Interrupting the pathway to violence by improvement of school climate and provision of mental health support.

China Spring Independent School District (ISD) proposes to further enhance the development and implementation of Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) teams across the district. This project will further build upon an already ongoing statewide and local effort to address the problem of school violence through prevention and intervention efforts to support students. Despite efforts to implement an evidenced-based BTA in the district, schools continue to experience challenges relate to increasing violent behavior, inconsistent assessment procedures across campuses, and effective case management. To successfully implement an evidence based BTA program in its schools, China Spring ISD needs to provide ongoing, accessible training to entire teams to ensure all team members understand the purpose and processes involved in BTA.

To address these challenges, China Spring ISD proposes to enhance the implementation of multidisciplinary threat assessment teams by delivering evidence-based assessment procedures through a high-quality eLearning training platform for school teams to build, strengthen, and maintain knowledge and skills in threat assessment and suicide prevention. Threat assessment training includes eLearning modules and interactive virtual or in-person team training that provide both the background needed to implement threat assessment and the practical hands-on skills. The case management software will guide multidisciplinary teams as they document and assess cases, and more effectively implement harm reduction plans for at-risk students that are trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate. These tools will be made available to campuses over a 36-month period using a cyclical and phased approach to implementation.