Training Calendars
Each calendar covers twelve topics using videos, info sheets, articles, and online resources. New resources are added regularly, so topics can be covered multiple times.
New
Team
Seasoned
Team
Team
Building
Bias
Mitigation
Mental
Health
Threat
Assessment
Dr. Brian Van Brunt, David Denino, Robert Scholz, Nina Delgadillo, and Lisa Pescara-Kovach share with you their expertise related to the assessment and treatment of suicidal individuals in the K-12, workplace, and college settings.
The Role of Warning Behaviors in Threat Assessment: An Exploration and Suggested Typology by J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., Jens Hoffmann, Ph.D., Angela Guldimann, M.A., and David James, M.B., B.S., M.A.
The concept of warning behaviors offers an additional perspective in threat assessment. Warning behaviors are acts that constitute evidence of increasing or accelerating risk. They are acute, dynamic, and particularly toxic changes in patterns of behavior which may aid in structuring a professional’s judgment that an individual of concern now poses a threat, whether the actual target has been identified or not. They require an operational response. A typology of eight warning behaviors for assessing the threat of intended violence is proposed: pathway, fixation, identification, novel aggression, energy burst, leakage, directly communicated threat, and last resort warning behaviors. Previous research on risk factors associated with such warning behaviors is reviewed, and examples of each warning behavior from various intended violence cases are presented, including public figure assassination, adolescent and adult mass murder, corporate celebrity stalking, and both domestic and foreign acts of terrorism. Practical applications and future research into warning behaviors are suggested.
School shootings have led teachers and administrators to rethink their actions when a student makes a threat. The goal is to not overreact or underreact. Knowing how to respond and what actions to take are key to preventing violence at school. Dewey Cornell, a professor of education at the University of Virginia, has studied school violence for decades and has developed guidelines for schools.
Dr. Brian Van Brunt discusses the case of a young boy drawing a picture in the cafeteria. The picture has a boy with machine gun shooting at another student, yelling “I hate school!” There two fires between the person with the gun and the student sitting down. The teacher confronts him about the picture and says, “What are you doing? This is not today’s assignment.” He says, “That’s what I am going to do to you if you don’t leave me alone.”
Dr. Brian Van Brunt discusses the case of a boy sitting alone on the stairs. He had fallen down the stairs and another student had taken a picture. While on his phone, he says, “When I get to school tomorrow, I’m going to make him pay. You know what? When I get to school tomorrow, I’m going to push him down the stairs.”
Telling other people in your community about the team helps create a marketing and advertising buzz that improves the chances they will share critical information with the team. A BIT/CARE model only works when members of the community feel comfortable sharing information forward with the team. This includes having a successful reporting form that provides an easy and straightforward way to share information in a timely manner. Dr. Brian Van Brunt, Jennifer Adams, and Nina Delgadillo discuss successful marketing strategies.
Actually Autistic Educator: A podcast run by an autistic teacher, amplifying autistic voices and perspectives to educators, mental and physical health professionals, and allies. Produced in partnership with InterACTT. Host Jeanne Clifton focuses three episodes on autistic communication:
Autism and Asperger's: An info sheet provided by DPrep Safety.
Dr. Van Brunt and Nina Delgadillo review an approach to threat assessment documentation that involves a six-step process: gathering thematic case data, identifying the risk factors, identifying the protective factors, applying a specific assessment rubric, creating a risk narrative, and developing/implementing interventions. One core challenge in the threat and violence risk assessment space is the importance of showing your work. Learn one approach to this documentation and how to reduce bias, create consistency, and mitigate legal risk for your team.
Beyond the Red Flags: Overcoming Obstacles and Managing Threat
When it comes to preventing violence, it is not enough to just know and recognize the red flags. We need to advance the research-based work of collaborative teams, avoid the singular focus on target hardening or mental health diagnosis, increase the use of threat or violence risk assessments over psychological assessments, incorporate red teaming into processes to identify vulnerabilities, and commit to continuous risk assessments and ongoing threat management.
Website and Social Media Search Terms By Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D. Executive Director, NaBITA Peter Langman, Ph.D. Langman Psychological Associates, LLC.
Two issues of importance for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment Teams are the accessibility of the BIT/TAT site on the college website and what keywords to search for on social media in conjunction with the school name to get out ahead of potential threats. This article offers some suggestions to increase visibility and access to the BIT/TAT website and identify potential concerns by combing through social media for threatening language.
Dr. Amy Murphy and Dr. Brian Van Brunt walk you through a new CASE process approach that ensures consistency in our conversations, increases our time efficiency, and helps mitigate legal risk by ensuring quality documentation and consistency across different cases. Having run teams at large institutions, Dr. Murphy shares with you her experience listening to CASE presentations and offers a solution to accomplish this task in a better way.
When are we permitted to share information outside the collaborative team model? Are there some things our counseling staff can’t share with the team? What about non-clinical counselors? Dr. Brian Van Brunt discusses what can and can’t be shared outside the team. While knowing the rules of the law are important, knowing the exceptions can prove even more useful.
Counseling Across the Pond: Dave Wilson and David Denino discuss the importance of self-checkups and address chronic stress from an international perspective.
This easy-to-use pocket guide focuses on general principles of stress management and offers simple, practical strategies that can be incorporated into the daily routine of managers and workers. It also provides a concise orientation to the signs and symptoms of stress.
Drs. Brian Van Brunt and Amy Murphy discuss the opportunities found within a review of your team’s functionality and, most importantly, how to adopt a continuous improvement model. Learn how to use DPrep’s self-audit tool and how to develop a plan based on the audit results.