Definition claims

BTAM is a proactive approach to identifying students whose behavior elicits concern for their safety or the safety of others, assessing the concerning behavior in context, and providing appropriate interventions and resources to manage the risk of harm while also supporting the student (National Threat Assessment Center, 2022).

BTAM is intended to support student needs before they escalate into acts of school violence or crisis requiring intervention by law enforcement or medical personnel.

Behavioral threat assessment and management or “BTAM” (also known as behavioral threat assessment) is an evidence-based approach for preventing acts of targeted violence in schools.

In K-12 schools, behavioral threat assessment and management is a proactive, preventative, and supportive approach to: • Identify students who display behavior that elicits significant concern for the safety of themselves or others;

Assess the context of the concerning behaviors, along with information on the student’s actions and circumstances (e.g., bullying experiences, stressors, mental health needs, negative homelife factors, substance misuse and abuse) to evaluate the student’s risks and needs;

Behavioral threat assessment and management is a systematic and proactive approach to preventing targeted violence in schools.

The team’s job is to receive reports of concerning student behavior and situations; gather additional information to better assess the student’s risks and needs; and identify interventions, supports, and resources to reduce the risk of harm to self or others and make positive outcomes for the student more likely.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) represents a powerful application of the multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework in educational settings.

As a comprehensive public health approach, PBIS promotes safe, positive, predictable, and effective learning environments that include and benefit all students.

Equitable implementation intentionally uses practices, data, and systems to allow each and every student, in all types of schools, to (a) access high-quality safe and affirming learning environments, (b) engage in a full range of educational opportunities, (c) access effective supports based on their

Practices are the evidence-based supports and interventions provided to students to address valued outcomes and goals. In the PBIS framework, practices are organized within a continuum.

Universal, or Tier 1, practices are provided to all students to proactively support student SEB needs and to proactively promote connection and belonging.

Targeted, or Tier 2, practices are provided to small groups of students who are identified as needing supplemental support.

Individualized, or Tier 3, practices are intensive and individualized to support students who need support beyond what is offered in Tiers 1 and 2.

Systems, in PBIS, represent the infrastructure that supports implementation and sustainability.

Core universal, or Tier 1, practices include intentional efforts to prioritize belonging and connection for all, clearly codefining and teaching schoolwide and classroom expectations, developing systems of acknowledgment and appreciation, and clearly defining instructional and supportive responses to behaviors that do not align with established expectations and values.

Core, Tier 2, or targeted practices include systems for identifying students needing additional supports and a range of small group interventions designed to support student internalizing and externalizing SEB needs.

Intensive and individualized, or Tier 3, practices are guided by an individualized comprehensive assessment used to inform a plan of support developed in partnership with students and families.

Focuses on an individual student and their risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities while delivering intervention strategies to manage that risk and support the student

Focuses on building a continuum of supports to promote all students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health

Systems represent the infrastructure and operational supports necessary to help adults successfully implement and sustain practices designed to support students and aid achievement of valued outcomes.

Practices represent the evidence-based interventions and supports educators implement to positively impact student behavior and address desired outcomes (Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2023).

Within a continuum of support aligned with MTSS/PBIS, educators implement universal practices to proactively support all student SEB needs (Tier 1), provide targeted practices to small groups of students identified as needing supplemental support (Tier 2), and individualize and intensify select practices to support students with more significant SEB needs (Tier 3).

At all tiers, teams should consider two primary sources of information. The first is fidelity data. That is, to what extent were the plans or interventions implemented as intended?

The second is outcome data. That is, to what extent are students benefiting from the interventions or plans?

BTAM is a student safety and support process to address potential safety risks and provide student support and intervention.