Community partners in management

PCSO has partnered with several multidisciplinary community entities, including community mental health providers, school district representatives, the local prosecutor’s office, and the state probation office, all of whom meet weekly to support open threat management cases.

Even if mental health providers and local education agencies cannot share information with the BTAU, those agencies can receive whatever information the BTAU is authorized to share. Sharing information with these entities will inform the strategies used by the mental health providers and local education agencies to promote the wellbeing of individuals under their care.

Along with more traditional law enforcement action, these efforts will often involve identifying the needs of the individual and the community resources available to address those needs.

Whenever possible, the BTAU should include the individual of concern and their support network (e.g., family and friends) in the process of developing an effective case management plan.

For example, a BTAU may learn that an individual who threatened violence is experiencing alcohol dependency and recently lost a job but also has a supportive family and is receptive to receiving assistance. In this case, the BTAU could connect the individual with a local employment assistance program and an alcohol abuse program while also leveraging the support of the individual’s family members.

Redirecting motives requires strategic use of resources to mitigate factors of concern, such as resources to mediate interpersonal grievances, counseling to build better problem-solving strategies, mental health treatment, or other social services that can address the circumstances driving the individual’s behavior.

For example, if a BTAU determines an individual has been harassing neighbors following a land use dispute, the BTAU may be able to identify a community-based mediation resource to help reconcile the disagreement.

In these cases, the BTAU may work with the justice system to pursue conditions for pretrial release or probationary requirements.

STEP 4 of this framework discussed the importance of using the Systems Approach for information gathering and assessment. The Systems Approach also provides a framework for management by identifying community-level partners who can contribute resources toward the BTAU’s violence prevention efforts.

Violence prevention requires a community-wide approach, and law enforcement agencies must be prepared to leverage their partnerships with other agencies to help reduce the likelihood of violence.

A multiagency threat management approach that allows for information sharing among criminal justice professionals, including prosecutors, courts, correctional practitioners, and community supervision officers, is critical in managing the risk posed by an individual of concern.

While some information sharing may be “one-way” due to privacy regulations, criminal justice practitioners must be informed and have the appropriate context upon which to base their judgements, treatment decisions, and mitigation strategies.

The judicial system can serve as a helpful management tool through both its authorities and resources, which can be leveraged in partnership with law enforcement agencies seeking to prevent violent outcomes.

help identify appropriate recommendations for processing a case (e.g., requesting a mental health evaluation).

recommend special conditions during pretrial release and at sentencing (e.g., drug abuse treatment).

identify and report concerning changes in an individual’s behavior while under supervision.

ensure adherence to court-ordered supervision requirements.

ask the individual and their support systems if community services, such as alternative housing or counseling, would be beneficial.

Some individuals who come to the attention of the BTAU may be enrolled in an educational institution.

Understanding their school enrollment status can be a helpful management tool, as there are a variety of resources and interventions that can be leveraged through school systems and postsecondary educational institutions.

provide counseling services and other school-based social, emotional, and behavioral resources. | • provide counseling services and other campus-based supports for mental health and wellbeing. • provide academic support.

provide academic support.

promote prosocial behavior by establishing positive relationships with the individual of concern.

offer on-campus employment opportunities. • provide career development services and resources.

engage with local law enforcement and/or the school resource officer (SRO) to develop collaborative management strategies.

monitor activity on all information technology (IT) resources (e.g., computers and IT networks) provided by the school.

provide financial aid information and guidance. • engage with campus law enforcement to develop collaborative management strategies.

monitor activity on all IT resources (e.g., computers and IT networks) provided by the campus.

If an individual of concern is employed, the BTAU may help the individual identify and leverage resources offered by their employer.

Coordinating resources offered through an individual’s employer should be done tactfully and in collaboration with the individual so as not to unnecessarily create additional challenges in the workplace.

Employer-offered resources vary widely between smaller, local companies and larger corporations.

Nevertheless, the BTAU may encourage the individual to access available employment resources (e.g., employment assistance programs).

As well, it can be helpful to know if an individual was previously employed as a member of the armed services because the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a variety of recourses and supports to eligible veterans.

Employers can support management by: • providing employee assistance programs (EAPs) to support and counsel individuals experiencing work/life challenges; • providing short-term mental health counseling; • providing substance use treatment; • providing financial counseling; • providing alternative dispute resolution; • offering wellness and resiliency programs; • identifying workplace mentors to model and promote prosocial behavior and professional success; and • pursuing safe termination practices when termination is necessary (e.g., offering job placement services, severance packages, or extended healthcare coverage).

Family members of an individual of concern can be allies during the management planning and implementation process, as they are well-positioned to identify when a loved one is experiencing a crisis or when the individual’s concerning behavior is escalating.

For management planning, the BTAU should strategize about the role that the family may be able to play in initiating interventions, information sharing, and supporting the intervention plan.

BTAUs may want to educate families that the unit’s primary goal is to help support their loved one and, ideally, preempt any escalation toward violent or criminal behavior.

As was the case during the assessment phase, building and maintaining a positive rapport with the individual’s family is critical.

Family members can support management by: • petitioning for mental health commitments; • petitioning for ERPOs; • providing supervision and observing behavior in the home; • voluntarily securing weapons, thereby restricting weapons access; • assisting with transportation to treatment sessions; • providing insight into treatment compliance and progress; and • notifying the BTAU of behavioral changes or escalation of behaviors.

Community organizations that provide social services can be instrumental in providing assistance during the management phase of the behavioral threat assessment process.

These social services can provide interventions and supports to address the personal stressors and other challenges being experienced by the individual of concern.

financial stressors through employment assistance programming, unemployment benefits, social security income (SSI), and social security disability income (SSDI) for qualifying individuals;

housing instability through subsidized housing opportunities, emergency housing placement, and shelters;

food insecurity through subsidized programs, such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, as well as food banks and other community food programs;

medical needs through assistance with applying for Medicare, Medicaid, or benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs or HealthCare.gov for qualifying individuals, as well as access to community-based health services and clinics; and

behavioral health needs through intervention programming that addresses substance use disorders and/or mental health.

When identifying opportunities to connect individuals with services and resources to address their needs, it can be helpful to connect an individual with an organization capable of addressing multiple needs simultaneously by offering wraparound services.

Selecting a multifaceted provider improves efficiency by limiting the number of referrals needed and reducing the number of follow-up appointments with multiple providers.

Some communities feature local organizations that offer behavioral health treatment services (e.g., substance abuse and mental health care), a physical location for individuals to access basic life necessities (e.g., clean clothing, bathrooms, and clean water), medical and dental clinics, and advocacy and assistance with accessing social support services (e.g., assistance with applying for social security income and healthcare benefits).

▪Request mental health assessments ▪Recommend special pretrial release conditions ▪Identify concerning behaviors | ▪Ensure adherence to court orders

▪Counseling services ▪Academic support ▪Monitor IT activity ▪Develop social support ▪Employment opportunities ▪Financial aid information

▪Provide EAP services ▪Short-term mental health counseling ▪Substance abuse treatment ▪Alternative dispute resolution ▪Workplace mentorships ▪Safe termination practices

▪Petition for ERPOs ▪Supervise behavior in the home ▪Voluntarily secure weapons ▪Provide transportation for services and resources ▪Provide insight on compliance and progress ▪Notify BTAU of changes

▪Employment and financial assistance ▪Housing placement and subsidies ▪Food programs ▪Facilitate medical resources | ▪Behavioral health intervention and treatment

Weekly meetings are attended by representatives from groups including: • State Attorney’s Office (for adults), • State Attorney’s Office (for juveniles), • Mental Health Unit (law enforcement), • Crisis Response Specialist (mental health practitioner) , • Habitual Offender Monitoring Enforcement (HOME),

Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), • State Probation Office, • School resource officers, • School districts, • Community mental health providers, and • Involuntary mental health intake facilities.