External systems are systems outside of the workplace that may be of particular importance when assessing individuals not directly affiliated with the organization, such as customers or visitors.
External systems are systems outside of the workplace
Organizations should preemptively establish collaborative relationships with those outside the organization, as highlighted in Step 1.
This highlights the importance of preemptively establishing collaborative relationships with those outside the organization
Coordination with law enforcement can be critical, especially in highly concerning cases involving possible violence or criminal behavior or individuals not associated with the organization.
Coordination with law enforcement partners can be critical for organizations
Law enforcement agencies possess the legal authority, training, and operational protocols needed to safely engage with individuals outside the organization, ensuring that privacy rights are protected and that investigative activity does not escalate the situation or expose the workplace to liability.
Law enforcement agencies possess the legal authority, training, and operational protocols needed to safely engage with individuals outside the organization
Organizations may coordinate with law enforcement to serve or enforce a protective order or to request a welfare check at an individual's home.
Organizations may coordinate with law enforcement to serve or enforce a protective order or to request a welfare check
While court records alone do not indicate a threat, when reviewed in context with other stressors or criminal behaviors they can help BTAM teams identify a history of aggression, violence, or signs of instability or distress.
when reviewed in context with other stressors or criminal behaviors present in the individual's background
Community mental health partners can be valuable assets at nearly any stage of a behavioral threat assessment.
Community mental health partners can be valuable assets at nearly any stage of a behavioral threat assessment
Publicly available posts on social media, forums, or content-sharing platforms can reveal grievances, intent, or interest in violence.
Publicly available posts on social media, forums, or content-sharing platforms can reveal grievances, intent, or interest in violence
Social media content can also contain indicators that an individual is in crisis (e.g., expressions of hopelessness, desperation, pleas for help), which could warrant further assessment.
Social media content can also contain indicators that an individual is in crisis
Including a team member with open-source investigations expertise can significantly enhance a BTAM team's ability to identify digital and online indicators of concern.
Including a team member with expertise in open-source investigations can significantly enhance a BTAM team's ability to identify digital and online indicators of concern
Team members with open-source expertise should be trained to ethically and efficiently find, gather, and analyze publicly available open-source information.
These team members should be trained to ethically and efficiently find, gather, and analyze publicly available open-source information
These partners can offer valuable insight into potential symptoms and diagnoses, help BTAM teams understand unusual patterns of behavior, and identify avenues for evaluation and treatment.
These partners can offer valuable insight into potential symptoms and diagnoses, help BTAM teams understand unusual patterns of behavior, and identify avenues for evaluation and treatment
Some employees of concern, particularly those engaging in highly concerning behaviors, may also warrant the use of external systems to gather information when assessing risk.
Some employees of concern, particularly those engaging in highly concerning behaviors, may also warrant the use of external systems to gather information when assessing risk.
Why inferred Typed statement: 'may also warrant the use of external systems' is guidance on when to use external systems, not a prediction.
BTAM teams may seek to gather and examine information from a variety of external systems, including law enforcement, judicial, mental health, and online and social media sources.
BTAM teams may seek to gather and examine information from a variety of external systems, including the following:
Why inferred Typed statement, not conjecture: the 'may'/'might'/'can' is permissive guidance (what a team may do), not speculation about what is the case.
Publicly available court records such as criminal charges, convictions, protective orders, civil lawsuits, eviction filings, and bankruptcy declarations, found on many judicial and governmental websites, can provide relevant context about an individual's legal history or other stressors.
Publicly available court records (e.g., criminal charges, convictions, protective orders, civil lawsuits, eviction filings, bankruptcy declarations), which can be found on many judicial and governmental websites, can provide relevant context about an individual’s legal history or other stressors.
Community mental health professionals can assist in a consultative capacity, using their expertise to assess the risks posed by an individual or situation, particularly where individuals may be experiencing mental health crises.
These professionals can provide assistance in a consultative capacity, leveraging their professional expertise to assess the risks posed by an individual or situation, particularly in cases where individuals may be experiencing mental health crises.
Why inferred Typed statement, not conjecture: the 'may'/'might'/'can' is permissive guidance (what a team may do), not speculation about what is the case.
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