Editor’s Note: This is part 2 of CS’ two-part series on behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) teams. Part 1 defined BTAM, who should be on a BTAM team, and how cases should be managed.
Part 2 below covers team member training, how to practice BTAM with exercises, and case management follow up. It also provides a sample scenario campuses can use in their exercises.
It is important to ensure campus Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) team members are appropriately trained. There are various state, regional, and national organizations that provide resources in this area, such as the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA).
Even when the team members are highly trained in their respective fields, providing team training can assist in helping all members understand a common approach to how cases will be evaluated and how to assess levels of threat and risk. Some teams use a formal risk matrix while others take a more organic approach. Some formally assign a risk level to each case, which can be helpful but should also be regularly monitored to adjust risk levels accordingly as circumstances change. NABITA’s Standards for School-Based Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in K-12 Education also recommends assessing the structure and process, either internally or externally, to examine if they are in alignment with industry standards, including a thorough audit of human, fiscal, and technological resources.
Case management and follow up can take many forms, and in some cases documenting the situation is sufficient if something has not risen to the level of needing to intervene. Some cases need a simple check in to assess the well-being of a reported individual to determine if the person needs to be connected to resources.
Related Article: Anonymous School Threats: What to Do Before, During, and After
Some cases need a high level of intervention depending on the nature and level of risk the individual is presenting. Striking a balance between personal rights and protecting the community is often a nuanced exercise, which is why having a sufficiently diverse and well-trained team is paramount.
Be Sure to Conduct BTAM Exercises
Perhaps one component of a BTAM training program that is often overlooked is exercises. When we think of exercises, we typically think of drills, tabletop exercises, functional exercises and occasional full-scale exercises.
Related Article: Tabletop Exercise: Loud Voices, Smell of Alcohol Coming from Main Office
Exercises are planned and conducted depending on many variables, including threat, risk and likelihood that critical incidents might occur on campus. Emergency preparedness coordinators must not overlook more catastrophic scenarios even though they might not be as likely as others. Some exercises in public schools — like fire drills, and in many states, active shooter drills — may be mandated by state governments. According to Ready.gov, exercises are a great way to:
- Evaluate the preparedness program
- Identify planning and procedural deficiencies
- Test or validate recently changed procedures or plans
- Clarify roles and responsibilities
- Obtain participant feedback and recommendations for program improvement
- Measure improvement compared to performance objectives
- Improve coordination between internal and external teams, organizations and entities
- Validate training and education
- Increase awareness and understanding of hazards and the potential impacts of hazards
- Assess the capabilities of existing resources and identify needed resources
Exercises enhance relationships, help team members understand the capabilities of other departments and improve communications. Exercises build confidence in the BTAM team and senior leaders.
Typically, exercises within an educational setting focus on likely threats, but will also include catastrophic threats, and even past critical incidents or threats. Nearly every university, and more-and-more K-12 schools, have dedicated emergency managers that plan and facilitate a variety of exercises. Exercising a BTAM team will likely be a new concept but will be extremely beneficial.
Train Your Team Members First
But, before any exercise, it’s imperative that each member participate in a comprehensive training program tailored to their educational setting. Such BTAM training programs must include reporting mechanisms, the process for analyzing threats and concerns, detailed discussions on what constitutes a threat, site-specific anomalies that warrant red flags and triggers, and the multitude of preventive and intervention actions.
Team members must understand the concept of situational awareness as it pertains to their campus and students. They must understand how, and the importance of connecting the dots, and have a platform to raise an issue from a concern to an immediate threat (for example, understanding and operationalizing the pathway to violence).
BTAM operations are most effective with executive support, clear member responsibilities and collaboration with other departments. Effectiveness may be measured based on success of the interactions and assistance with those identified with needs. However, most teams have no way to grasp the needs and possible situations they will need to address until the situation arises.
Beyond training members, an essential way to mitigate a variety of situations can be by exercising the BTAM, preferably as a tabletop exercises. Tabletop exercises for the BTAM should focus on a variety of scenarios that test communications, interventions, and connecting the dots.
BTAM Tabletop Exercise Scenario
Typically, tabletop exercises are scenario-driven and expand as the exercise progresses. including updated information, and even the occasional twist. As an example, the tabletop for a high school setting could look something like:
- Scenario Slide 1: Several months ago an 11th grade student named Jeffery was reported to the BTAM team for a rash of student absences and tardies. Previously this student only missed two days over the past two and a half years.
- Scenario Slide 2: Three weeks ago, Jeffery had a loud verbal confrontation with the art teacher over an assignment that was turned in late and the project was reduced a letter grade. The artwork was also rather graphic showing what looked like medieval knights beheading nuns. Jeffrey was given a week of after-school detention for his behavior.
- Scenario Slide 3: Jeffery, also a football player, got into a physical altercation with another player earlier this week, and the head coach decided to bench him in the upcoming game on Friday.
- Scenario Slide 4: Rather than dress out for the game on Friday night and stand on the sideline, Jeffrey walked off the field and told the team captain (a fellow student and teammate) to “go f#&* yourself,” and rather than continue to be a part of the team, he’d simply quit the team and make sure no one else could play in the future.
The BTAM, or at least a key administrator, would likely reach out to Jeffrey’s other teachers to assess any concerns in their classes, meet with the coach, see if a counselor or advisor was involved, and try to determine if there was anything going on within the student’s home life. Does he have access to weapons? Has he made other threats, and who else is concerned? The BTAM team would first determine if he has any grievances, and with whom (school, teacher, football team, etc.). Has any other student, family member, teacher or outside friend or acquaintance raised a concern? All of these elements would be part of the BTAM’s discussion and would drive the tabletop exercise.
This is a simplified example with some aspects that may be extreme and fast paced, but the goal is to quickly assess all available data that is necessary to connect the dots. If viewed singularly, any component of the scenario could suggest an isolated concern. However, when viewed in their totality, the components demonstrate an emerging pattern that BTAM needs to address.
Tabletop exercises ask the tough “what if” questions. What if the student was seeing an off-campus counselor? What if the student recently posted a picture of himself in front of the school holding an assault rifle? What if the student was severely bullied in middle school?
If nothing else, a tabletop exercise with the BTAM shows how working together can identify potential threats and prevent potentially catastrophic outcomes. Such active discussions on early intervention opportunities not only help students receive needed support but can also change the trajectory of how students might process and respond to various stressors throughout the rest of their lives.
Andy Altizer is the Emergency Management Coordinator at Westminster Schools in Atlanta. He was previously the Director of Emergency Management at Kennesaw State University, Director of Emergency Preparedness at Georgia Institute of Technology, and Assistant Dean of Students at Oglethorpe University (GA). He is a part-time instructor in the undergraduate criminal justice program at Georgia State University.
Dr. Michael Sanseviro is the Vice President for Student Engagement at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. He previously served as Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at Kennesaw State University, Director of Residence Life at Kennesaw State University, and Director of Student Life at Georgia Perimeter College at the Gwinnett University Center. In addition to his administrative roles, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses for over 30 years and serves on numerous non-profit boards.
NOTE: The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety.
Check Out Some of These Other Tabletop Exercises
- Tabletop Exercise 1: Student Hasn’t Returned Home from School. What Would You Do?
- Tabletop Exercise 2: Worsening Odor Leads to Student Asthma Attack
- Tabletop Exercise 4: Minivan with 4 Students Rear-ends School Bus
- Tabletop Exercise 5: School Loses Power as Temperature Drops
- Tabletop Exercise 6: Chemistry Teacher Drops Beaker Containing Mercury
- Tabletop Exercise 7: Armed Robber Barricaded in Home Adjacent to School
- Tabletop Exercise 8: Third-Grade Teacher Collapses During Class
- Tabletop Exercise 9: Anonymous Tip Says Student Plans to Bring Weapon to School
- Tabletop Exercise 10: Student Goes Into Anaphylactic Shock
- Tabletop Exercise 11: Student on School Roof Threatens Suicide
