Statement claims

ALIGNING BEHAVIORAL THREAT ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT WITH A MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORT BUILDING A CONTINUUM OF PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION

While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, when quoting, paraphrasing, or otherwise referring to this report, the citation should be: National Threat Assessment Center & Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. (2025). Aligning Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management With A Multi-Tiered System of Support: Building a Continuum of Prevention and Intervention.

Contributions to this document from the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) were made possible through funds provided by the Center on PBIS cooperative grant supported by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) of the U.S. Department of Education (H326S230002).

Mohamed Soliman, MA, EdS served as the project officer.

The views expressed by the Center on PBIS do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, or enterprise mentioned in this document is intended or should be inferred.

In an attempt to follow prescribed models and/or state mandates, schools and districts occasionally establish school safety and other prevention efforts (e.g., school climate, BTAM) separate from broader prevention systems, other existing student support programs, and, in some communities, separate from the district itself.

Common barriers to integration include lack of cross-team coordination, limited professional development, and challenges in aligning different data systems and intervention approaches.

In order to support teams in achieving these valued outcomes, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) and the Center on PBIS have partnered to develop this joint document intended for school and district leaders as well as members of both BTAM and MTSS/PBIS teams.

This document begins with a description of the critical features of BTAM and best practices for BTAM implementation, then describes the essential elements of PBIS.

Recognizing that each school’s journey will be unique, it then provides considerations for aligning and integrating BTAM and the MTSS/PBIS framework and supporting students with disabilities throughout the BTAM process.

This nuanced approach to prevention focuses on early identification of students who pose a risk of harm to themselves or others and early intervention and support to reduce the risk and increase the likelihood of positive outcomes.

It also emphasizes a behavior-based approach to prevention, focusing on the behaviors a student displays that may communicate a need for greater care and concern.

It has several defining characteristics and implementation factors.

Focuses on behaviors, not traits or profiles

Involves multidisciplinary school staff

Local education agencies can structure the team to best meet the local needs and available resources (school-based teams, a district-based team, or both).

The team will lead the process of gathering additional information and collaborate on designing an intervention and management plan.

Identifies threatening and other concerning behaviors and assesses them in context

A primary objective of the multidisciplinary team is to identify relevant interventions and resources which can be leveraged to support the student and manage any risk of harm.

FIGURE 1 | Address factors of concern and promote positive factors | Redirect potential motives for violence | Create a situation less prone to violence | Utilize the Systems Approach for support and management

Identify negative factors and create strategies to support positive outcomes.

Identify possible motivations and direct resources to address them.

Create an enviornment in which violence is less likely.

Collaborate with community stakeholders who can contribute.

Substance abuse intervention • Physical or mental health support • Family support • Academic recovery • Mentoring or peer support • Restorative problem solving or mediation • Effective bullying intervention • Opportunities to share strengths

Reduce or eliminate access to weapons • Consider safety checks or searches • Modify schedules or restrict access to specific locations or people

Leverage resources and collaborations with community partners, mental and physical health providers, families, and law enforcement

Safe school environments are characterized by adults who prioritize student support, encourage communication between faculty and students, actively intervene in conflicts, and work to prevent harassment and bullying.

Additionally, these defining characteristics and implementation factors of BTAM serve to address common misperceptions of its use.

Zero-tolerance policies do not consider the context associated with a student’s behavior and are not intended to address student needs.

In contrast, behavioral threat assessment purposefully considers the context surrounding a student’s behavior and uses that information to identify the most appropriate interventions and resources to support their needs.

The primary objective of a behavioral threat assessment is early identification and early intervention – in other words, proactive prevention.

The process is not synonymous with reactive disciplinary processes, exclusionary practices, or punitive measures.

Behavioral threat assessment focuses on understanding a student’s concerning behavior in context and identifying effective support and management strategies. It is unrelated to the physical security of a building (e.g., door locks and screening systems).

While BTAM is separate from a disciplinary process, it is important to recognize that it may coincide with disciplinary, punitive, or legal actions depending upon the severity of the behavior and local policies.

The eight recommended steps serve as a blueprint for implementation and can be tailored to the specific context and needs of the school, its students, and its community.

„ Teachers (general and special educators) „ Administrators „ Individuals with social, emotional, behavioral (SEB) expertise (e.g., counselor, social worker) „ Individuals with mental health expertise (e.g., school psychologist, social worker) „ School safety specialists (e.g., school resource officer, local law enforcement liaison)

Local education agencies can structure the team to best meet the local needs and available resources through school-based teams, a central district-based team, or a combination of both.

Teams meet whenever concerning behavior or situations are brought to their attention. They also meet regularly to discuss implementation, continue learning and refining best practices, and continue monitoring the progress of students who are being supported.

While some schools or districts refer to their team as a Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) Team, others have opted to use other names such as Assessment and Care Team (ACT) to emphasize the care-based nature of the work or Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) to highlight focusing on a spectrum of concerning behaviors.

Students may display behaviors that prompt concern from those around them (e.g., classmates, friends, teachers, and family) in various ways, such as observable risky behavior; concerning or threatening statements made in person, online, or in text messages; or submitting assignments with bizarre or unusual content or statements. When behaviors prompt concern, those around the student need a method for reporting and sharing their concerns.

Considerations may include safety concerns for students or family members, student health and wellness, existing district policies and resources, and actions beyond the legal scope of the district.

Depending on the situation, local law enforcement may support the team’s assessment of the concerning behavior by partnering with a social worker to conduct a welfare check at the student’s home, speaking with a student’s parent or guardian, checking for the presence of weapons and safe storage in the home, or other law enforcement actions which help the team better understand the context surrounding the student’s concerning behaviors and the risk of harm the student may pose to themselves or others.

Once the team has completed its thorough assessment, it can use the information gathered to develop individualized plans to provide appropriate, student-focused interventions, resources, and supports designed to manage and reduce any risk of harm.

STEP 8: PROVIDE TRAINING FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS

School safety is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in prevention.

PBIS implementation prioritizes equitable practices, data, and systems to enhance meaningful outcomes for all students.

The clear identification of outcomes guides teams in the selection of practices, the use of data for decision-making, and the development of systems within the PBIS framework.

Data guide decision-making and all aspects of implementation. Leadership teams use multiple sources of data (e.g., attendance, discipline, academic, staff/student/family surveys, and rates of students experiencing homelessness) to assess strengths and needs within the school community and select a continuum of evidence-based practices that are aligned with documented needs and valued school and community outcomes.

Teams then assess the implementation fidelity and student outcomes associated with selected practices and adjust implementation supports and intensity to improve effectiveness for each and every student.

They also include action planning routines; procedures to ensure selected practices and data are used consistently and effectively; and procedures for ensuring the active engagement of students, staff, and families in all elements of implementation.

Practices, data, and systems are implemented across a continuum of prevention and support from universal (Tier 1), to targeted (Tier 2), to individualized (Tier 3; see Figure 2).

A representative leadership team guides PBIS implementation. These teams are organized across the tiers of support and are representative of the school and community. This ensures a range of expertise and experiences are considered in implementation and data-informed decision-making at the school and district levels.

Effective teams develop clear communication systems, roles, and operating procedures to ensure all team members are fully included in decision-making processes.

Leadership teams intentionally implement practices, data, and systems in a way that ensures all members of the school community can meaningfully participate, experience belonging and success, and achieve valued outcomes.

Teams focus on both supporting and monitoring individual student success for all students and identifying and removing systemic barriers to access or achievement.

When PBIS is implemented with fidelity, it includes active use of data to guide implementation and engagement with students, families, and community members to support the development of intervention components and to monitor and adjust implementation as needed.

FIGURE 2 | SAMPLE PRACTICES, DATA, AND SYSTEMS WITHIN A TIERED SYSTEM OF DELIVERY INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT TARGETED SUPPORT PROACTIVE AND PREVENTATIVE SUPPORT

Aligned with Tier 1 and 2 supports • Designed with student and family individualized instructional support plan

Uses multiple sources of data including Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) to: • Inform individual supports • Monitor individual student plan implementation and impact and adjust plan as needed

Organize and support educators’ awareness and implementation of individualized support plans • Monitor Tier 3 support needs and provide feedback to inform adjustments to Tiers 1 and 2 • Monitor screening, entry and exit criteria, and intervention effectiveness for all Tier 3 supports

Aligned with Tier 1 supports • Explicitly teach targeted SEB skills • Increase opportunities for practice with both positive and corrective instructional feedback using at least a 5:1

Identify students who may benefit from Tier 2 supports • Establish and monitor entry and exit criteria for Tier 2 interventions

Organizes and supports educators’ awareness and implementation of Tier 2 supports • Monitor Tier 2 support needs and provide feedback to inform adjustments to Tiers 1 and 3 • Monitor individual student and aggregate performance and adjust • Monitor intervention effectiveness for all Tier 2 supports

Prioritize connection and belonging • Codesign schoolwide and classroom-wide expectations • SEB skill instruction for all students • Structures to support a culture of acknowledgment and appreciation • Clearly defined instructional and supportive responses to student behaviors

Uses multiple sources of data from both within (e.g., climate surveys, attendance, academics, discipline) and community (e.g., social determinants of health) to: • Inform the design of Tier 1 systems and practices • Monitor implementation and impact of Tier 1 practices and systems

Process for assessing individual student needs and level of support • District-wide access to external agency supports (e.g., mental health)

The specific practices implemented within each tier are selected and supported by the leadership team.

These include preventative strategies and supports to develop healthy SEB competencies/skills and prevent concerning behaviors.

Core practices across tiers are progress monitored at the student and system level to ensure implementation fidelity and intended impact.

For more information on PBIS implementation, its essential elements, and the tiered system of delivery, see the PBIS Implementation Blueprint (Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2023) or visit the topic-specific pages for Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Equitable Supports at www.pbis.org.

Both are behavior-based and emphasize student behavior as a form of communication and an indicator of well-being.

Each also focuses on proactive and preventative supports and utilizes multidisciplinary teams to identify students in need, assess their behaviors in context, and provide appropriate interventions and supports.

Moreover, both accentuate the value of supportive, trusted, caring relationships between students and staff and the importance of a safe, healthy school climate and culture.

Based on observable behavior • Prioritizes proactive prevention • Uses multidisciplinary teams for decision-making • Seeks to identify, assess, and provide interventions and supports • Emphasizes supportive, caring relationships between students and staff • Promotes safe and healthy school climates and cultures

Responsibility for student safety, preventions, and supports may be shared across multiple school teams (e.g., school safety teams, MTSS/PBIS, student/teacher assistance teams, BTAM).

The intent of this section is to illustrate how BTAM and MTSS/PBIS can work together to enrich supports for students and staff and enhance implementation efficiency and effectiveness.

Similarly, a school’s BTAM team guides implementation by receiving reports about concerning behaviors and situations, gathering additional information, assessing the risk of harm posed and to whom, and developing intervention and management strategies to reduce risk.

Both MTSS/PBIS and BTAM emphasize the multidisciplinary representation of skill sets among team members to ensure that varying points of view are represented and that access to information and resources is broad (see Table 1).

A multidisciplinary team including, but not limited to, representation from: | A multidisciplinary team including, but not limited to, representation from: • General education | • General education • Special education | • Special education • Administration | • Administration • Individuals with SEB expertise (e.g., school counselors, school psychologists) | • Individuals with SEB expertise (e.g., school counselors, school psychologists) • Individuals with mental health expertise | • Individuals with coaching and training expertise • School nurses or health room coordinators | • Members from underserved groups • School safety specialists (e.g., school resource officer) | • Family and student representation • Community partners • Community partners

INTEGRATED REPRESENTATION | INTEGRATED REPRESENTATION • Individuals with detailed knowledge about the school’s current MTSS/PBIS initiative | • Individuals with detailed knowledge about the school’s current BTAM initiative

A school is implementing BTAM and MTSS/PBIS and wants to ensure that both teams are actively aligned in their shared missions of prevention and support. The school’s administration works collaboratively with the leaders of the BTAM team, the MTSS/PBIS Tier 1 team, and the MTSS/PBIS Tier 2 and 3 combined team to review each team’s composition and identify opportunities for crossover membership.

Having BTAM representation present at the Tier 1 team meetings helps to enhance awareness of additional support systems and interventions for students with intensive needs.

Likewise, having BTAM representation and expertise present at the Tier 2 and 3 combined team meetings helps to build capacity for early identification and early intervention for students in distress or who may be displaying concerning and/or threatening behavior.

Similarly, having MTSS/PBIS representation present at the BTAM team meetings helps to enhance knowledge and expertise in the school’s larger SEB support framework and leverage existing school resources for students receiving individualized management and support plans or individualized safety plans (e.g., BTAM interventions explicitly linked to existing Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 supports).

A district has an established leadership team focused on current initiatives regarding the prevention of unwanted outcomes and which addresses matters regarding school climate, school safety, and students’ SEB well-being.

The district’s BTAM coordinator is an active member of the team to enhance awareness and connection to the work of the school-based BTAM teams across the district.

The district’s MTSS/PBIS coordinator is an active member of the team to provide knowledge about current SEB programming across the district and campus-level efforts to enhance school climate.

Training topics can include recognizing concerning and/or threatening behavior or communications, as well as what information should be brought forward and the multiple methods to do so (e.g., direct communication, phone line, email or online form, text or mobile application).

Table 2 summarizes important systems-level considerations for each of the three tiers within the MTSS/PBIS framework.

For example, in a layered approach a student receiving Tier 3 supports would also have access to supports at Tiers 1 and 2 (see Figure 3).

Within a multi-tiered framework such as this, practitioners may wonder how students with disabilities are meaningfully included (McIntosh & Goodman, 2016).

FIGURE 3 | SAMPLE ALIGNED PRACTICES TO SUPPORT STUDENTS

For more information on the various supports across the tiers, see the Center on PBIS’s Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3, topic pages.

For more guidance on intensive and individualized supports, see the Tier 3 Student-level Systems Guide, Tier 3 School-level Systems Guide, and Tier 3 District-level Systems Guide.

A BTAM team is developing an individualized management and support plan for a student who poses a risk of harm to themselves or others. As part of the planning process, the team reviews an inventory of existing school-based resources that can be leveraged across tiers (e.g., counselor-led groups, targeted interventions, functional behavioral assessment and planning, scheduling changes).

A district is implementing the targeted intervention Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) as part of its Tier 2 supports. The district’s coordinator for MTSS/PBIS partners with the district’s director of district safety and security to have all of the school safety specialists on staff across the district trained in de-escalation techniques and as CICO implementers.

In this capacity, they check in with students with targeted needs at the start of the day to provide encouragement before class and again at the end of the day to provide a positive touchpoint before the student leaves.

The collection and use of data for decision-making are critical to multi-tiered prevention efforts.

Together, these data sources can guide a continuous improvement model (see Table 3).

This process begins with teams using data to understand the current context and identify goals and objectives for improvement and specific evidence-based practices aligned with those goals. Next, teams use data to identify supports and barriers to improvement and develop systems to support the implementation of selected practices.

Then, the team implements the plans and monitors the extent to which they are implemented as intended. This ensures that all students can access the intervention before determining its effectiveness.

Finally, teams evaluate the effectiveness of the plans and ensure all students are benefiting as expected. New goals and objectives are identified as needed, and the process continues.

Team assessment of MTSS/PBIS implementation (e.g., Tiered Fidelity Inventory [TFI]) | • Team assessment of MTSS/PBIS implementation (e.g., TFI) • Fidelity measures for specific interventions | • Team assessment of MTSS/PBIS implementation (e.g., TFI) • Individual management and support plan fidelity monitoring

Fidelity measures for specific practices | • BTAM and other MTSS/PBIS teams

School climate surveys • Community data • Behavior referrals

Universal SEB screeners • Intervention-specific progress monitoring and outcome data • Individual management and support plan progress monitoring toward individualized goals and objectives

A BTAM team is building a management and support plan for a student whose motivation is grievance-based due to experiences with bullying and harassment.

The team connects with the MTSS/PBIS Tier 1 team to get information on the reported bullying and harassment events so that it can use the data regarding locations, times, others involved, bullying behaviors, etc. to guide its decision-making and more effectively address factors of concern for the student, direct resources to address the student’s motives, and create an environment in which violence is less likely.

The BTAM team uses the information to guide modifications to the student’s daily schedule to reduce the likelihood it will have contact with the students perpetrating the bullying and harassment.

As well, the BTAM team works collaboratively with the MTSS/PBIS Tier 2 team to include the student in an existing social skills group led by the counselor to receive additional instruction and support their identified SEB needs (e.g., anger management, conflict resolution, social skills).

Following implementation of a management and support plan, the MTSS/PBIS Tier 1 team continues to share data on new reports of bullying and harassment with the BTAM team so that it can stay aware and informed as they work to support the student.

The MTSS/PBIS Tier 2 team shares both fidelity and outcome data for the social skills group which the BTAM team uses during its meeting to progress monitor implementation of the management and support plan and the student’s level of success.

The BTAM team and the MTSS/PBIS teams all play an active role in creating and sustaining a safe and positive school climate with a culture of respect, trust, and support for students’ social-emotional well-being.

Leaders from the respective teams work collaboratively with school administrators to review data from the current school climate survey. Together, they analyze data on students’ perceptions of feeling connected to the school, supported by adults in the school, their own safety at school, and their perceptions regarding order and discipline at school.

Additionally, they analyze data from staff on their perceptions of their own safety at school and examines data on parents’ perceptions of their student’s safety at school as well as their perceptions of the degree to which their student is supported and treated fairly by adults within the school.

The group knows that a positive school climate is directly related to student willingness to share and report concerning and/or threatening behaviors.

Collectively, the group establishes an action plan designed to support all staff with building positive, trusting relationships with students and which outlines practices and resources that can foster an environment where students feel seen, heard, connected, and respected.

Multi-tiered systems of support, like PBIS, include all students across all levels of support – including students with disabilities.

At the Tier 1 level, students with disabilities (SWD), like all students, benefit from a varied menu of universal supports that are well-designed and intended to set all students up for success through proactive prevention.

These universal supports facilitate inclusive school cultures that benefit students with disabilities.

The BTAM process operates alongside special education protections and does not replace or supersede these protections.

In addition to establishing a strong system of preventative support, teams can take further actions to ensure SWD are supported and protected whenever BTAM is involved.

The following considerations are recommended for school teams to ensure SWD are effectively supported during the BTAM process. Additionally, they are provided to help teams understand the specific protections that must be afforded to SWD and when those may apply.

Members of the BTAM team, including any formal and regular team members not employed by the district, are generally considered part of this exception meaning they may be able to access the student’s records.

If changes in services or placement are needed, then the full IEP team makes the determination.

A student with a disability is identified by the BTAM team as engaging in concerning behaviors such as an excessive interest in past acts of school violence and making contextually inappropriate comments about harming others.

School administration determines these behaviors violate school expectations.

The IEP team meets and determines that the behaviors are a manifestation of the student’s disability, meaning the student cannot be disciplined or excluded from school for this behavior.

However, the BTAM team remains concerned about the potential for harm to self or others and determines that a support and management plan is warranted.

The BTAM team works collaboratively with the IEP team to develop the plan that includes increasing some IEP services related to improving social interactions and connections while also increasing supervision and support during unstructured times and when the student has access to the internet.

Together, the BTAM and IEP teams develop agreements with the student and family to restrict access to weapons and agree to meet again in a month to review and adjust the plan.

Additionally, the BTAM team works to support the safety of all students by increasing active supervision in hallways during transitions, reviewing and enhancing entry/exit procedures and building-wide safety protocols, reducing access to unsupervised locations, enhancing learning opportunities, and sharing reminders for how to recognize and report concerning behavior.

Whether a school is implementing BTAM and wants to extend its prevention and intervention options by adding MTSS/PBIS or is implementing MTSS/PBIS and wants to enhance its intensive interventions by incorporating BTAM, the following questions can help guide next steps:

What teams or initiatives already exist to promote school safety, climate, or behavioral support?

TEAM/INITIATIVE PRIMARY FOCUS OR CONCERN ADDRESSED TEAM MEMBERSHIP FIDELITY DATA COLLECTED (Y/N) OUTCOME DATA COLLECTED (Y/N) COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SHARING ROUTINES WITH OTHER TEAMS

What opportunities exist to combine, collaborate, enhance, or add as needed? • Do multiple teams address the same primary focus or concern? • If fidelity or outcome data are not collected for the work conducted by the team, how could they be added? • If an area of school climate or safety is not addressed, what is missing?

What are the specific desired outcomes or goals that can be achieved by aligning the work? • What are the strengths of our current system that we want to maintain? • What are the gaps or needs in our system that we want to address? • What aspects of BTAM and/or MTSS/PBIS can we use to improve the effectiveness and efficiency within our systems of support?

What specific practices, data, and systems are needed to achieve the desired outcomes or goals?

What do we hope to achieve by expanding and aligning our implementation of BTAM and MTSS/PBIS?

What practices or supports do we need to add to achieve this outcome?

What data would we need to know if we are doing these practices as intended?

What data do we need to know if students are benefiting?

How should team membership be adjusted to enhance awareness and expertise across teams?

How will we communicate and share relevant information across teams?

What training is needed and who should receive it?

What ongoing coaching or problem-solving supports are available?

To learn more about the implementation of behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) in K-12 settings and NTAC’s research, see Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model, Protecting America’s Schools, Averting Targeted School Violence, and Improving School Safety Through Bystander Reporting.

For more information regarding the implementation of the PBIS framework and multi-tiered systems of support, visit the resource pages What is PBIS?, Why Implement PBIS?, and Getting Started from the Center on PBIS.