Conclusion claims

Successful implementation requires coordinated effort among various stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, counselors, psychologists, families, and community partners, along with expertise in assessment and interventions that are both student-centered and evidence-based and which promote connection and belonging while minimizing student time away from learning.

Consistent implementation and balanced outcomes across all student groups are of paramount importance for behavioral threat assessment.

Consistent implementation and balanced outcomes across all student groups are of paramount importance for behavioral threat assessment.

Achieving these efforts is more challenging in siloed systems.

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can provide a framework for a BTAM team to extend options for prevention and intervention by working in conjunction with a broader system designed to provide access to proactive and early intervention for students needing support.

The PBIS framework can help enhance efficiencies, address inequalities, and improve the effectiveness of behavior support and violence prevention efforts by using data to guide decision-making and systems to monitor and support implementation fidelity and effectiveness.

Likewise, implementation of BTAM can support MTSS/PBIS implementation through enhanced processes and procedures for intensive interventions.

While MTSS/PBIS or BTAM can each be effectively implemented alone, for schools that are implementing either MTSS/PBIS or BTAM, the integration of the two frameworks offers several possible advantages: • Streamlined systems and processes • More efficient resource utilization • Enhanced communication and collaboration • Improved data collection and analysis of implementation and effectiveness • Better outcomes for students and staff • More comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies BTAM is

Aligning BTAM and MTSS/PBIS implementation is mutually beneficial for the enhancement of school climate, student well-being, and safety.

Focusing on a continuum of concerning behaviors allows teams to identify students in distress and intervene before their behavior escalates to the point of harm to themselves or others.

Establishing a multidisciplinary team to respond to reports of concerning behavior is considered best practice.

Teams should include diverse representation from various disciplines and functions within the school community including, but not limited to, administration; individuals with mental health expertise (e.g., school counselor, school psychologist); individuals with social, emotional, behavioral (SEB) expertise (e.g., school counselor, social worker); individuals with special education expertise; individuals focused on student health and wellness (e.g., school nurse); and school safety specialists (e.g., school resource officer).

When student behaviors elicit concern for their safety or that of others, they should be assessed in context and not in isolation.

The multidisciplinary team should gather information from multiple sources (e.g., the student of concern, teachers, classmates, family, and friends) to better inform a more accurate understanding of the student’s thinking, behavior, and situational circumstances (e.g., stressors).

Gathering information from diverse sources helps to ensure the team identifies concerning behaviors and accurately assesses the student’s risk and needs to better provide appropriate interventions, supports, and resources.

Additionally, multidisciplinary teams should evaluate the student’s concerning behaviors in the context of their age and social-emotional development.

Focusing on a continuum of concerning behaviors allows teams to identify students in distress and intervene before their behavior escalates to the point of harm to themselves or others.

Any student assessed as posing a risk of harm by the multidisciplinary team should receive an individualized support and management plan that considers the student’s specific social, emotional, and behavioral needs and considers the impact the student’s school, home, and community life have on their thinking and behaviors.

Throughout the process, the multidisciplinary team should consider coordination with outside resources or a student’s special education team, as relevant.

As part of the support process, the multidisciplinary team should determine what existing, school-based resources can be leveraged across tiers (e.g., counselor-led groups, targeted interventions, functional behavioral assessment and planning, scheduling changes) to provide ongoing support.

Additionally, the team should identify community-based resources and points of contact for any specific resources or supports unavailable at the school or district levels (e.g., intensive mental health support, social services). Through their expertise, team members may have community contacts that could aid the student’s well-being and support them comprehensively.

For students with disabilities (SWD), the multidisciplinary team must coordinate with their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team, as described on pages 41-46.

Positive school climates built on a culture of safety, respect, trust, and social-emotional support enhance targeted violence prevention.

In schools where teachers and staff are encouraged to build positive, trusting relationships with students, students feel connected, cared for, and empowered to share concerns without fear of discipline or shame.

Often, students who come to the attention of the school have not engaged in criminal activity so interacting with them as if they have committed a crime does not foster a positive, trusting relationship with the student.

Assessing students who display concerning behaviors should be focused on gathering information about them and their behaviors within the context of relevant factors such as age, social and emotional development, mental health and well-being, and personal interests in order to provide support.

STEP 1: ESTABLISH A MULTIDISCIPLINARY THREAT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT TEAM • Form a team representing a variety of disciplines within the school community including at least:

Teams are encouraged to establish a low threshold for intervention and support. This will position the team to more comprehensively address a continuum of behaviors and identify students in distress before their behavior escalates to the point of harm to themselves or those around them.

Schools and districts should encourage bystanders (e.g., students, staff) to report prohibited and concerning behaviors that may indicate a safety risk or that a student is in need of resources or supports.

By offering multiple reporting methods (e.g., email or online form, text or mobile application, phone number, trusted adult) BTAM teams can reduce or remove barriers to reporting and make it accessible and safe for the community.

Reports involving weapons and/or imminent/immediate safety risks (e.g., presence of a weapon, threats of serious violence) should be immediately relayed to local law enforcement.

„ Teams are encouraged to consider when they will request local law enforcement support to assist with assessing or gathering information and establish relevant guidelines for that process.

The assessment process and procedures that a multidisciplinary threat assessment team implements should help form a more accurate understanding of the student’s thinking, behavior, and circumstances in school, at home, and in the community. The goal is to evaluate the presence of factors that may indicate the possibility of harm to self or other members of the school community.

Teams should establish protocols to gather information from a variety of sources (e.g., the student of concern, classmates, friends, family, disciplinary history, academic assignments, school records, and previous interventions) to ensure they are identifying any relevant concerning behaviors and accurately assessing the student’s risk and needs. This will better position the team to provide more appropriate resources, supports, and interventions.

To ensure accurate assessment, teams should evaluate a student’s concerning behaviors in the context of their age, social and emotional development, and disability status.

To more comprehensively assess concerning behavior, teams should organize their information gathering around themes such as bullying and harassment; mental health and substance abuse; concerning communications; stressors; recent downward progressions in behavior, mood, or social activity; home life factors (e.g., ACEs, present living situation); academic performance; school disciplinary history; inappropriate interest in concerning topics (e.g., past school attacks or mass attackers); weapons use and interest in violence; previous contact with law enforcement; social networks; recent losses or loss of status (e.g., shame, humiliation, loss of significant relationship); and motivation for behavior.

Additionally, assessment considerations should include home, school, community, and virtual settings to understand the context in which the student is operating and illuminate behavior indicative of social, emotional, and/or psychological distress as a response to the environment.

Any student assessed by the multidisciplinary team as posing a risk of harm to themselves or others should receive an individualized support and management plan tailored to their unique behaviors, needs, strengths, and stressors designed to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes.

If data collected during the assessment indicate that behaviors are interfering with a student’s academic or functional performance the team should consider if a referral for special education evaluation is appropriate.

BTAM teams should consider the four guiding principles for support and management (see Figure 1 on page 12) when establishing plans. This includes adopting a prevention mindset and establishing plans that: „ Address factors of concern and promote positive factors, „ Redirect possible motivations for violence, „ Create an environment in which violence is less likely, and „ Leverage collaboration with the student, their family, school staff, and community partners who can contribute to the student’s success.

This will help fully address the contextual factors contributing to the student’s behaviors, needs, or stressors.

Given the risks and adverse outcomes associated with exclusionary discipline, support and management plans should prioritize interventions that promote or restore connection and belonging and minimize a student’s time excluded from the learning environment, if possible.

Teams should meet regularly to monitor the plan’s implementation and the student’s level of progress and success.

Schools should actively maintain positive school climates featuring safe, respectful, and trusting cultures that support students’ social and emotional well-being, while clearly specifying expected school behaviors needed to maintain an effective learning environment.

All school staff should encourage communication between adults and students, intervene in social conflicts, and actively confront bullying behavior.

Schools should encourage and support teachers in building positive, trusting relationships with students and work to create an environment where students feel seen, heard, connected, and cared for. This will empower students to share concerning behavior when they observe it.

BTAM teams should identify the training needs of all prevention partners, including faculty, staff, administrators, students, parents/guardians, school resource officers, and community-based partners such as local law enforcement.

Anyone who may observe concerning behavior or notice concerning communications should be trained in what to report and how, and those involved in the assessment process should receive training to prepare them for success in identifying, assessing, and intervening when concerns arise.

Teams are encouraged to provide training tailored to the audience’s unique needs that address the goals and purpose of the behavioral threat assessment approach, the steps and processes involved, the type of information that should be brought forward, and how individuals can report their concerns.

Although identified outcomes frequently include improvements in school climate and/or students’ SEB or academic performance, outcomes should always be locally meaningful, collaboratively defined, and aligned with specific strengths and needs within the school.

As the intensity of need increases, the precision with which systems and data are used to support implementation must also increase.

The above sections illustrate that BTAM and PBIS align in several ways.

In schools, the PBIS framework provides the opportunity for a BTAM team to utilize existing school resources and work cooperatively with a broader system of prevention designed to provide equitable access to proactive, early intervention for students in

Relatedly, BTAM supports PBIS implementation by expanding the continuum of interventions and supports available for students who are engaging in concerning or threatening behavior.

A collaborative approach such as this serves to strengthen a positive school climate and promote student emotional and physical well-being.

School leadership should determine how teams will address, support, and align aspects such as school safety and climate; clarify goals and roles to avoid duplication; and efficiently attend to matters of prevention, safety, and student support needs.

One promising approach for aligning BTAM and MTSS/PBIS is to expand team membership for both by integrating membership across the teams and then defining roles and expectations for collaboration.

Clearly defined teaming procedures can support efficient and effective team functioning and decision-making and are particularly important when dealing with stressful high-pressure situations.

Having the district’s BTAM coordinator and MTSS/PBIS coordinator both serve on this leadership team helps build capacity to identify natural points of alignment and opportunities to work in conjunction.

The PBIS leadership team and the BTAM team purposefully support students in unique yet complementary ways. Because of this, schools should consider establishing systems to facilitate two-way communication regarding implementation processes, progress, and outcomes as a means to enhance alignment and integration.

Regular, two-way communication allows important information about students in need or distress to be shared with the team best suited to provide support.

Regular team communication also helps safeguard against siloed information and promotes group cooperation for enhanced student support.

Professional development and training are core features of the successful implementation of any program or practice.

Because school safety is everyone’s responsibility, teams working to align BTAM with the PBIS framework should consider the training needs of faculty, staff, administrators, school resource officers, and local law enforcement.

To set all members of the school community up for success, teams should provide professional development and training opportunities to acquire new knowledge and build new skills.

All staff should receive training on core, universal (Tier 1) PBIS elements to better understand schoolwide and classroom expectations, acknowledgment and appreciation systems, and response to behaviors that do not align with established expectations and values.

Training on other topics such as suicide awareness and prevention, conflict resolution, bullying prevention, developmental disabilities, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma, and mental health first aid can also support universal prevention efforts and assist school faculty, staff, and administrators with fostering positive school climates.

Relatedly, a comprehensive dissemination plan around awareness and prevention efforts that includes how to access systems of support should be included for non-staff members of the school community such as families and students and staff who are unable to attend training due to contractual or logistical barriers (e.g., transportation, teacher assistants, food service).

While not every campus will have a school resource officer, all schools can develop positive, proactive relationships with local law enforcement agencies and personnel who may be asked to respond when highly concerning, threatening, or violent behavior emerges.

Like faculty, staff, and administrators, school resource officers and local law enforcement need training to increase their awareness of the school’s behavioral threat assessment and management process and their role in it.

Multidisciplinary team with integrated membership and expertise (i.e., BTAM and MTSS/PBIS representation)

Clearly defined team processes for meetings, decision-making, and action planning

Two-way communication between BTAM and MTSS/PBIS teams

Core Tier 1 practices and data systems | • Core Tier 1 and Tier 2 practices and data systems | • Core Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 practices and data systems

Recognizing concerning and/or threatening behavior | • Mental health first aid • De-escalation techniques | • Functional behavioral assessment and behavior intervention planning • Reporting mechanisms • Understanding adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) | • Trauma-informed care | • Behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM)

District-wide/Schoolwide supports for responding to behavior • Assessment systems for early identification

Continuum of interventions matched to student needs (e.g., social skills instruction)

Process for assessing individual student needs and level of support

District-wide access to external agency supports (e.g., mental health)

By working in conjunction with a school’s MTSS/PBIS team, a BTAM team can leverage the full continuum of practices, supports, and interventions to enhance their supports for students in distress.

Likewise, by collaborating with the school’s BTAM team, an MTSS/PBIS team can amplify its efforts for prevention and intervention across the tiers.

Individual practices should be evidence-based, aligned to documented needs, layered, and aligned across tiers.

Language and intervention approaches should be aligned and complementary across tiers, meaning Tier 2 and 3 interventions should use similar language and support Tier 1 and 2 practices.

By working to link the management and support plan to current Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 supports based upon the student’s behaviors, needs, strengths, and stressors, the BTAM team enhances efficiency in its development of an individualized plan.

As well, because the MTSS/PBIS teams have worked to document evidence of effectiveness for all interventions and supports, the BTAM team is better positioned to select effective practices as it tailors the plan to the student.

Through this process of regular feedback, the school safety specialists build rapport and relationships with students which helps increase engagement, decrease isolation, and promote a system for the student to proactively seek support from an adult.

All data must be used to promote improved student outcomes and not punish educators or students for failed implementation or outcomes.

If implementation goals or student outcomes are not realized, teams should return to the process of evaluating strengths and barriers in the system and adjust the plans by increasing implementation supports or increasing the intensity of the plan’s components.

Using data for decision-making within this framework can support BTAM teams by facilitating access to a range of data sources that can be used to fully understand the context of any concerning behaviors and systems for monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of support and management plans when needed.

Like all students, students with disabilities who display concerning and/or threatening behaviors should be supported by the BTAM process.

Additionally, their unique protections require enhanced collaboration, coordination, knowledge of legal protections, and communication.

Supporting SWD begins by establishing a strong multi-tiered system of support that promotes a culture of connectedness and belonging for all students. This culture provides the foundation for the early identification of needs and timely and effective interventions for students regardless of IDEA or 504 status.

As part of their MTSS/PBIS implementation process, teams should ensure that SWD are fully included in and benefiting from all tiers of interventions.

The BTAM team must include one or more individual(s) with knowledge of federal and state special education laws and regulations, even if the referred student is not currently identified as having a disability.

In the case of a BTAM referral for a student who currently has an IEP or 504 plan or is currently in the evaluation process, key members of that student’s individualized team must be included in the BTAM process.

Anytime behaviors of a SWD rise to the level of a threat assessment, the full IEP team, including the parents and student (if over age 15), should meet to review the IEP, consider necessary changes to appropriately address the student’s behavior(s) and needs, and any needed evaluations (e.g., FBA).

In general, BTAM procedures for identifying student concerns should be fully inclusive of SWD. That is, BTAM referrals for SWD should follow the same schoolwide procedures as for any other student, but with the inclusion of the student’s IEP team in the threat assessment process.

SWD should be included in any existing schoolwide screening or data systems MTSS/PBIS or BTAM teams use to assess risk or make referrals. This ensures that teams can access the information they need to make informed decisions.

Teams should monitor referrals and outcomes to ensure SWD are not overrepresented in BTAM procedures.

Schools can improve reporting accuracy by ensuring that clear definitions of concerning behavior are developed and shared and include examples and non-examples that support differentiating individual characteristics that may be related to a student’s personal identity (i.e., their disability) from clearly concerning and/or threatening behaviors.

schools should consider whether a special education evaluation referral is warranted whenever a behavioral threat assessment is conducted.

While a referral for special education evaluation should be considered in each case, only cases that uncover potential unmet needs related to qualifying disability categories should be referred for special education evaluation.

Once a BTAM referral is made, schools must gather all relevant information. For SWD, several protections must be considered.

First, schools must document access to special education records, including in progress or previous referrals for evaluation, to ensure that those records are not accessed without parental permission except by those with a legitimate educational right to know the contents of the records.

Schools should have clear procedures for identifying when and by whom these records are accessed and for ensuring that all members of the BTAM team understand their responsibilities related to confidentiality.

Second, if the BTAM team recommends additional evaluations, then the entire IEP team must be involved in determining the scope of those evaluations, and all notification and evaluation procedures and timelines must be followed.

Further, to ensure that the concerning behaviors are understood in the context of the student’s disability, BTAM teams must be intentional about engaging in dialogue with the student, family members, and members of the IEP team, as well as those who know the student best during the interview and information-gathering process.

Additionally, the information-gathering process must include a review of existing IEP services and the extent to which those were delivered as intended as well as a review of the student’s present levels of performance and progress toward goals and objectives. These procedures ensure that the impact of the student’s disability is clearly understood in relation to the concerning behavior.

For SWD, it is important to interpret the concerning behavior in the context of the student’s disability and to ensure that all relevant behavioral protections are provided.

The BTAM team must do more than identify if there is a substantive risk to self or others; the team must work collaboratively with the IEP team to deeply understand the situation in enough detail to increase services and supports effectively.

Ensuring that the BTAM team includes individuals with expertise in interpreting relevant special education evaluations, specifically those working closely with the student, should inform BTAM team determinations.

For all cases of concerning and/or threatening behavior involving a SWD, the full IEP team should meet to review current IEP or 504 plan supports and services and ensure the student is adequately supported to prevent future concerning behaviors.

Additonally, the team should also consider supports and services that restore or enhance the student’s sense of belonging and connection to the school community.

For ALL students, situations involving weapons, direct threats of violence, or concerns about an individual’s safety should warrant immediate intervention aligned with district safety policies.

BTAM and IEP teams must work collaboratively to consider options for enhancing interventions and supports and develop a management and support plan that adequately manages the risk of harm to self or others and adheres to IDEA and 504 requirements. This comprehensive plan should be function-based and aligned with the student’s IEP/504 plan services and accommodations.

Meanwhile, BTAM teams can also review and enhance schoolwide safety procedures, supervision protocols, and reporting mechanisms to support safety for ALL students.

Implementation of all BTAM management and support plans as well as IEP/504 plans should be linked directly to a school’s advanced tier systems of support (i.e., Tier 2, Tier 3) to ensure implementation is monitored regularly and plans are adjusted to ensure students fully benefit from supports.

When implemented in conjunction, the PBIS framework provides a structure for the BTAM team to leverage existing resources and capacities to prevent targeted violence and enhance the overall well-being of staff and students, and align with a broader system of prevention designed to provide access to proactive and early intervention for all students needing support.

Likewise, BTAM supports the PBIS framework by enhancing intensive intervention systems for students who may pose a risk of harm to themselves or those around them.

Together, BTAM and MTSS/PBIS teams can create more cohesive and comprehensive approaches to student safety and well-being and build safer, more supportive environments for all students.