Developing Skills and Competencies Among Behavior Intervention Teams and Team Members Charles Kenyon, Ed.D. Associate VP and Dean of Students Karen O’Quin, Ph.D. Associate Dean, School of Natural and Social Sciences

Workshop Agenda Brief history of BIT at Buffalo State BIT Team self-evaluation exercises (3) – Self-reflection – Sharing (small and large group) Discussion of key issues Review of case examples

Brief History of Our Team The changing names reflected a changing emphasis YearTeam Name 200? to 2005 BEAR (Behavior Assessment and Response) Behavior Assessment Committee 2010Students of Concern Committee 2011Students of Concern Care Team

Self-Evaluation Exercise #1: Factors Affecting Team Performance Complete the worksheet provided to assess strengths and weaknesses at your campus. 1.Characteristics of Members 2.The Team Process 3.Ongoing Operational Concerns 4.Working with Key Constituents 5.Developing Team Performance

Factors Affecting Team Performance: Characteristics of Members Dean of Students (chair) Counseling Center University Police Residence Life (managerial and judicial) Academic Associate Deans Disability Services Health Center Student Judicial Student Affairs (Greek issues) Athletics on occasional basis Diversity of team members across organizational units

Factors Affecting Team Performance: Characteristics of Members Diversity of team members across organizational units Dean of Students (chair) Counseling Center University Police Residence Life (managerial and judicial) Academic Associate Deans Disability Services Health Center Student Judicial, Student Affairs (Greek life), Athletics on occasion Consider impact on learning about and responding to incidents

Factors Affecting Team Performance: Characteristics of Members Diversity of team members across organizational units Reputation of team members – Among faculty and staff – Among students Impact of role / position relationships Tenure status / position security

Factors Affecting Team Performance: The Team Process Access of members to information about incidents and individuals: “Collecting” the dots University Police reports Residence Hall reports Reports from classes (faculty) and offices (staff) Online reporting form (developed in the past year) Student reports

On-Line Reporting Website at the Dean of Students home page: x618.xml x618.xml Students of Concern reporting process On-line report form Links to resources

Factors Affecting Team Performance: The Team Process During the meetings – Access of members to information about incidents and individuals – Communication within the team – Ability to assess the relevance of information to threat potential – Decision rules / process

Factors Affecting Team Performance: The Team Process Post-Meeting investigation and follow-up – Investigation process and performance / interview skills of investigators – Confidentiality vs. the need to get background information from other faculty or staff who work with the student – Feedback from the team to those who report a student of concern

Case: GH Accepted graduate student Shared “writing” samples with graduate dean Address at psychiatric center Writings included references to past incarceration and weapons-related information Strong evidence of obsessive behavior

Case: GH

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Case GH

DEVELOPMENT OF AN AVENGER Perceived Injustice Feeling Victimized Externalization of Responsibility Development of Grudge Obsessed with Avenging Avenging Action John Nicolette, Ph. D, Nicolette-Flater Associates

Self-Evaluation Exercise #2: Factors Affecting Team Performance Complete the worksheet provided to assess strengths and weaknesses at your campus. 1.Characteristics of Members 2.The Team Process 3.Ongoing Operational Concerns 4.Working with Key Constituents 5.Developing Team Performance

Factors Affecting Team Performance: Ongoing Operational Concerns Leadership / authority within the team History of cooperation (or conflict) among campus units Tracking student incidents and follow up Time to conduct team-related duties in addition to other regular duties – Case Manager role added to existing job of one team member

Case Manager Role Created to ensure monitoring and follow-up Aligned with Counseling Center and Dean of Students offices Answers the question of “Who” takes action for many – but not all – of the students of concern Allows greater consistency of response

Factors Affecting Team Performance: Ongoing Operational Concerns Accountability for timely follow-up and interven tion Authority of the team within the institution – What matters can the team decide? – What actions must others approve? Communication between the team and the campus community Frequency of meetings

Factors Affecting Team Performance: Working with Key Constituents: Faculty Faculty culture of sharing / reporting What faculty need / want in order to view the team as an appropriate resource Need support for faculty who report a student of concern, especially where on-going relationships with the student of concern exist Faculty are both reporters and informants

Case: HH Student disregards advisor Uses registrar staff to secure courses Challenges department chair Erratic behavior in class and at department office Transfer from a Canadian university Border Patrol reveals alternate identity Weak academic performance

Factors Affecting Team Performance: Working with Key Constituents: Students Student culture of sharing / reporting – Compact for a Civil and Caring Academic Community – Do Your Part campaign Students are both reporters and informants Need support for students who report their peers, especially where on-going relationships with a student of concern exist (roommates / classmates / teammates, etc.)

Factors Affecting Team Performance: Working with Key Constituents: Leaders Leadership role in intervention decisions Keeping campus leadership informed of the team’s activity and results Keeping the campus community informed of the team’s activity and results

Self-Evaluation Exercise #3: Factors Affecting Team Performance Complete the worksheet provided to assess strengths and weaknesses at your campus. 1.Characteristics of Members 2.The Team Process 3.Ongoing Operational Concerns 4.Working with Key Constituents 5.Developing Team Performance

Methods for Developing Team Performance Team retreats Expert consultants (forensic psychiatrist, Registrar, Social Work chair, etc.) Attendance at professional association conferences Team process reviews during regular meetings Webinars (NaBITA / NCHERM, etc.)

Retreat Expert: Forensic Evaluation Clinical interview plus information from other sources (school records, psychologist reports) Seeks to verify what a person is saying Different from counseling goal of support Interviews used to confront discrepancies by reference to what is learned from other sources

Indicators of Need for Forensic Evaluation Is it a psychotic episode or event? Is it a recurring event? Is it increasing in frequency or intensity? Are motives unclear? Are there substance abuse issues? Does the person appear dangerous?

Conference Presentation Example Detection, Disruption & Prevention of Insider/ Outsider Perpetrated Violence SUNY Chiefs of Police Association John Nicolette, Ph. D Nicolette-Flater Associates www.n-fa.com

Conference Presentation Example BEHAVIORAL CODING: Normal Behaviors Boundary Probing Behaviors Attack-Related Behaviors Attack Behaviors John Nicolette, Ph. D, Nicolette-Flater Associates

Conference Presentation Example PREDICTING FUTURE VIOLENCE: The best predictor of future behavior is not past behavior but post-intervention behavior. John Nicolette, Ph. D, Nicolette-Flater Associates

Conference Presentation Example Always Interrupt/Disrupt the Behavior John Nicolette, Ph. D, Nicolette-Flater Associates

DON’T WORRY ALONE or MAKE UNILATERAL RISK ASSESSMENTS Note: Faculty often make unilateral risk assessments and don’t report. John Nicolette, Ph. D, Nicolette-Flater Associates

Keep the “team” in your Care Team Do what is needed to strengthen your team’s performance.

Thank You Charles B. Kenyon Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Campbell Student Union, Karen O’Quin Associate Dean, Natural and Social Sciences Classroom Building, A Buffalo State College: A Civil and Caring Academic Community. A Civil and Caring Academic Community.