Policy

At the time of his resignation, the hospital did not revoke his identification badge, which he used to access the hospital on the day of the attack.

STEP 2 | Establish BTAM Program Policy and Procedures

Developing sound programmatic infrastructure for a workplace BTAM program is important to creating an effective process for targeted violence prevention.

This infrastructure should include two components: policy and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Organizational policy should establish the BTAM program, while the program's SOPs should outline the day-to-day operations and the roles and responsibilities for personnel involved in the BTAM process.

A policy establishing the organizational BTAM program should be formalized alongside or within any broader workplace violence policies that an organization already has in place.

Having a dedicated policy for the BTAM program can help to create a more comprehensive prevention program capable of addressing a continuum of behaviors and concerns.

Policy is important in establishing clear expectations and a foundation upon which the more granular details of the program can be built.

Some states have enacted legislation that requires certain employers to develop policies or plans to prevent workplace violence.

While not explicitly required by these laws, workplace BTAM policies can build upon these legislative mandates and further promote workplace safety.

on September 30, 2023, California passed Senate Bill (S.B.) 553, which requires most California employers to create and maintain a written workplace violence prevention plan.

A BTAM policy should establish and articulate each of the following:

State the goal of BTAM in order to establish a clear vision and understanding of the program's intention.

state that the program encompasses work to proactively address any behavior that indicates a potential risk to safety and is not limited to explicit or direct threats.

Establish the authority of a BTAM team to perform the necessary functions to allow them to identify, assess, and manage individuals of concern before violence can occur

Articulate who will be subject to a behavioral threat assessment and what actions may be taken during the BTAM process.

Establish which organizational department, component, or division (e.g., security, HR) will house the BTAM program and how the BTAM program will be integrated into the organization.

Goals of the BTAM program.

For example, describe the program's dedication to workplace safety and proactive prevention of violence.

Articulate the key principles of the BTAM program.

Authority and staffing of the BTAM team.

Program placement and integration.

describe concerning behaviors that should be reported to the BTAM program and how individuals, especially employees, can report their concerns.

Establish parameters for when the BTAM team will convene and respond to a report. The policy should allow for a low threshold of concern

Establish what behaviors and reports should necessitate notification to law enforcement for assistance with a safety concern or a criminal matter.

Describe what safeguards are offered to protect individuals who share information during the BTAM process.

the mission of the [name of the BTAM team] is to identify, assess, and manage individuals who may pose a risk of harm to themselves or others in the workplace, either currently or in the future.

Receiving reports of concerning behaviors.

Threshold for initiating a BTAM inquiry and response.

Threshold for law enforcement intervention.

Explanation of privacy protections.

When applicable, public safety exceptions that either facilitate or require information sharing should be described.

[Organization Name] is dedicated to establishing and maintaining a safe workplace for all employees.

In support of that commitment, this policy establishes [name of the BTAM program], which is dedicated to the proactive prevention of targeted violence in the workplace.

[Name of the BTAM program] will utilize a multidisciplinary team composed of [describe relevant personnel, departments, or units].

To achieve this mission, the [name of the BTAM team] will receive, investigate, and assess reports of concerns within the workplace, and provide direction, management, support, and follow-up to address concerns before the risk of potential violence escalates to physical harm.

Organizations that already have established workplace violence prevention policies and procedures should consider conducting a gap analysis to:

ensure alignment between existing policies;

Zero-tolerance policies have historically been used in organizations as an assurance of safety for employees against risk of harm or violence.

As a manager, your responsibility is to coach the individual and help them … If that doesn’t work, talk to them about what they are not doing right and what they need to fix.

It is important to establish clear policies regarding workplace conduct and standards of behavior and to respond appropriately and proportionately to infractions.

it is important to avoid unfair hiring practices

reference to relevant organizational BTAM policies

It’s critical to distinguish between performance and conduct issues.

DOL workplace violence program.