This Week in School and Campus Safety

Good morning,

This Weekly Update by the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program provides information on the upcoming Back-to-School Safety Preparedness training through CISA , shares information on the Illinois School Safety Conference and the Active Threat & Mental Wellness Conference, and promotes the upcoming sessions of Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management in a School Setting, Campus Threat Assessment & Management, Behavioral & Digital Threat Assessment™, Digital Threat Assessment®, and Advanced Digital Threat Assessment®.

Thank you for your interest in school and campus safety. However, if you wish to no longer receive our emails, let me know and I will remove you from our contacts list.

Respectfully,

Laura Black

le-black@wiu.edu

Program Coordinator

Illinois School and Campus Safety Program

CISA to Hold Back-to-School Safety Preparedness Virtual Training on August 28th

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is holding a 1-hour virtual school safety training on August 28th, Back-to-School Safety Preparedness: Training and Drills for K-12 Schools.

"The start of the school year provides a critical window for school and district leaders to reinforce a culture of safety and preparedness among students and staff. This interactive panel discussion will equip K-12 administrators with practical strategies to integrate emergency response drills, trainings and exercises as core components of a safe and secure learning environment.

Attendees will gain insight into updating and sustaining crisis response and reunification plans with an emphasis on ensuring plans are well understood and practiced by staff and students. The session will also provide actionable tools and guidance to support the implementation of developmentally-appropriate preparedness efforts throughout the school year."

Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in a School Setting September 4-5th in Crestwood

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce the class Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in a School Setting will be held September 4-5th in Crestwood, IL.

This two-day training through Deisinger Consulting, LLC, in collaboration with SOS Global Consulting, will help participants to better understand the dynamics of targeted violence and to develop and enhance strategies for early identification, assessment, and intervention with threatening and concerning behaviors.

For more information and to register, click here.

Campus Threat Assessment and Management September 10-11th in Normal

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce the class Campus Threat Assessment and Management will be held September 10-11th in Normal, IL.

This two-day workshop for institutions of higher education will help participants to better understand the dynamics of targeted violence and to develop and enhance strategies for early identification, assessment, and intervention with concerning situations.

For more information and to register, click here.

Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment™ 

September 19th in Carterville

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program, in partnership with Safer Schools Together, is pleased to announce an upcoming session of Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment™ on September 19th in Carterville, IL.

BDTA™ integrates Safer Schools Together’s Digital Threat Assessment® training and best practice from the National Threat Assessment Center’s Behavioral Threat Assessment model. BDTA™ includes a 3-step response plan developed to help S/TA teams ensure all worrisome, concerning, and threat-related behaviors are proactively responded to, reducing the potential of violence within your community. The training will examine techniques for identifying and assessing individuals who engage in behaviors consistent with a threat and provide S/TA teams with the tools to ensure a thorough data collection process. Additionally, the training will provide an overview of the assessment process, including best practices for interviewing and progress monitoring. Participants will obtain the tools vital for proactively and effectively identifying, assessing, and responding to worrisome and/or threat-related behavior through a BDTA™ management lens.

For more information and to register, click here.

Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in a School Setting September 29-30th in Addison

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce the class Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in a School Setting will be held September 29-30th in Addison, IL.

This two-day training through Deisinger Consulting, LLC, in collaboration with SOS Global Consulting, will help participants to better understand the dynamics of targeted violence and to develop and enhance strategies for early identification, assessment, and intervention with threatening and concerning behaviors.

For more information and to register, click here.

Digital Threat Assessment® on October 17th via Zoom

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program, in partnership with Safer Schools Together, is pleased to announce an upcoming session of Digital Threat Assessment® on October 17th via Zoom.

The Digital Threat Assessment® training will enable participants to establish a framework to better assess all threats by constructing and considering the digital baseline of a threat maker by locating, documenting, and evaluating social media data through a threat assessment lens. A significant portion of the day will be spent engaging in hands-on exercises on the most prevalent social media platforms and associated search applications. 

For more information and to register, click here.

Advanced Digital Threat Assessment® on November 7th via Zoom

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program, in partnership with Safer Schools Together, is pleased to announce an upcoming session of Advanced Digital Threat Assessment® on November 7th via Zoom.

Building upon the Digital Threat Assessment® class by Safer Schools Together, Advanced Digital Threat Assessment® advances participants' understanding of finding and curating relevant digital information consistent with real-life digital threat assessment data gathering scenarios. Significant engagement and hands-on practice will take place. 

For more information and to register, click here.

Illinois School Safety Conference October 1st

The Illinois School Safety Conference is scheduled for October 1, 2025, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm in Niles, IL. This conference is free for school personnel, police, fire, emergency preparedness personnel, and public safety officers (you must bring your school or agency ID to enter the event). The conference includes speakers from various organizations, free continental breakfast and lunch, and onsite vendors. Additionally, paperwork will be provided on site for school personnel seeking Professional Development hours. For more information and to register, click here.

2025 Active Threat & Mental Wellness Conference in Joliet

The Active Threat & Mental Wellness Conference in Joliet is being held November 5-7, 2025. "As an attendee, you ​will hear from those involved in some of our nation’s most noted active shooter events. Presenters will share their firsthand accounts from the event as well as the subsequent trauma and effects. The conference will help you plan strategically for preventing and responding to events, as well as prepare for the long and difficult journey of community recovery in the aftermath."

 For more information and to register, click here.