Enterprise Threat Assessment Response Team

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POLICY NO: 2012
EFFECTIVE DATE: 12/16/11
REVISED DATE: 12/16/11
REVIEWED DATE: 11/15/11

Policy

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has a Threat Assessment and Management Team to evaluate a reported threat. A threat can be defined as a situation where students, faculty, staff, visitors, patients or others on campus are reported to either be displaying disruptive or threatening behaviors or making threats that potentially endanger their own or others health and safety.

While supervisors, managers, department chairpersons, and deans are appropriate counsel for general student/employee concerns, they are not experts in responding to threatening or alarming situations. Therefore it is the responsibility of faculty, staff, and students to immediately report any situation that could possibly result in harm to anyone at the University. Any member of the campus community may become aware of a troubling person or situation that poses an immediate risk or is causing serious anxiety, stress, or fear and, if so, this information should be forwarded to the Campus Security at 559-5111.

The Threat Assessment and Management Team consists of University personnel with expertise in human resources/employee assistance, law enforcement/threat assessment/tactical applications, university operations, communications, legal, forensic psychiatry, risk management, and safety. A collaborative process to assess threats will be used and depending on the situation, personnel with areas of specialization/responsibility may be called upon to assist the Team. The UNMC Incident Commander on-call will keep senior officials advised of situations and specifically will communicate with the relevant UNMC Vice Chancellors and the UNMC Chancellor, as well as the University of Nebraska President's Office as needed. Other individuals may also be consulted as needed such as a faculty member who has a concern about a student, a counseling psychologist to share expertise, and/or a manager who has information concerning an employee.

The Threat Assessment and Management Team will evaluate threats, implicit and explicit, to determine credibility and to protect the student, employee, and University community. The Team will adopt a cautious standard of action that reflects that of a reasonably prudent individual. This Team has been established to respond to circumstances of threatened violence or threatening behavior against UNMC faculty, staff, students, patients or visitors.

Procedure

Threat-related information must be forwarded the Security at 559-5111. The Security Director and the UNMC Associate Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance or the UNMC Incident Commander on-call will initially evaluate the report and, if appropriate, convene the Threat Assessment and Management Team. The Team will conduct an initial evaluation. Additional individuals can be added to the Team as necessary for particular situations.

The Team will assess what preliminary information exists or needs to be collected such as:

Interviews to determine the existence of corroborating evidence to determine if a verifiable and credible threat;

Disciplinary/judicial history;

Relevant employment records under the custody of the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources;

Other relevant information as deemed appropriate to assure the safety of the

University community.

The Team will evaluate the information gathered and determine the best way to respond the threat, which may include the following actions (non-inclusive):

1. Recommend/implement appropriate immediate action which including: issuance of a ban and bar order; suspension of employment or academic studies; referral to law enforcement for criminal charges or mental health hold; requirement of psychological evaluation; ongoing monitoring for follow-up and observation of behavior patterns; and/or referral to appropriate on or off campus behavioral health services;
2. Determine and execute an appropriate and timely communications plan to campus and media;
3. Notify, within FERPA guidelines, parents, guardians and/or next-of-kin if a student;
4. Coordinate and assess information from faculty, administrators, students, and local authorities;
5. Notify individuals if a specific threat was made against them; and
6. Evaluate outcomes of actions taken.

Threat Assessment and Management Team Members:

UNMC Incident Commanders
TNMC Incident commander on call (available through Security Dispatch)
UNMCP Administrator on call
Security (Supervisor on call and Directors)
Human Resources
Psychiatry
Public Affairs
Employee Assistance Program
Legal
Safety Officer
Risk Management
UNMC Vice Chancellors and others as needed

Questions on the Threat Assessment and Management Team Policy should be addressed to the Director of Security.
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