DarkFoxDen
Join Dr. Brian Van Brunt as he hosts a monthly conversation related to threat and violence risk assessment in K-12, college, and workplace cases. Brian will be joined by different guests each month to discuss topics related to risk and protective factors, interviewing techniques, deception detection, impression management, social media threat, incels, white supremacy, gatekeeping/triage, behavioral intervention teams, cultural competency, report writing, and case management.
These free one-hour sessions will generally involve 30-40 minutes of instruction followed by conversation on the topic. If you would like a certificate of attendance, please email bethany@dprep.com.
Pathways to Enhancing Your Team Approach
Brian also hosts a free monthly conversation related to the development of collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams such as behavioral intervention teams (BITs) or CARE teams. This approach to violence prevention and intervention is a best practice identified by leading researchers, the FBI, Homeland Security, the Secret Service, and the National Threat Assessment Center. Brian will be joined by different guests each month to discuss topics related to the ideal composition of a team, information sharing guidelines, the importance of having a training schedule, compliance with national team standards, how to conduct a self-audit, creating consistent documentation, culturally competent interventions, and addressing specific populations. Learn more on the Pathways website.
Dr. Brian
Van Brunt
Courtney
Bullard
Nina
Delgadillo
David
Denino
Dr. Tammy
Hodo
Dr. Amy
Murphy
Brendan
Keats
Dr. Lisa
Pescara-Kovach
Robert
Scholz
Jeff
Solomon
Karen Humphrey
Sullins
Dr. Chris
Taylor
Bethany Smith
Van Brunt
Name
Title, Company
Bio
Threat and Violence Risk Assessment in Title IX
October 12, 2023 1:00 PM ET
Violence risk assessments take a special role in Title IX as they relate to the potential interim separation of either the reporting or responding party. Join Attorney Courtney Bullard and Dr. Brian Van Brunt as they explain the importance of Title IX coordinators and staff understanding the nature of a violence risk assessment as it relates to affective and targeted violence and how to obtain this assessment through law enforcement, BIT, CARE, and threat teams.
Threat in Social Media, Email and Student Writing
November 16, 2023 1:00 PM ET
Drawing from his book, An Educators Guide to Assessing Threats in Student Writing, Dr. Brian Van Brunt will teach you what to look for when reviewing written and video content that may occur on social media, over email, or in creative writing assignments. People aren’t always sure how to measure the level of threat risk in this content and there is too much at stake to be wrong. This presentation will provide a clear roadmap of the elements to look for in these materials to mitigate violence in the community and schools.
Previous Events
In the interest of privacy, the recordings do not include the open discussion portion of the event.
The free DarkFoxDen series is posted also posted to our YouTube channel.
Subscribe to see them as soon as they are released!
Understanding Uvalde
December 15, 2022 | Understanding the failures of the past offers insight to better approach future mass shootings. Dr. Van Brunt and Jeff Solomon walk through the pre-attack behaviors present in this case using the Pathways triage system as well as DarkFox Violence Risk Assessment. Jeff Solomon offers insight on the weaknesses of the physical security measures and the law enforcement response during the attack itself. The presenters offer some clear advice and direction on how schools can prevent scenarios like Uvalde in the future.
A Violence Risk/Threat Process
January 19, 2023 | Dr. Van Brunt and Nina Delgadillo review an approach to threat assessment documentation that involves a six-step process: gathering thematic case data, identifying the risk factors, identifying the protective factors, applying a specific assessment rubric, creating a risk narrative, and developing/implementing interventions. One core challenge in the threat and violence risk assessment space is the importance of showing your work. Learn one approach to this documentation and how to reduce bias, create consistency, and mitigate legal risk for your team.
After the Shooting: Healing and Resiliency
February 9, 2023 | Dr. Van Brunt, Karen Humphrey Sullins, and David Denino share advice with you on how to talk to those who have experienced the trauma of campus shooting in their community. Drawing from their experience in mental health first aid, Red Cross training, suicide prevention, and resiliency and critical incident stress management, the presenters offer practical guidance on this important topic to those in the K-12, college, and workplace settings. Download the program slides.
Threat Assessment and BIT/CARE Teams
March 16, 2023 | Dr. Van Brunt and Dr. Amy Murphy address the role of behavioral intervention and CARE teams as an essential component of the violence risk and threat assessment process. Through collaborative analysis and decision making, BIT and CARE teams aid the threat assessment process by gathering information related to the threat, offering a consistent and culturally competent analysis of the risk/threat, and implementing interventions intended to reduce the overall risk of violence.
Diversity in Threat and Violence Risk Assessment
April 13, 2023 | Drs. Tammy Hodo and Brian Van Brunt tackle the important issues of race and ethnicity as they relate to the interview and subsequent interventions. Best practices ensure the interviewer considers the context of the risk or threat against the backdrop of where the threat occurred and its contextual environment to ensure the proper gauging of risk and the development of an intervention plan.
Addressing Truthfulness and Credibility in Threat and Violence Risk Assessment
May 18, 2023 | Dr. Brian Van Brunt and Nina Delgadillo share from their experience conducting interviews in counseling, threat assessment, and law enforcement. They discuss how to approach information gathering, including showing empathy, de-escalating anger, deception detecting, and re-directing parties during the interview process.
Resources:
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Recommended reading: The Like Switch and Spy the Lie
A Growing Threat: White Supremacist Violence
June 8, 2023 | Dr. Lisa Pescara-Kovach, Dr. Brian Van Brunt, and Bethany Smith Van Brunt share their research related to the growing threat of white supremacist violence, as outlined in their new book, White Supremacist Violence: Understanding the Resurgence and Stopping the Spread. They discuss the importance of understanding the level of exposure and indoctrination in this space as it relates to violence risk and threat assessment in the K-12, college, and workplace spaces. A new risk rubric, the White Supremacist Indoctrination Rubric (WSIR) is shared during the program, a useful resource to put into place as part of your overall threat assessment strategy.
Debunking the Myths: Mental Illness and Guns
July 13, 2023 | An important aspect in the realm of violence risk and threat assessment is correctly weighing the role of mental illness and gun ownership as part of an overall threat and/or violence risk assessment process. Dr. Lisa Pescara-Kovach discusses her research related to this important topic with Bethany Smith. This research served as the basis for her article with Dr. Brian Van Brunt, Debunking the Myths: Mental Illness and Mass Shootings.
Resources:
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Red Flag Laws/Extreme Risk Protective Order (This was written for a client in New York and references New York law, but many of the concepts apply nationwide.)
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11 Key Questions to be Address in a Behavioral Threat Assessment
After the Assessment: Threat and Risk Management
August 17, 2023 | Robert Scholz and Dr. Brian Van Brunt discuss the importance of threat and risk management planning related to interventions ‘next steps’ across the K-12, college, and workplace environments. They review cases related to threat and demonstrate how to develop mitigation and management plans moving forward.
Understanding the Incel
September 7, 2023 | Dr. Brian Van Brunt explores the world of the incel and how this population is important to understand within the threat assessment landscape. Brian will shares from his recent book, written with Dr. Chris Taylor, Understanding and Treating Incels, to help better inform threat and violence risk assessment and intervention strategies for K-12, college and in the workplace. They introduce the Incel Risk Rubric (IIR), developed by Drs. Taylor and Van Brunt, which will assist those working in the threat assessment space to better factor in the level of incel buy-in an individual has subscribed to as it relates to the threat assessment.
