Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Working Together to Reduce the Threat of Violence in our Schools & Communities

Addressing Violence in the Lives of our Youth: Pulling all the Levers We Can
Patricia Logan-Greene, MSSW, PhD, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University at Buffalo School of Social Work;
Co-founder, AASWW’s Grand Challenge to Prevent Gun Violence

Firearm violence in the U.S. impacts our youth in many ways. Professional practices in schools and other settings have the potential to reduce the incidence of firearm violence, which can both improve physical and mental wellbeing and strengthen communities. This presentation provided an overview of recent research on gun violence prevention and intervention, including key take-aways from the speaker’s report of the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare’s (AASWW) Grand Challenge to Prevent Gun Violence. For more, please visit: https://grandchallengesforsocialwork.org/prevent-gun-violence/

An overview of ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order) legislation, which can be used to temporarily remove gun access during a crisis, along with other prevention strategies to reduce harm, was also discussed. Visit the National ERPO Resource Center for more information & national/state-by-state guidance.

Implementing a Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management (BTAM) Response
Jeffrey McGarry, Supervisory Social Science Research Specialist with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC)

BTAM emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to identifying, assessing, and managing individuals who may pose a potential threat of violence, focusing on proactive interventions and a fact-based evaluation of behaviors rather than relying solely on profiles or stereotypes, with a key goal to distinguish between "making a threat" and "posing a threat."  Behavioral threat assessment can facilitate the delivery of appropriate interventions and resources as part of a violence prevention strategy that focuses on addressing the factors driving an individual toward violence. See NTAC BTAM Guide and visit https://www.secretservice.gov/protection/ntac for more Guidance for Law Enforcement and School/Campus Attacks.

Sponsor & Exhibitor Links & Resource Materials 

1. Compeer Buffalo: School-Based Mentoring Program The Healing Power of Friendship
2. Crisis Leadership Preparedness Solutions (CLPS): Threat Assessment HPMT CLPS for NY Schools Partnership with Utica National
3. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
4. New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
5. First Net Built with AT&T: Modernizing Communications Your Smartphone Just Got Smarter Sch. Resource Officer - Special Offer Fleet Tracker Intrado Safety Suite Land Mobile Radio (LMR) to Long Term Evolution (LTE) Interoperability
6. Homeland Security Investigations: iGuardian
7. Institute on Disability Awareness at Niagara University
8. Mental Health Advocates: Teen Chat Line Adult Support Groups Youth Support Groups Youth Peer Advocates Support Groups 2025 Meet-Ups
9. UB Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention
10. UB Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering: Soft Target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat Reality Protecting Soft Targets (ProSoT) More about Lead Investigator Prof. Jun Zhuang
11. USSS (& NTAC): visit https://www.secretservice.gov/protection/ntac for more Guidance for Law Enforcement and School/Campus Attacks
12. NYS Office of Mental Health: Mobile Mental Health Consultation Team (MMHCT)
13. Utica National Insurance Group: Tips on Schools Safety

Moderated Panel Discussion with BTAM Leaders

Introductory Remarks: Paula Granger, Assistant Director, Office of Counter Terrorism, and Director, Domestic Terrorism Prevention Unit, New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
Visit https://www.dhses.ny.gov/domestic-terrorism-prevention-unit for more information.
Panel Discussion:
Moderator: Steven Leach, PhD, Program Manager for Education and Awareness in the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Unit, NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
Panelists:
• Jeffrey McGarry, Supervisory Social Science Research Specialist with USSS-NTAC
• Patrick McMahon II, Senior Detective, Erie County Sheriff’s Office & Member, Erie County Threat Assessment Team
• Eric J. Willman, Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Coordinator for the Rochester Threat Advisory Committee (ROCTAC) & Task Force Officer, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force
• Sharese L. Saleh, MA, MHC-P, Captain, Buffalo Police Department & Director of Behavioral Health Services
• Dr. Brian Graham, Superintendent of Schools, Grand Island Central School District
• John Fitzpatrick, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Development and Human Resources, Grand Island Central School District