This in-depth webinar is presented by Marisa Randazzo, Ph.D., principal and co-founder of SIGMA Threat Management Associates, LLC, and international expert on threat assessment, targeted violence, and violence prevention. Marisa discusses the most common concerns facing threat assessment teams such as how to measure team functioning and how to determine an appropriate case load. She covers a checklist of items that teams can consult to gauge their effectiveness and identify any areas where they may want to consider revising or enhancing their operations. She also identifies tasks that an institution of higher education’s general counsel or risk manager can undertake to help their threat assessment team’s functionality. The webinar concludes with a review of problems common to campus threat assessment teams and suggested solutions.

1. Next Steps
for Campus Threat Assessment Teams
Marisa Randazzo, Ph.D.

2. Presenter
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Marisa R. Randazzo, PhD
§ Director of Threat Assessment
Georgetown University
§ Co-Founder
SIGMA Threat Management Associates
§ Former Chief Research Psychologist
U.S. Secret Service
§ Co-author: The Handbook for Campus Threat
Assessment & Management Teams
§ Co-author: Implementing Behavioral Threat
Assessment on Campus
§ Ph.D. in Psychology
Princeton University

3. Overview
• Types of Campus Teams Using Threat Assessment
• Challenges Facing Threat Assessment Teams
• Workable Solutions
• Roles of Counsel / Risk Manager
• Examining Team Effectiveness
• Summary / Q & A
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4. Types of Campus Teams
Using
Threat Assessment
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5. Teams Using Threat Assessment
• Threat Assessment Teams
– Student-focused
– Employee-focused
– All-threats
• Behavioral Intervention Teams
• CARE Teams
• Crisis Response Teams
• Ad Hoc groups
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6. Challenges Facing
Campus
Threat Assessment Teams
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7. Challenges Facing Teams
• Team scope confusion
• Too many cases or too few?
• Case management without fact-finding and/or
assessment
• Failing to implement a case management plan
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8. Workable Team
Solutions
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9. Challenges Facing Teams
• Team scope confusion
• Too many cases or too few?
• Case management without fact-finding and/or
assessment
• Failing to implement a case management plan
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10. Workable Solution: Team Scope
Possible solutions for team scope confusion:
• Clearly define scope of threat assessment team and
other relevant team(s)
• Create team overlap in membership, to help ensure
referral to appropriate team
• Task members from relevant team(s) to screen cases
together
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11. Challenges Facing Teams
ü Team scope confusion
• Too many cases or too few?
• Case management without fact-finding and/or
assessment
• Failing to implement a case management plan
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12. Workable Solution: Too Many Cases
How do you know when the team has too many
cases?
• Busy with matters that should be handled elsewhere?
• Too little time to attend to most serious cases?
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13. Workable Solution: Too Many Cases
Possible solutions for high volume:
• Create and use screening questions that are based on
team’s defined scope.
• Use threat assessment in cases where appropriate; refer
out other cases
• Triage remaining cases
• Document case screening
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14. Workable Solution: Too Few Cases
How do you know when the team has too few cases?
• Hear about situations “late in the game” and/or only when
entrenched / prolonged?
• Find out about situations handled by other departments,
where there were concerns about potential violence to
others / campus
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15. Workable Solution: Too Few Cases
Possible solutions for low volume:
• Task members from relevant team(s) to screen cases
together
• Create team overlap in membership
• Engage in additional efforts to raise awareness of team
• Invite “silo” representatives to team meetings
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16. Challenges Facing Teams
ü Team scope confusion
ü Too many cases or too few?
• Case management without fact-finding and/or
assessment
• Failing to implement a case management plan
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17. Workable Solution: No Assessment
Possible solutions for case management without fac-
finding or assessment:
• Establish operating guidelines or process for team to
follow
• Create workflow worksheets to ensure team follows
process in each case
• Discuss “action imperative” so team members can help
guard against rush to case management.
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18. Challenges Facing Teams
ü Team scope confusion
ü Too many cases or too few?
ü Case management without fact-finding and/or
assessment
• Failing to implement a case management plan
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19. Workable Solution: Not Implementing Plan
Possible solutions for failure to implement case
management plan:
• Document specific components of plan
• Assign individual team members with plan segment(s)
• Assign due dates for each segment
• Use team chair, risk manager, or other to ensure each
segment is implemented and then monitored
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20. Role of Counsel
And
Risk Manager
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21. Other Issues Impacting Teams
• Misconceptions about threat assessment
• Misunderstanding of FERPA, HIPAA, Disability
Law
• Problems with campus policies, procedures
• Documentation challenges
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22. Counsel and Risk Managers Can…
• Address misconceptions about threat assessment
– Help develop and publicize FAQs
– Advocate for resources to promote & sustain awareness
• Address misunderstandings of FERPA, HIPAA, disability law
– One-pager on FERPA myths & misconceptions
• Addressing problems with campus policies, procedures
– Lead efforts to amend policies, handbooks, etc.
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23. Counsel and Risk Managers Can…
• Review team process guidelines / procedures
– Ensure standardization, thoroughness
• Address documentation challenges
– Provide guidance on what, how, where
• Serve as team connector / advocate
– Help team access critical resources and personnel quickly when
needed
– Advocate for necessary resources for team
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24. Examining
Team Effectiveness
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25. Checklist to Examine Effectiveness
Ways to evaluate:
q Annual team discussions (run by facilitator)
q Case-specific after-action analyses (self-run or by facilitator)
q External review of team process / functioning (facilitated)
q Documenting annual efforts
q Training for team
q Training for campus community
q Annual reports to track usage over time
q Feedback / Survey regarding program (awareness, experience
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26. Review of Team & Process
Areas to Examine:
q What is working well on the team?
q What are the gaps for obtaining / receiving referrals?
q What are the gaps in gathering information, analyzing information?
q What challenges exist in case management planning, monitoring?
q Does the scope need to be changed? Do screening questions work?
q What skill sets and/or resources are needed but missing?
q How could the process be improved?
q What changes to policies or procedures are needed?
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27. Summary / Q & A
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28. Summary
• Threat assessment is considered best practice for
preventing campus violence.
• Need to ensure your team and process are working well.
• Enlist assistance of general counsel and/or risk
manager.
• Periodically examine how team and process are
functioning. Use – don’t fear – criticism.
• Consult with peers at other institutions.
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29. www.bja.gov www.margolishealy.com
www.nccpsafety.org
info@nccpsafety.org
1.866.817.5817