Threat Assessment and Response Policy

Threat Assessment

Violence Prevention Begins with YOU.

Violence is a part of our society. There’s just no way of getting around it. Mention the names of Columbine, Virginia Tech, or Sandy Hook to most people and they know exactly what you are talking about. Could events like those happen here in Vermont? Unfortunately, the answer is “yes.” That’s the harsh and simple truth of it, but working together we can head off acts of violence before anyone gets hurt. If you observe worrisome behavior or suspect that a potentially dangerous situation is developing, speak up. If you are wrong, no harm is done. But if you are right, you could avert a tragedy. Violence prevention depends on all of us.

At Saint Michael’s College, we have a Threat Assessment Team – a group of trained professionals who are able to receive, analyze, and respond sensitively to reports of potential violence.

Threat Assessment Team

The Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students appoints the members of the Team, names its chair, and appoints new or different team members as necessary. The Team will usually consist of representatives from the Department of Public Safety, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Human Resources, Health Services and Personal Counseling. The College’s legal counsel serves as an advisor to the Team. Current members of the Team are identified below and in other College publications, as appropriate. Other College personnel and outside resources with relevant areas of specialization and responsibility may be called upon to assist the Team, including but not limited to Residence Life staff, supervisors, law enforcement agencies, medical personnel, or other outside experts. The Office of the President will be kept apprised of the team’s work as appropriate.

The Threat Assessment Team is responsible for: receiving reports and gathering and analyzing information regarding acts of violence, behavior of concern or statements and/or potential threats posed by individual(s); developing, implementing and monitoring intervention strategies and management plans, which are designed to respond appropriately to statements, behavior and/or circumstances that generate concern that an individual may pose a risk of harm to a member of the College community, including, but not limited to, incidents of violence, threatening behavior or statements, unwanted pursuit, stalking, and harassment; and coordinating with appropriate authorities, including law enforcement, medical personnel, and other outside agencies, as appropriate.

Individuals may make a report to any member of the Threat Assessment Team:

The Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students serves as (or appoints) the chair of the Threat Assessment and Management Team and, in consultation with other College officials and other resources as appropriate, will assess the reported information and determine whether to convene the Team.

Threat Assessment and Response Policy

Saint Michael’s College is committed to maintaining a campus and workplace environment that is safe and secure for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. As part of this commitment, Saint Michael’s has established a Threat Assessment Team, which is empowered to assess risk and, in cooperation with other College teams or offices as appropriate, formulate an appropriate response in situations where an individual’s behavior and/or statements generate concern that he or she may present a threat to the health or safety of others. The Team seeks to mitigate potential risks before they result in harm. Nothing in this policy shall be construed to amend Saint Michael’s Student Code of Conduct and Policies or other applicable Saint Michael’s policies.

Purpose

As appropriate to the circumstances of a particular situation, the Threat Assessment Team may engage in activities that may include, but are not limited to, the following: receiving reports and gathering and analyzing information regarding acts of violence, behavior concern or statement and/or potential threats posed by individual(s); developing, implementing, and monitoring intervention strategies and management plans, with or without the involvement of other College teams or offices as appropriate, that are designed to respond appropriately to statements, behavior and/or circumstances that generate concern that an individual may pose a risk of harm to a member of the College community or the College community in general, including but not limited to, incidents of violence, threatening behavior or statements, unwanted pursuit, stalking, and harassment; coordinating with appropriate authorities, including law enforcement, medical personnel, and other outside agencies, as appropriate; implementing reporting protocols and developing strategies to encourage reports from the College community; and assisting in conducting periodic campus-wide awareness education for students, staff, and faculty regarding threat assessment, threat management, pertinent information, sharing issues, and the Team’s responsibilities. Such training and education will be coordinated with college departments such as the Department of Public Safety, Human Resources, Academic Affairs, and the Dean of the College. The College will keep apprised of best and promising practices and participate in periodic training in threat assessment and management.

Reporting Potential Threats

All students, faculty and staff should be committed to promoting the safety and security of the campus and workplace environment. As such, anyone who believes that an individual has committed or may commit an act of violence, is engaging in behavior or making statements that generate concern about the potential for violence, or otherwise may pose a threat to the health or safety of any member of the College community should call the Department of Public Safety immediately at 802.654.2000. In case of emergency, please dial 911. Individuals may also make a report to any member of the Team. The Team membership is listed in the previous section.

In cases where an appropriate level of assessment indicates that a report involves a person who poses a threat to self only, the matter will be referred to the appropriate College official. In cases where available information suggests that the person may pose a threat to self and others, the Team will remain involved and will involve other College officials as appropriate. In cases where a referral is made, the Team may be re-involved as necessary and appropriate.

In situations where an individual has concerns about someone’s behavior but is unsure whether such behavior constitutes a “threat” to self or others, the individual should report the information to the Department of Public Safety or other College official, as appropriate, to allow the College the opportunity to assess the situation and respond as necessary.

Students

Concerns about statements and/or behavior of students may be reported to the Vice President/Dean of Students, Senior Associate Dean of Students, Associate Dean of the College, Public Safety, or any member of the Threat Assessment Team.

Faculty or Staff

Concerns about the behavior of faculty or staff may be brought to the appropriate supervisory authority or any member of the Threat Assessment Team.

Confidentiality

All reports under this policy will be handled in a sensitive manner. Information will be shared with others only to the extent necessary to assess and manage the situation and in accordance with state and federal law. In general, the law recognizes and protects the confidentiality of communications between a person seeking care and a medical or mental health professional or religious advisor.

The medical, mental health and religious professionals at Saint Michael’s College respect and protect confidential communication from students, faculty, and staff to the extent that they are legally able to do so. One of these professionals may have to breach confidence, however, when he or she perceives a serious risk of danger to another person or property. Saint Michael’s College is also part of a larger community and context. If there is an independent investigation or lawsuit relating to an act of violence or a potential threat, those involved, or others may be required by law to provide documents, testimony, or other information.

Retaliation

Retaliating directly or indirectly against a person who has in good faith made a report under this policy or who has supported or participated in an investigation or threat assessment process is prohibited. Retaliation includes but is not limited to ostracizing the person, pressuring the person to drop the report or not participate in the investigation, or to provide false or misleading information, or engaging in conduct that may reasonably be perceived to affect adversely that person’s educational, living, or work environment. Depending on the circumstances, retaliation may be unlawful, whether or not the report is ultimately found to have merit. An individual who engages in retaliation under this policy will be subject to discipline in accordance with the College’s Employee Handbook or Student Code of Conduct and Policies or other policies applicable to the program at issue.

Outline of Potential Team Activities

The following outline of potential Team activities is intended to provide insight into some of the options that may, among other strategies, be utilized by the Team when it is assessing and managing potential threats. It is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all- inclusive or exclusive list, a mandatory procedure, or a “checklist.” The Team will assess and manage each situation in accordance with its best judgment and other applicable College policies, and any of the potential activities listed below may or may not be engaged, depending on the circumstances of a particular situation. The Department of Public Safety and/or other law enforcement agencies will usually coordinate all action in cases of a violent incident or imminent threat of violence on campus.

Once information of concern is received by the Team, the information will be evaluated and, if appropriate, representatives from the Team will be convened (based on the College program and persons involved, and team member availability).

The Team, or the Team’s Chair or designee, will first determine whether there is an imminent threat of harm or other emergency situation that requires immediate intervention. If so, the Team, Chair or designee may notify law enforcement, seek the assistance of Public Safety, seek emergency medical assistance, or take other appropriate measures to address the imminent threat or situation. If not, the Team or some portion of the Team will usually conduct an initial screening to determine whether a full inquiry is warranted.

If the Team determines that there does not appear to be an emergency or imminent threat of harm, but that a full inquiry is warranted, the Team will conduct a full inquiry to determine whether the person or situation of concern may pose a threat of violence or other harm. As part of its inquiry, the Team may obtain information from multiple sources including, but not limited to, faculty, student life staff, coaches, family members, or others who may have relevant knowledge or information. Community members are encouraged to cooperate fully with and provide information to the Team.

The Team will evaluate the information obtained in the course of the inquiry to determine whether the person or situation in question appears to pose a threat of violence or other harm.

If the Team determines that the person or situation poses a threat of violence or other harm, it usually will then develop, implement, monitor, and document a management plan designed to intervene and reduce the risk of harm that may be posed by the individual. The management plan may include, but is not limited to, the following (as circumstances and resources may dictate): family/parental notification; law enforcement intervention; disciplinary review and action; a behavioral contract, voluntary referral for mental health evaluation or treatment; mandated psychological assessment or other medical treatment; voluntary or involuntary withdrawal or suspension from the College; expulsion or dismissal of a person of concern; modification of the environment or other reasonable accommodations to mitigate risk; collaboration with the identified alleged target(s) to decrease vulnerability; engaging with the person of concern to de- escalate the situation; and ongoing monitoring.

If the Team determines that the person of concern does not pose a threat, the Team may take no action or may opt to monitor the person or situation for a period of time and re-evaluate the case, as necessary.

Cases handled by the Team will generally remain open until it appears that a management plan is no longer necessary.