Ohio School Behavioral Threat Assessment Model Policy and Protocol
- Category: School Safety
On August 21, 2019, Governor Mike DeWine signed Executive Order 2019-21D creating the Ohio School Safety Center within the Ohio Department of Public Safety. The Ohio School Safety Center is responsible for assisting local schools and law enforcement with preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety.
The Ohio 133rd General Assembly passed House Bill 123 titled “Safety and Violence Education Students Act,” or the “SAVE Students Act” with an effective date of March 24, 2021. The SAVE Students Act requires the Ohio Department of Public Safety, in consultation with the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Attorney General, to develop a model school behavioral threat assessment plan to provide best practice guidance to schools around the state. The Ohio School Behavioral Threat Assessment is a significant part of that guidance. This protocol was developed to assist school safety professionals in identifying students of concern so that their behaviors can be mitigated to the point that they no longer pose a threat.