To help schools continue to comply with VA Code § 22.1-79.4 (creation of threat assessment teams) and § 9.1-184 (collection and reporting of data by threat assessment teams), the DCJS Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS) is pleased to announce a virtual one-day basic threat assessment training. The goal is to provide K-12 threat assessment teams with tools and resources to conduct and manage threat cases as required by Virginia Code.
VCSCS offers the one-day basic threat assessment training throughout the year, and also at the request of schools/divisions. Threat assessment team members may register for currently scheduled sessions by clicking the gray "Register" button above. School or division representatives interested in hosting a session for their personnel may complete the HOST A TRAINING form to schedule a session.
The Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety will provide updated model policies, procedures, and guidelines for threat assessment and management in Virginia public schools. The model policies, procedures, and guidelines were revised in 2020 and are available electronically on the DCJS website, along with other information and VCSCS resources related to Threat Assessment in Virginia.
This training is being offered to individuals who are currently serving on a public K-12 school threat assessment team or the school division oversight committee.
Topics to be covered include:
What is a threat? What is concerning/aberrant behavior?
Rationale for the threat assessment approach to violence prevention
The principles of threat assessment
Understanding the Pathway to Violence
Mandated roles and responsibilities of threat assessment teams
The importance of reporting, reporting mechanisms, and overcoming barriers to reporting
Investigating reports of concerning/aberrant/threatening behaviors
Assessing and classifying threats
The nexus between threat assessment and suicide risk assessment
Information sharing and confidentiality
Understanding the goals of threat management and interventions
Updated group case exercise(s)
Law enforcement and school security officers will receive partial in-service credit hours for this training.
The virtual training will be hosted via Zoom.
Attendees will receive the Zoom meeting information, including password upon registering for the training.
The day of the training, the Zoom waiting room will be opened by 7:45 a.m. to let attendees in and the training will begin at 8:00 a.m.
There will be breaks throughout the training, including a lunch break, prior to the afternoon session beginning.
There will be a case study provided at the end of the session and Zoom Polls will be utilized to engage and gauge participant understanding of the process.
There is no cost to the participant to attend this training. Course materials will be provided via an electronic link emailed prior to the training. Pre-registration is required.
Please note that the DCJS registration system does not have the capacity to sort eligible from ineligible registrants. Therefore, anyone who registers will receive a confirmation. It is the responsibility of the DCJS assigned course director to review the roster and make a final determination on acceptance into the course. Registrants not accepted will be notified via the email address provided during registration.
