Violence Threat Assessment

- Planning and Response (1 or 2 day)

Knowing how to respond to a threat is a tremendous challenge. After a violent incident, it is not uncommon to find that many different people were aware of clues that an attack was being planned. Yet, without the proper mechanism to gather information and assess the situation, prevention is nearly impossible. This workshop provides a communication and decision-making model to help businesses, schools, organizations and communities become proactive in their management of threats. Strategies to help you identify, assess, and manage individuals who make threats will be explored. Participants will leave the workshop with an understanding of how to implement a threat assessment team for their specific environment.

Workshop Outline

Threat Assessment Overview
Types of Threats
Behaviours of Concern
Potential Threatener
Stages of Violence
Possible Characteristics of Assailant
Threat Assessment Team and Plan Development
Guiding Principles in Assessment
The Threat Assessment Process
Initial Investigation and Assessment
Assessment Questions
Determining Level of Risk
Anonymous Threats
Detailed Investigation and Assessment
Investigative Interview
Use of Technology
Case Management and Monitoring
Considerations Related to Mental Illness
Scenario Analysis

Length

1 day version
The one day version is structured for a conference format with a large number of participants from different environments.

2 day version
Designed for forming or existing teams, the two day on-site workshop is structured for a group size of 20 or less participants. Beyond the material covered in the 1-day version, the emphasis will be on addressing issues and developing processes that are relevant to your specific environment.

Target Audience

This is an intermediate level workshop intended for managers, school personnel, social service and health care professionals, human resource professionals and anyone who is interested in implementing threat assessment protocols for their organization.

Method of Delivery

Lecture, case study review and small group discussion