Georgia Rolls Out Behavioral Threat Assessment Model for K-12 Schools

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) has rolled out a statewide Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) model for public and private K-12 schools.

Announced Sept. 24, the model provides a framework schools can use to develop and implement local BTAM programs. The model focuses on early identification, assessment, and intervention while encouraging schools to incorporate student and employee support programs and other resources already available within their communities.

“This model is about giving schools a process they can actually take back to their communities, develop and implement,” said Dave Shanks, GEMA/HS Targeted Violence Prevention Homeland Security Coordinator, who leads the agency's BTAM courses.

“The goal is to identify concerning behaviors as early as possible, assess what is happening and connect individuals with the appropriate resources before those concerns escalate,” Shanks said.

Model Builds on Years of BTAM Training

According to GEMA/HS, development of the model began approximately six years ago as the agency sought to strengthen how Georgia schools identify and manage concerning behavior and situations involving individuals who may be progressing toward violence.

The agency reviewed federal guidance and approaches used in other states, consulted subject-matter experts, and provided specialized training to agency personnel. In 2022, GEMA/HS established a trainer program to expand BTAM instruction to schools throughout the state.

Several Georgia school systems have since participated in the agency's BTAM training. GEMA/HS said participating systems have reported interventions involving individuals who exhibited concerning behaviors associated with a potential pathway toward violence.

According to the agency, schools were able to assess those situations and connect individuals with appropriate resources. GEMA/HS did not provide details about the individual cases in its announcement.

The statewide rollout builds on those training efforts by giving schools a model they can use to establish and sustain their own programs.

Approaches to behavioral threat assessment can vary among school systems, including in team composition, training, documentation, and when an assessment is initiated. In previous School Security Leadership coverage, practitioners shared how their districts are approaching behavioral threat assessment.

BTAM Training Available to Georgia Schools

GEMA/HS also offers several behavioral threat assessment training options to schools and local agencies. Its full BTAM training is a six-hour course covering violence prevention, elements of an effective threat assessment and management program, and skills for identifying, assessing, and managing cases involving potential threats.

The agency also offers a BTAM overview focused on the assessment process and next steps for creating and supporting a team.

A separate case-study course examines a Georgia case in which information and concerning behaviors were not identified or brought together before a crisis. The course considers behaviors and indicators that may provide opportunities for assessment, management, and intervention when evaluated by a trained behavioral threat assessment team. Completion of the full GEMA/HS BTAM training is a prerequisite for the case-study course.

Interviews can also play an important role in the assessment process. In previous School Security Leadership coverage, a BTAM practitioner discussed how he approaches behavioral threat assessment interviews, including preparation, questioning strategies, documentation, and considerations when interviewing students.

Georgia schools and local agencies can request BTAM training through GEMA/HS.

More Behavioral Threat Assessment Resources

For additional research, federal guidance, practitioner perspectives, and other resources, visit School Security Leadership's Behavioral Threat Assessment Topic Hub.