Report page 29

One promising approach for aligning BTAM and MTSS/PBIS is to expand team membership for both by integrating membership across the teams and then defining roles and expectations for collaboration.

Adding partners across teams can provide an expanded view of the two frameworks, the practices implemented to support students to better outcomes, and the data available to inform support strategies.

For example, integrating a member of the PBIS leadership team onto the BTAM team can help provide a greater level of awareness of the available behavioral data and the full menu of universal (Tier 1), targeted (Tier 2), and intensive (Tier 3) supports available to layer and match to student needs during the behavioral threat assessment and management process.

As well, integrating a member of the BTAM team onto the PBIS leadership team can help promote early identification of concerning and/or threatening behaviors and early intervention.

Clearly defined teaming procedures can support efficient and effective team functioning and decision-making and are particularly important when dealing with stressful high-pressure situations.

For more information on effective teaming, see Enhancing Team Functioning in Schools’ Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (Splett et al., 2023)

A school is implementing BTAM and MTSS/PBIS and wants to ensure that both teams are actively aligned in their shared missions of prevention and support. The school’s administration works collaboratively with the leaders of the BTAM team, the MTSS/PBIS Tier 1 team, and the MTSS/PBIS Tier 2 and 3 combined team to review each team’s composition and identify opportunities for crossover membership.

Having BTAM representation present at the Tier 1 team meetings helps to enhance awareness of additional support systems and interventions for students with intensive needs.

Likewise, having BTAM representation and expertise present at the Tier 2 and 3 combined team meetings helps to build capacity for early identification and early intervention for students in distress or who may be displaying concerning and/or threatening behavior.

Similarly, having MTSS/PBIS representation present at the BTAM team meetings helps to enhance knowledge and expertise in the school’s larger SEB support framework and leverage existing school resources for students receiving individualized management and support plans or individualized safety plans (e.g., BTAM interventions explicitly linked to existing Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 supports).