The Cochise County Superintendent of Schools Office, an Educational Service Agency (Cochise ESA), proposed the School Safety Behavioral Health Initiative to further enhance the development and implementation of Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) teams in school districts across the county. This project will further build upon an already ongoing regional effort to address the problem of school violence through prevention and intervention efforts, focused on student support. Despite efforts to implement BTA in Cochise County districts, schools continue to experience challenges related to establishing and maintaining fully trained multidisciplinary teams. Specifically, the rural nature of many of the districts served by the ESA, limit the resources and training opportunities which are readily available to establish well-trained teams. Therefore, there is a greater need to have consistent and uniform procedures across all districts in the region. To successfully implement BTA in school districts across the county, we need to provide ongoing, accessible training to entire teams to ensure all team members understand the purpose and processes involved. Additionally, a focus is needed on efficient and effective case management to ensure at-risk students receive the support and intervention services necessary to avoid or disrupt the pathway to violence.

The STOP School Violence funding will also provide a countywide school district anonymous tip reporting tool monitored by the Sandy Hook Promise National Crisis Center.

Project Design:

1. Anonymous Tip Reporting Tool
2. Comprehensive Threat Management Training
3. Threat Management Train-the-Trainer Program
4. Case Management Platform
5. Program Development and Operation Consultation (creating a data driven implementation plan based on district needs and assuring alignment with local, state and federal requirements)
6. Behavioral Intervention Specialists

Navigate360 will provide the technology components of the grant funding, along with the program development and operation consultation. This technology will further enhance the interoperability advancements made through the CCSO funding, used to implement the emergency management technology throughout county districts. The added technology will provide an end-to-end school safety solution, addressing Preparedness, Response, recovery, and now prevention.

The County Schools Office will hire a Grant Coordinator/Behavior Intervention Specialist and one other Behavior Intervention Specialist.
Contract with Navigate360 for the P3 anonymous tip reporting tool, Threat Management tools, Case Management Platform and Operation consultation.

If the BJA STOP School Violence Funding is not approved, students, school staff, and parents will not have access to an anonymous tip reporting tool which is monitored 24/7 by a crisis counselor. Anonymous tip reporting has been shown  to provide information which interrupts acts of targeted violence and self-harm. Furthermore, the school districts in Cochise County will continue to lack the technology and resources to effectively manage behavioral threats and train staff on how to report and evaluate students who pose a threat to themselves and others.

A fluid action plan for school safety must cover 4 specific areas; Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. Without this grant funding, the school districts in Cochise County would continue to struggle with the needs of preparedness. The behavioral aspect of school safety preparedness must be addressed if we, as a county, are going to improve school climate and reduce the risk of violence.