assessment cases.
Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management Courses
Below find links to individual BTAM modules available for purchase or purchase them as a bundle.
Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management 101 (BTAM101)
BTAM FOUNDATIONS
Time: 1 hour
Cost: $75
ABOUT THIS MODULE
After completing Module 1, participants will understand:
- The 20+ years of Secret Service research supporting threat assessment
- Why schools should use threat assessment based upon targeted school violence findings
- An overview of the BTAM process
- Key research findings regarding BTAM outcomes and disproportionality
- How to approach BTAM through a culturally responsive lens
Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management 102 (BTAM102)
BTAM LEGAL & ETHICAL STANDARDS
Time: 1 hour
Cost: $75
ABOUT THIS MODULE
After completing Module 2, participants will have:
- Received an overview of the constitutional amendments that apply to BTAM
- Learned the "safety exceptions" to FERPA and how to apply these exceptions to BTAM
- Gained general guidance on "duty to warn" requirements
- Increased understanding of foreseeability and negligence and how to mitigate risk of liability
Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management 103 (BTAM103)
BTAM 8 STEPS TO BUILDING A THREAT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
Time: 3 hours
Cost: $75
ABOUT THIS MODULE
After completing Module 3, participants will have:
- Learned the 8 Steps to building a high quality threat assessment program according to the Secret Service and National Threat Assessment Center model
- Identified the key components of each of the 8 steps
- Reflected upon practices in own school/district according to each of the 8 steps
- Identified strengths and areas of targeted growth to be addressed in own school/district practices
Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management 104 (BTAM104)
BTAM CONDUCTING A THREAT ASSESSMENT
Time: 3 hours
Cost: $75
ABOUT THIS MODULE
After completing Module 4, participants will understand:
- How to conduct a threat assessment using best practice procedures
- How to complete a threat assessment screening to determine if a full assessment is warranted
- The critical data points to collect and analyze
- How to determine level of concern and match to appropriate management strategies
- Important considerations for management, follow-up, and documentation
Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management Bundle
Purchase BTAM101, BTAM102, BTAM103, and BTAM104 as a bundle and save $75
Time: 7-8 hours
Cost: $225