3rd Annual NaBITA Conference

Bonita Springs, FL

November 30th - December 2nd, 2011

Held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

And also announcing the

2nd Annual NaBITA

Campus Threat Management Institute

Bonita Springs, FL

November 30th - December 4th, 2011

Both Events To Run Concurrently

Click below to view details about the

2011 Conference and Institute

This conference was absolutely superb! It was full of interesting, practical, useful information presented by leaders in their fields. Well done.

I am interested to see how you top this next year.

-- a 2010 NaBITA Conference participant

Conference Agenda
Conference Schedule
Keynote Speakers
Featured Speakers
Featured Speaker Sessions
Concurrent Sessions
2011 NaBITA Campus Threat Management Institute
Institute Schedule
Pre-Conference Session
Conference Registration
Institute Registration
Host site/city information
Call for Programs
Conference Sponsors
Exhibitor Information
Lodging, Airport and Ground Transportation
Guests with Disabilities
Continuing Education Units
Refund Policy

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE

Conference Agenda

A Message from the Conference Committee...

In 2009, NaBITA held its 1st Annual Conference a mere 11 months after the organization first launched, during a struggling economy. With the support of our membership and the generosity of the University of Texas at San Antonio, we hosted a successful conference for over 150 attendees.

In 2010, NaBITA was fortunate to find a partner and new host site in Tulane University for our second conference in New Orleans, which played host to more than 200 participants for the conference and the 1st NaBITA Campus Threat Manager Certification Course.

Thank you (again and again) to our two original campus hosts for helping to put a fledgling organization on the map as a national voice for school and college-based behavioral intervention teams.

This past year, NaBITA’s membership base has doubled, and in the process we’ve both outgrown the ability to host the conference on a college campus, and have strengthened enough financially to move the 2011 conference to a resort hotel. We look forward to seeing you this November at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs, FL.

The 2011 NaBITA Annual Conference will feature two nationally prominent experts as Keynote speakers, who will be helping us to deliver a conference strongly focused on both the prevention of violence and on coping with students and employees exhibiting low levels of distress, disruption and/or concerning behaviors. The 3rd NaBITA Annual Conference will be similar in format to last year’s conference, which received very positive feedback from attendees. The conference will have three types of presentation slots: Featured Speakers, Concurrent Sessions, and Roundtables. In addition to the two Keynote presenters, two featured speaker sessions will offer six additional featured speakers. Featured speakers have been invited to present by the conference committee based upon their prominence and contribution to the thought, theory, practice and evolution of behavioral intervention efforts. Their topics have been assigned to them, with the intention of creating a dynamic and progressive curriculum for participants.

The conference committee also recognizes that expertise exists beyond the featured speakers, and has slated three concurrent sessions with eighteen available slots so that you may share your promising models, valuable campus experience and professional expertise with the participants.

Finally, we recognize that learning is more powerful when participants get a chance to digest and apply the concepts shared at a conference, and so we have designed the third format, the Roundtables, to engage participants interactively. Participants will be able to join themed Roundtables facilitated by the featured presenters based on topics of interest to you.

A closing panel of Keynote and Featured Speakers is intended to help participants fuse and synthesize information from the many sessions of the conference, and to ask over-arching questions about the effective process and practice of behavior intervention.

The NaBITA conference, in addition to offering three types of presentations, is designed to allow participants to follow presentations in three tracks, by level of sophistication. The NaBITA conference will be relevant to you, whether you are just beginning a team, have one already established, or have been doing behavioral intervention well for years. The three tracks are Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. Follow one track, or jump around to topics that interest you. Participants can also choose presentations based on area of interest (mental health/law enforcement/legal issues/case management).

Back again this year will be the very successful NaBITA Campus Threat Manager Certification Course. Last year, we allocated 35 seats, and filled 40. This year, we’re planning for 50 attendees in this extended event that includes specific conference sessions plus an additional two days of training with the faculty of Featured Speakers after the conference ends.

We hope you will join us in Florida this year!

Cordially ,
Samantha Dutill, Associate Executive Director & Conference Coordinator

Conference Schedule

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30th

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1st

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2nd

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Eric Hickey is the Dean of the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University where he oversees the growth and development of the largest forensics studies program in the United States. At Alliant he currently teaches courses in profiling sex offenders and sexual predators as well as a course in criminal psychology at California State University, Fresno, CA.  Dr. Hickey has taught many courses in criminal personalities, sex crimes and paraphilia, homicide, and psychopathology in universities and colleges, as well as for jail and  prison staff. He supervises theses and dissertations involving forensic and criminal psychology. Dr. Hickey has considerable field experience working with the criminally insane, psychopaths, sex offenders and other habitual criminals. He has also served as an adjunct instructor for the American Prosecutor's Research Institute at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina profiling stalkers and cyber-stalkers.

He publishes books, articles and lectures extensively on the etiology of violence and serial crime. His book, Serial Murderers and Their Victims, 2010, 5th ed., (Thomson/Wadsworth Publishers), is used as a teaching tool in universities and by law enforcement in studying the nature of violence, criminal personalities and victim-offender relationships. Another of his books, The Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime, (Sage Publishers), explores the phenomenon of murder and violence through the eyes of some of the world’s most noted experts. In 2006 he published Sex Crimes and Paraphilia (Prentice-Hall Publishers), a comprehensive examination of sexual perversions, sex offending and sexual predators. His latest coauthored book, The Myth of a Psychiatric Crime Wave, (Carolina Academic Press) examines the misperceptions and reality of the mentally ill and mentally disordered as criminals. His current research focuses upon the development of his theory of relational paraphilic attachment (RPA). He is also writing his first novel, The Crib, a disturbing journey into the minds of psychotics, psychopaths and the criminally insane. His expertise is regularly sought by the media including appearances on CNN, History Channel, NPR, Larry King Live, 20/20, A&E Biography, Good Morning America, CBC, True TV, Discovery and TLC.

He consults with private agencies and testifies as an expert witness in both criminal and civil cases. He is a court qualified expert in paraphilia including pedophilia, child molestation, fetishes; stalking; adult rape and sexual assault; violent criminal behavior including robbery, burglary and homicide (solo and serial).A former consultant to the FBI's UNABOM Task Force, Dr. Hickey currently assists local, state, and federal law enforcement in training and investigations. This includes assisting Peace Officer Service Training (POST) in developing course material and job aids for investigators. He also conducts seminars for agencies involving the profiling and investigating of sex crimes, arson, robbery, homicide, stalking, workplace violence and terrorism as well as workshops for mental health practitioners.  Internationally recognized for his research on multiple homicide offenders, Dr. Hickey has conducted seminars in countries throughout Europe, Asia and North America. He has also trained VIP protection specialists in Israel in profiling stalkers. His research involving hundreds of victims of stalking examines the psychology and classification of stalkers, victim-offender relationships, intervention, and threat assessment. 

For more information, please visit http://erichickey.com/.

Dr. Peter Langman is a sought-after expert on the psychology of school shooters. He conducts trainings on understanding the psychology of school shooters and identifying potential school shooters for professionals in mental health, education, and law enforcement. Dr. Langman has been interviewed over one hundred times by media outlets in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. He has appeared on CBS-TV, CNN, Fox, and the BBC. His research on school shooters has been featured in articles carried by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Forbes, USA Today, Education Week, Junior Scholastic, MSNBC, Yahoo News, and hundreds of other news outlets. Dr. Langman writes a blog for Psychology Today. His research on school shooters has been cited in congressional testimony on Capitol Hill. His book, Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters, is being translated into German, Dutch, and Finnish. Dr. Langman has worked with children and adolescents for over twenty years. He is currently the Clinical Director at KidsPeace (www.kidspeace.org), a children’s charity founded in 1882 to meet the needs of kids in crisis. Dr. Langman has been interviewed regarding parenting and adolescent mental health issues by Parents Magazine, Family Circle, Better Health and Living, Parenting Teens Online, and In Touch Weekly. Dr. Langman received his B.A. in psychology from Clark University, his M.A. in counseling psychology from Lesley College, and his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Lehigh University. Dr. Langman’s previous book, Jewish Issues in Multiculturalism, was hailed as “a landmark contribution” to multicultural studies. In addition to being a psychologist, Dr. Langman is a poet and playwright.

For more information, please visit http://www.schoolshooters.info/PL/Home.html.

Featured Speakers

The 2011 NaBITA Annual Conference features presenters chosen for their topical expertise by the conference committee.  This year's eleven featured presenters are listed below.  The conference committee also invites those with promising models, valuable experience and professional expertise to share your knowledge in our concurrent sessions. 

• Saundra K. Schuster, J.D., NaBITA 2011-2012 President; NCHERM Partner
• Brett A. Sokolow, J.D., Executive Director, NaBITA; Managing Partner, NCHERM
• W. Scott Lewis, J.D., NaBITA President-Elect; NCHERM Partner
• Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D., Director of Counseling and Testing, Western Kentucky University; Past President, American College Counseling Association
• Eric W. Hickey, Ph.D., Dean, California School of Forensic Studies
• Peter Langman, Ph.D., Author of Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters
• Carolyn Reinach Wolf, Esq., Mental Health Law expert, President of Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants
• Mitchell Levy, Ph.D., L.M.H.C., Executive Director of the Center for Counseling, Advising, and Academic Support, LaGuardia Community College
• Erica Woodley, M.Ed., Assistant Dean of Students and Case Manager, Tulane University
• Jason Laker, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Counselor Education, San José State University

Featured Speaker Sessions

Being Ready for Campus Threats and Other Uses for Fire-Extinguishers – Opening Keynote by Eric Hickey, Ph.D.
Being on a threat assessment team does not make you a good responder any more than being a passenger in a car makes you a good driver. Responding to campus suicides, sexual assaults, murders, robberies, bombings, hostage-taking, physical and psychological threats by students, faculty, and strangers requires professionalism, teamwork, training and more training. Learning from the mistakes of others is a great way to learn.

The Psychology of School Shooters – Breakfast keynote presented by Peter Langman, Ph.D.
Drawing on the research presented in his book, Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters, Dr. Langman will present three types of youth who commit rampage school attacks: psychopathic, psychotic, and traumatized. Dr. Langman will also present data on 35 school shooters from 1975 through 2011, discuss the difference between immediate triggers and underlying causes of attacks, and review the range of motivations for mass murder. Finally, Dr. Langman will introduce the concept of attack-related behavior as a key component of threat assessment.

Case Management: Three Approaches to Helping – Presented by Carolyn Reinach Wolf, J.D. and Erica Woodley, M.Ed.
In this presentation we will review the three most common case manager models and explore their practical application, funding, communication issues and legal implications. The models will include counseling, student affairs and external third party models. Join Erica and Carolyn as they walk you through the basics on how to create, maintain and apply the right model to your institution.

The Elephant is Male: Honest Attention to Gender in Threat Assessment Discussions – Presented by Jason Laker, Ph.D.
The overwhelming majority of potential and actual incidents of violence and property damage--on campuses and beyond--involve males. Yet, we tend to use ambiguous words such as "youth," "shooter," and "student" when discussing these cases. Our inattention to gendered dimensions of men's lives and their influences on instances and responses to troubling behavior is no longer sustainable or excusable. We rarely discuss or receive training about these topics, and as such are limited in our ability to foster a welcoming and safe campus, as well as the individual and collective development of all our students. In this session, attendees will learn about men's gender role development and the connections between masculinity and violence. We will explore ways to support men and women that not only help to reduce violence, but also to achieve the educational and social aims of our institutions.

Ten Common Mistakes in Violence Assessment and Prevention – Presented by Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D.
Turn on the news and you will see cases of extreme violence, rampage shootings and threatening behavior at Institutes of Higher Education (IHE’s). This program will review ten common mistakes (and solutions) when assessing violence, threat and at-risk students. Practical considerations will be given to student conduct, threat/BIT teams and Dean of Students and VPSA’s, counselors, psychologists and campus law enforcement.

Bifurcated Attacks: Lessons of Andrew Kehoe – Presented by Eric Hickey, Ph.D.
Periodically individuals who launch attacks on persons in public venues such as schools, government buildings, or places of business may carry out attacks in private places such as at home or the homes of other family members. In some cases these attacks are extremely well planned and coordinated giving few if any clues to the pending carnage. Others leave a trail of information, clues and signs as to their intentions. Are we listening?

Behavioral Intervention and the Courts – Presented by Brett Sokolow, J.D., W. Scott Lewis, J.D. and Saundra K. Schuster, J.D.
BITs have been a significant institution on college campuses for more than four years. That’s long enough for some caselaw to develop around behavioral intervention, and for some guidance from the courts applicable to our work. In this session, the presenters will pull critical information from relevant cases, include the FERPA decisions involving Pima Community College and Laramie County Community College, the Valdosta State University free speech and personal liability case, the Havlik decision on timely warnings, and several cases with free speech and threat implications from Pennsylvania and Minnesota. Additionally, we’ll discuss a number of cases wending through the courts, including the University of Alabama, Huntsville case, and some decisions from OCR on application and limitation of the direct threat standard that have results from regulatory changes to ADA/504.

Work Place Bullying: Foundations to a Hostile Work Environment – Presented by Eric Hickey, Ph.D.
Nobody likes a bully. Sound familiar? Understanding the scope of bullying behavior is important for both risk and threat assessment purposes. Ramifications of workplace bullying can vary widely and have physical, emotional, psychological and financial impact on victims. Bullying, like cases of sexual harassment, can end up in very costly civil suits and/or as criminal cases. What should be the role and best practices of threat assessment teams involving cases of bullying?

Campus Shootings: Random Victims vs. Targeted Attacks – Presented by Peter Langman, Ph.D.
This presentation will focus on campus attacks by faculty and students, distinguishing between those shooters killing randomly and those seeking revenge against specific people. The shooters’ behavior leading up to their attacks will be highlighted to identify warning signs of psychopathy and psychosis. Cases examined will include Charles Whitman (Texas Tower sniper), Seung Hui Cho (Virginia Tech), Stephen Kazmierczak (Northern Illinois University), Valery Fabrikant (Concordia University), Gang Lu (University of Iowa), and Amy Bishop (University of Alabama).

Practical Issues in Case Management: Legal Risk, Collaboration and Burnout Prevention – Presented by Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D., Carolyn Reinach Wolf, J.D. and Erica Woodley, M.Ed.
In this presentation we will look at three areas that are central in the practice of case management on campus. Carolyn will address legal issues in case management and present you with clear and practical advice to protect yourself and your school as you work with at-risk students as a case manager. Erica will stress the importance of developing relationships with both on-campus and off-campus providers and departments to ensure effective communication. Brian will then offer five essential practices to identify and address burnout and compassion fatigue---two dangerous side-effects common to the helping professions.

Assessing Your Institution’s Level of Preparedness – Presented by Mitchell Levy, Ph.D., L.M.H.C.
The need for college counselors and administrators to “do more” with fewer resources, while coping with record-setting enrollments, in a challenging economy, requires proactive and strategic planning. Compounding this is the demand for increased accountability among various stakeholders. Consequently, the presenter, based on his 29 years of experience in Higher Education crisis management, will highlight key emerging crisis management issues impacting today’s colleges and best practices for ensuring an effective level of institutional preparedness. Participants will develop a greater awareness of these impending concerns and learn how to assess their institution’s level of preparedness, employing the assessment results to inform program enhancement.

BIT Recordkeeping/3rd Party Request for Records – Presented by Brett Sokolow, J.D., W. Scott Lewis, J.D. and Saundra K. Schuster, J.D.
At a conference this past year, participants at one session were advised to maintain BIT records as campus law enforcement records, to avoid a student accessing them under FERPA. At another conference, participants were encouraged to have legal counsel attend BIT meetings as a member to shroud BIT records within the lawyer-client privilege. In addition to being legally suspect arguments, each of these pieces of advice begs the question: what are these campuses trying to hide, and why? Each BIT needs a solid, transparent recordkeeping policy and practice, lest the members of our communities begin to wonder why we want to operate behind a curtain of secrecy. What we do is worth trumpeting, not concealing. We need to lift the curtain and be as transparent as we can be so that our community invests in the benevolence and appropriateness of the BIT function and operation. This session will detail step-by-step a model recordkeeping policy for BITs, including:
• Record creation
• Record maintenance
• Record access
• Record destruction
• Record sharing
• Record expungement
• Records requests
• Record inspection
• Sole possession records
• The impact of state open records law on BIT records
• Challenging record contents
• FERPA, HIPAA and Confidentiality

Concurrent Sessions

Emergency Management & Violence Preparation: A Collaborative Approach Through A Student Affairs Lens

Through the Student Affairs lens, the presenter will provide the participants with a step by step process on how to prepare the Student Affairs professionals for their role in emergency preparedness and violence prevention. This presentation focuses on multiple input planning sources for dealing with disasters involving students and represents a model for interactions for all hazards. The presentation will discuss behavioral intervention teams in relationship to the bigger picture. We will discuss how Student Affairs leaders and practitioners can play a role in achieving comprehensive community preparedness including ways to engage emergency service providers and educational entities in multi-sector emergency planning and preparation with a student centered focus.

Presented by Pamela Flaherty, M.Ed., Chief Student Affairs Officer and Dean of Students -- Middlesex Community College

Assessing Your BAT: Evaluating Your Success Based On Perceptions of Campus Safety

Your BAT is in place, but how do you know that your team’s efforts are making a difference? This session will discuss one method for evaluating the success of your team based on perceptions of campus safety. Throughout the session the presenter will share the results of his assessment on his campus team and how he believes the efforts of the BAT are helping students feel safer on campus.

Presented by Kerry Greenstein, Ed.S., Assistant Dean of Students -- Georgia Southern University

Alternative Dispute Resolution as an Option to Discipline and Dismissal

The BIT may receive referrals that are not serious enough to justify discipline or dismissal. What do you do with these issues? Do you leave them alone? These issues, if left unresolved, may resurface in a more serious manner, so serious that is may then necessitate someone being removed from campus. This presentation will introduce Alternative Dispute Resolution as an option for BIT Teams who value collaborative responses to issues, personal empowerment of individuals, inclusion of the individual in the resolution of their issues, and as a process that fosters mutual respect amongst those who find themselves at odds with each other.

Presented by Karey Barnes, M.S., Coordinator Judicial Affairs/Ombudsperson -- South Texas College

Working With Parents in Case Management

Helicopter parents. Over-involved parents. Difficult, frustrating and annoying parents. Whatever you might call them, there is another way to approach them to be more successful in your interventions when working with a student as their case manager. Carolyn will share some practical advice about working with parents, finding ways to connect and collaborate with them to provide a higher quality of care---and keep your sanity while you do it.

Presented by Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D., Director of Counseling and Testing -- Western Kentucky University; Erica Woodley, M.Ed., Assistant Dean of Students and Case Manager -- Tulane University; Carolyn Reinach Wolf, Esq., Mental Health Law expert, President -- Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants

Alternative and Creative Interventions to Support Students Who Present Behavioral Threats

Students who come to the attention of St. Joseph's College Behavior Assessment Committee (BAC) may be responded to in a variety of ways depending upon the severity of threat they present. In cases where it is not necessary to require a withdrawal from the college because the threat level is below a certain threshold, a student still may present disruptive behavior that is experienced as intimidating or threatening to other members of the college community. In this session we will present a case study in which a variety of staff members worked together to provide a support structure to a troubled student. With this support in place the student was able to stabilize, overcome emotional and academic hurdles, and succeed in the completion of his semester. We will discuss the utilization of advocacy on behalf of the student by the Dean of Students, the role of Security, and most importantly the alternative counseling services that came into being as staff endeavored to respond to this student in a respectful manner while also respecting the safety needs of the greater community.

Presented by Susan Hudec, Ph.D., Dean of Students; Mary Schultz, Ph.D., Director of Counseling Services; Jacqueline Merriweather, Director of Wellness Programs -- St. Joseph's College New York

The Iona College P.A.S.S. Program- Addressing the Mental Health Concerns of Student-Athletes

Given the myriad academic, athletic, and mental health challenges confronted by college student-athletes (Eliot, 2005; Gordon and Levy, 2000; Levy and Ehinger, 1996), it is imperative that student personnel professionals develop comprehensive, systemic approaches to promote the holistic development of this population. If college counselors, administrators, and faculty hope to assist student-athletes in successfully navigating these challenges, they must recognize the duality of being a full-time college student who is also engaged in the “culture of athletics”. Because the goals and objectives of the athletic culture can sometimes be in conflict with the “non-athletic culture” of an institution (Levy and Gordon, 2005; Levy, Ehinger, and Whitaker, 1995; Anderson and Morris, 2000), college administrators much develop programs which are truly collaborative and holistic in nature (Levy, 2009) if we are to successfully address the mental health needs of collegiate student-athletes. The Iona College P.A.S.S. (Promoting Academic Success of Student-Athletes) Program, designed and co-directed by the presenter from 1998 to 2006, was such an initiative.

Presented by Mitchell Levy, Ph.D., L.M.H.C., Executive Director of the Center for Counseling, Advising, and Academic Support -- LaGuardia Community College

Developing a Case Management Culture for Students in Distress

As the new incoming class arrives to campus, more and more students are either arriving with existing mental health conditions, or will struggle with mental health concerns while in college. In a 2009 College Counseling Center Directors Survey, “93.4% of directors report that the recent trend toward greater number of students with severe psychological problems continues to be true on their campuses” (Gallagher, 2009). With so many students in college today experiencing some level of distress, support systems in student affairs can easily find themselves overwhelmed with the sheer number of students to support, especially when this support is likely to be need over semesters or years. This presentation focuses on how to develop a case management approach to supporting these students with in a way that improves efficiency, allows for a more individualized and proactive follow up plan, and also prevents students from falling through the cracks of the support network.

Presented by Patrick Spence, M.Ed., Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Campus Life; Debbie Martin, M.Ed., Dean of Student Life -- School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Responding to Bullying: From Schoolyard to Workplace

This experiential session will utilize a role-playing game to examine patterns of bullying to include current research on roles, dynamics, and contextual issues, from factors that support and sustain bullying in schools, colleges, and workplaces to cyberbullying. Research regarding the relationship of bullying to episodes of violence to self and others will be included. Recommendations for intervention strategies will be explored, from immediate de-escalation to comprehensive programming for Colleges and workplace. Information about resources for prevention and intervention will be provided, as well as potential funding sources.

Presented by Carole Eagle Luby, Ed.D., L.M.H.C., Counselor -- Daytona State College

A Strategic Review of Campus Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment Practices

Many campus BIT/TAT’s formed a few years ago and are now faced with the need to review the current landscape of campus threat assessment and behavioral intervention and to revise their policies and practices to stay effective. In summer, 2011, Harper College conducted a strategic analysis of field literature, best practices, and current trends in community colleges and four-year institutions, resulting in a revision of its philosophy and procedures to reflect these findings. This process included a qualitative assessment of 26 campus team practices in the areas of: team logistics and operations, team composition and origin, threat assessment models, helpful resources, records management and team communications, common referrals and interventions, assessment, and team strengths/challenges. Participants will learn about this review process – including current literature reviewed, research results, timeline, and lessons learned – and leave with ideas for discussion and implementation for a strategic review on their own campus.

Presented by Laura Bennett, M.Ed., Student Conduct Officer & Early Alert Team coordinator; Shannon Lengerich, M.A., Assistant Dean & Director, Health Services -- Harper College

Creating and Maintaining an Emergency Call Center: A Model Response Program to a Campus-Wide Emergency

Violence prevention is a significant focus on college campuses, and rightly so. However, attention also needs to be given to emergency response should the best-laid violence prevention programs fail. The University of Illinois has developed an Emergency Call Center that has nearly 300 trained student affairs professional who are prepared to respond in case of a campus-wide emergency. This program exams the key factors in creating and maintaining an Emergency Call Center and highlights collaborative opportunities for the campus community.

Presented by Martha Cooper, MSW, Assistant Dean of Students/Student Behavior Case Manager; Ken Ballom, Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students -- University of Illinois

Learning to Wear Different Hats: Counselors and Psychologists as BIT Leaders and Contributors

Counselors and Psychologist are routine members of most BITs and at some institutions counselors and psychologist function as team leaders. This presentation will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having counselors and psychologists as team leaders, including an in-depth look at the special contributions counselors and psychologists can make as BIT members. Additionally, specific attention will be devoted to the role conflict issues that can occur due to the lack of preparation most graduate programs provide regarding the variety of roles counselors and psychologists find themselves engaged in when working on a college or university campus.

Presented by Josh Gunn, Ph.D., Director of Behavioral Response Program & Assistant Director, Counseling and Psychological Services; Bob Mattox, LPC, Assistant Dean, Student Success Services -- Kennesaw State University

The Excitement of Success: A Demonstration of How the San Juan College BIT Operates and Why the Faculty and Staff Are Excited About It!

San Juan College took three years to slowly and methodically introduce its BIT concept to the college campus. By starting with pilot studies of small, manageable groups of faculty and staff, the college was able to efficiently introduce the program, train faculty and staff, assess the acceptance of the program and the ease of use of the online reporting process, respond to feedback as the program matured, and evaluate the overall efficacy of the program. As a result, San Juan College has developed a simple-to-use reporting system that allows for early intervention when there is a behavior of concern. An unexpected benefit is the relief this provides to faculty and staff who have wondered what to do when a student’s behavior interferes with academics. In this open-ended format, we will discuss how this process came into being, what worked and what did not, plans for the future, and address questions from the participants.

Presented by Ken Kernagis, M.A., Director of Advising and Counseling Center; Taylor Haskell, M.A., Advisor and Counselor -- San Juan College

Advertising Your Campus BAT

Are you tired of asking faculty and staff why they didn’t report students to your campus BAT? Are you even more tired of hearing the response that they didn’t know your campus had a team like that? This session will discuss the methods that have been successful at Georgia Southern University and how you can adapt them to your campus to help get the word out about your team and how it can help keep your campus safe.

Presented by Kerry Greenstein, Ed.S., Assistant Dean of Students -- Georgia Southern University

Behavioral Team Case Management of Non-traditional Aged Students (>25)

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), college enrollment of non-traditional age students 25 and over rose by 13 percent from 1995 to 2006. From 2006 to 2017, NCES projects a rise of 19 percent in enrollments of people 25 and over. As the number of non-traditional aged students grows, the unique issues and challenges associated with this population increases. Student Behavioral Teams need to address these concerns which can include mental health challenges, classroom disruptions, and other behavioral matters. This presentation focuses on four case studies involving students over age 25 who were referred to the Student Behavioral Team with a variety of issues consisting of classroom disruption, inappropriate student-to-student and student-to-faculty interactions, and legal concerns. Strategies and techniques used to address these matters will be addressed.

Presented by Karen Logsdon, Ph.D., Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment Management; Eileen Daniel, Ed.D., Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs -- SUNY Brockport

Developing Skills and Competencies Among Behavior Intervention Team Members

For over a decade, Buffalo State’s behavior intervention team has held twice-annual retreats, members have attended numerous program sessions dealing with behavior intervention teams and we have invited experts to address specific topical areas. In this presentation we will describe our approach to developing team competency and will discuss factors that contribute to the team’s effective operation, including fostering open discussion, overcoming barriers of organizational culture, community outreach, involvement of academic deans, and decision-making procedures.

Presented by Charles Kenyon, Ed.D., Associate Vice President and Dean of Students; Karen O'Quin, Associate Dean, School of National and Social Sciences -- Buffalo State College

How to Identify and Prevent the Next School Shooter in an Empirical Way

How do you know if your campus is as safe as possible? Would you like to significantly enhance the probability of preventing the next campus shooting and do so in an empirical way? As College and Universities are increasingly concerned with identifying risk factors and preventing violence from occurring on their campus, Campus Aggression Prevention System (CAPS) is providing the means of objective measuring the level of aggression, the appropriate and corresponding skill sets to apply and the means to maximize a constructive result. This workshop will help higher education faculty, staff, counselors and psychologists better understand aggressive behavior and how to prevent this aggression from manifesting on campus as violence. The training will offer insights into the difference between cognitive and primal aggression, the early stages of cognitive aggression, how individuals move through the stages of the aggression continuum (trigger, escalation and crisis) and what attitudes; behaviors and qualities are likely to be associated with individuals who make the ultimate decision to take the lives of others on their path towards revenge. Most importantly, Dr. Good will share her experiences with CAPS at EKU. Those completing the training will be better prepared to prevent violence on their campus in an empirical way as they become more fluent in the Campus Aggression Prevention System (CAPS).

Presented by John Byrnes, Founder -- The Center for Aggression Management; Claire Good, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students -- Eastern Kentucky University

How to Document Incidents

The need for good documentation is an integral part of many jobs, and incident reporting is one of the most important forms of documentation at organizations. Documentation and incident reporting are sometimes seen as necessary tasks because of concerns about lawsuits. While it is true that the potential for litigation is a good reason to document thoroughly and accurately, there are other reasons as well. Good documentation provides a detailed account of an incident so that appropriate follow-up action can be taken, patterns and trends can be identified, policies and procedure can be assessed, and steps can be implemented to improve the safety of everyone in your work setting. But just what is “good documentation” of an incident? This program will address this question.

Presented by Raquelle Solon, Associate Director of Prepare Training -- Crisis Prevention Institute

Narcotics Overdose Prevention and Education (NOPE Task Force)

The NOPE presentation provides participants with a multi-media/multi-modal, interactive, contemporary presentation dealing with the real life consequences of drug overdose. The program focuses participants’ attention on the unrecognized drug overdose death epidemic plaguing our nation. It includes information about drug to drug interactions, signs and symptoms of drug misuse, signs and symptoms of drug overdose, a testimonial from a parent who lost a college-aged child to drug overdose, a homicide detective, a law enforcement commander and a student life professional. Innovative, university focused, prevention/intervention strategies are offered and discussed.

Presented by Gary Martin, Ed.D., Associate Dean of Student Life -- Lynn University; Capt. Jeff Lindskoog, Commander of Community Service Division -- Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office; Karen Perry, Executive Director NOPE Task Force

2011 NaBITA Campus Threat Management Institute

Each year, NaBITA strives to expand programmatic events for our members.  In 2010, we created the first NaBITA Campus Threat Management Institute, allowing participants to attain a Campus Threat Manager Certificate of Completion after four days of engaging, interactive training.  The NaBITA Institute offers an intense level of depth and training for those charged with campus behavioral intervention and threat assessment responsibilities.  At this time, the Institute is only open to current NaBITA members.

Dates:  November 30th - December 4th, 2011 (Wednesday evening to Sunday afternoon). The NaBITA Institute runs concurrently with the NaBITA Annual Conference, and then continues for two additional days.  Institute registrants will attend the NaBITA Conference (included in the Institute registration fee), in a special track for Institute registrants. Attending the 2011 NaBITA Conference is a pre-requisite to attending the 2011 NaBITA Institute. 

The NaBITA conference begins with the Opening Keynote on Wednesday, November 30th, at 7:30pm.  The conference runs through Thursday, December 1st until 1:00pm on Friday, December 2nd.  The Institute continues for the remainder of Friday the 2nd, all day on Saturday the 3rd, and then concludes at 1:00pm on Sunday, December 4th, 2011. 

Location:  Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

Intended Participants

• Campus law enforcement/threat assessment professionals
• Campus behavioral intervention team members, especially team Chairs
• Campus threat assessment team members, especially team Chairs
• Campus mental health/violence risk assessors

Format

Institute registrants will receive intensive training on behavioral assessment, threat management and violence prevention over four days.  The Institute is capped at 50 registrants.  With 7 faculty members, the Institute has a 1:5 faculty/participant ratio, and participants will have individual and small-group opportunities to interact with each of the expert faculty members.  Institute registrants will participate in the NaBITA conference from Wednesday night to Friday afternoon in a specially designated track with sessions designed to create a comprehensive four-day training curriculum when combined with the longer, more intensive sessions of the Institute on Friday afternoon, Saturday, and until noon on Sunday.  The Featured Speakers for the conference will also serve as Faculty for the Institute, including:

• Saundra K. Schuster, NaBITA 2011-2012 President; NCHERM Partner
• Brett A. Sokolow, Executive Director, NaBITA; Managing Partner, NCHERM
• W. Scott Lewis, 2013-2014 NaBITA President-Elect; NCHERM Partner
• Eric W. Hickey, Ph.D., Dean, California School of Forensic Studies
• Peter Langman, Ph.D., author of Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters
• Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D., Director of Counseling and Testing, Western Kentucky University; Past President, American College Counseling Association
• Carolyn Reinach Wolf, Esq., Mental Health Law expert, President of Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants
• Mitchell Levy, Ph.D., L.M.H.C., Executive Director of the Center for Counseling, Advising, and Academic Support, LaGuardia Community College

At the conference, Institute participants will be assigned to a faculty mentor for the duration of the conference and Institute.  The conference roundtables will be facilitated by the assigned faculty mentor, as will case study and roundtable sessions at the Institute.  At the end of the Institute, a Campus Threat Manager Certificate of Completion will be presented to each participant.

NaBITA Threat Management Institute Schedule

 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2nd

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3rd

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4th

Friday, December 2nd

1:15-5:00pm Choice of 2 Faculty Sessions

Sexual Predators & Paraphiliacs on Campus: Know Them Before They Know You
Eric W. Hickey, Ph.D., Dean, California School of Forensic Studies
A wide spectrum of sex offenders and sexual predators frequently connect with students, faculty and staff via social media and on-off-campus locations and activities. They may be part of a campus community or come from outside. Learn what motivates these offenders, how they choose victims and tools they use to lure and exploit their targets. Come for a discussion of best practices and responses by campus threat assessment teams. Warning: This session is X-rated.

Preventing Campus Shootings: A Discussion of Warning Signs and Case Examples
Peter Langman, Ph.D., Author of Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters
This workshop will identify warning signs and attack-related behavior, using actual cases as examples to discuss what was known by whom and what courses of action could have been pursued to prevent violent attacks. Cases to be discussed may include those discussed in previous sessions as well as Wayne Lo (Simon’s Rock College) and Matti Saari, a Finnish shooter.

Saturday, December 3rd

8:30-9:00am Continental Breakfast

9:00-Noon Choice of 2 Faculty Sessions

NaBITA Threat Assessment Tool Part 1
Brett A. Sokolow, J.D., NaBITA Executive Director and NCHERM Managing Partner; Saundra K. Schuster, J.D., NaBITA 2011-2012 President and NCHERM Partner; W. Scott Lewis, J.D., NaBITA 2013-2014 President-Elect and NCHERM Partner
This is a comprehensive training on the NaBITA Threat Assessment Tool. Participants will learn how to use tool, with four measures of mental health related risk, five generalized risk measures and nine measures for aggression. With this tool, teams can accurately assess the potential for harm to self, harm to others, and harm to facilities/operations/reputation. Once the tool is explained, participants will work through a set of case studies to assess the risks of each, and then to strategically deploy intervention tools to address those risks.

BIT Communication – In, Out and Around
Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D., Director of Counseling and Testing, Western Kentucky University; Mitchell Levy, Ph.D., L.M.H.C., Executive Director of the Center for Counseling, Advising, and Academic Support, LaGuardia Community College ; Carolyn Reinach Wolf, J.D., Mental Health Law Expert, President of Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants
This workshop will explore BIT communication among team members, between various departments and with the larger off-campus community. The presenters will discuss issues from a legal and counseling perspective with special attention to team dynamics to avoid such as groupthink. Practical case examples and communication exercises will be used to help explore these communication concepts.

Noon-1:00pm Sandwich Lunch

1:00-4:00pm Choice of 2 Faculty Sessions

NaBITA Threat Assessment Tool Part 2
Brett A. Sokolow, J.D., NaBITA Executive Director and NCHERM Managing Partner; Saundra K. Schuster, J.D., NaBITA 2011-2012 President and NCHERM Partner; W. Scott Lewis, J.D., NaBITA 2013-2014 President-Elect and NCHERM Partner
This session builds on the earlier NaBITA Threat Assessment Tool presentation, but attendance at that session is not required. In this training you will form a BIT will fellow Institute attendees and will process case studies with each of the facilitators. 10-12 case studies will be used, and detailed assessments of each situation will be done, and determinations of risk/threat made by each group. Then, groups will compare notes with each other and detail their intervention actions plans for each case study. This session emphasizes practical skills, accurate risk assessment, and tough issues from parental notification to counselor confidentiality to involuntary commitment.


Preventing Campus Shootings: A Discussion of Warning Signs and Case Examples
Peter Langman, Ph.D., Author of Why Kids Kill: Inside the Minds of School Shooters
This workshop will identify warning signs and attack-related behavior, using actual cases as examples to discuss what was known by whom and what courses of action could have been pursued to prevent violent attacks. Cases to be discussed may include those discussed in previous sessions as well as Wayne Lo (Simon’s Rock College) and Matti Saari, a Finnish shooter.

4:00-5:00pm Breakout Sessions for Case Studies with Institute Faculty
Each Institute attendee will be assigned a faculty member for Case Study analysis.

Sunday, December 4th

8:30-9:00am Continental Breakfast

9:00-Noon Choice of 2 Faculty Sessions

Threat Assessment Essentials for Counselors, Psychologists and Social Workers
Brian Van Brunt, Ed.D., Director of Counseling and Testing, Western Kentucky University
This workshop is designed to assist clinical and administrative staff better assess threatening and dangerous behavior that is encountered in the workplace. Many of these professionals understand how to assess suicidal individuals but could benefit from increased training in assessing threat and understanding the interplay between threat assessment, suicide and substance abuse assessment. There will be literature-based focus on what questions to ask, what risk factors to attend to and how to assess risk and threat as it related to mental illness and violence. Several case studies will be explored.

Stalking on Campus: What Ever Happened to the Guy Behind the Tree?
Eric W. Hickey, Ph.D., Dean, California School of Forensic Studies
Stalking on campuses includes a spectrum of students who stalk other students, faculty and staff as well as faculty who stalk students, staff or other faculty. In addition are those non-students/faculty who stalk students, staff or faculty. Understanding victim-offender stalking relationships (domestic or stranger cases) is germane to many discussions. How is such behavior assessed and properly managed in order to prevent or mitigate the process of stalking? Technology greatly enhances the tools of a stalker but also can be used defensively by potential victims. Escalation in stalking cases can have severe consequences for both victims and campuses. Come and discuss best practices for threat assessment teams in handling both short term and protracted cases.

Noon – 1:00pm
Sandwich lunch and wrap-up Q&A
Led by Eric Hickey, Brian Van Brunt, Carolyn Reinach Wolf, Brett Sokolow, Scott Lewis and Saundra Schuster

NaBITA 2011 Pre-Conference Session

NaBITA will host a pre-conference session, NCHERM BIT-Based Admissions Screening Process, on Wednesday, November 30th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Presented by Brett A. Sokolow, J.D., Saundra K. Schuster, J.D. and W. Scott Lewis, J.D. of NaBITA. The cost is $169 per person, for all registrants.  The pre-con registration rate is not included in your regular conference rate.  You MUST register and pay for the pre-con in order to attend the pre-con. This requires a seperate registration from your Conference or Institute registration.

Attendees can also purchase a copy of the NCHERM model policy for an additional $99. 

Pre-Con Session Description

In the wake of continuing concerns over campus violence and safety, colleges are considering admissions screening and conducting criminal background checks on incoming students. The NCHERM model BIT-Based Admissions Screening process for incoming students is a tool that will identify potential safety concerns before they become a challenge for institutions. This approach is not about background checking all applicants, or even excluding those who have a criminal history. Instead, it is about subjecting applicants to the same kind of risk assessment process we might use on a student of concern. Choosing whether or not to conduct a background check is only one step in a comprehensive approach to identifying potential safety risks without a discriminatory impact on certain groups. This model includes an initial screening inquiry, determination of when a background check should be incorporated, determining the extent of information to be obtained on the background check, and, most importantly, what to do with the information obtained through the application screening and background check.

Join our expert presenters as they describe the model, its functioning, and issues related to admissions screening for and conducting background checks of students. What six questions should you be asking every applicant? What process should apply to the answers? This precon will share the information an institution may expect to receive from admission screening and will discuss both the pros and cons of engaging in this practice as well as the benefits and the limitations. Additionally we will discuss the important protocol to have in place to analyze and respond appropriately to the information obtained from the screening process.

2011 NaBITA Annual Conference Registration

Conference registration provides admittance to the conference November 30th to December 2nd, including an opening reception, beverages and snacks each day.

Registration Rates:

Pre-Conference (November 30, 1pm-5pm)

All Members and non-members -- $169 per person

Conference Early Bird Registration (Deadline was October 24, 2011)

• Non-members -- $399 per person
• Basic/Individual NaBITA Members -- $359 per person
• Standard NaBITA Members -- 1st Registrant $179; additional registrants -- $320 per person
• Enhanced NaBITA Members -- 1st Registrant free; additional registrants -- $285 per person***

Conference Regular Registration (After October 24, 2011)

• Non-members -- $499 per person
• Basic/Individual NaBITA Members -- $459 per person
• Standard NaBITA Members -- 1st Registrant $225; additional registrants -- $410 per person
• Enhanced NaBITA Members -- 1st Registrant free; additional registrants -- $365 per person***

REGISTRATION DEADLINE WAS NOVEMBER 16th, 2011

***Enhanced members:  Please use the registration form to register your free attendee.

Download a copy of NaBITA's new W-9 here.

2011 NaBITA Campus Threat Management Institute Registration

Institute registration provides admittance to the conference on November 30th to December 2nd, 2011 and Institute sessions from December 2nd to 4th, 2011.  The Institute is only open to current NaBITA members.  Please note that member discounts have been applied to the Institute rates.

Rates:

Early Bird Registration (Deadline was October 24, 2011)

• Basic/Individual Member Rate= $1,299.00
• Standard Member rate: 1stperson= $1,165.00, additional registrants= $1,260.00
• Enhanced Member rate:  1st person= $940.00, additional registrants= $1,225.00
• Group rate* (4 or more individuals from same institution): $999.00 per person

Regular Registration after October 24, 2011

• Basic/Individual Member Rate= $1,399.00 per person
• Standard Member rate: 1stperson= $1,199.00, additional registrants= $1,350.00
• Enhanced Member rate:  1st person= $940.00, additional registrants= $1,305.00
• Group rate* (4 or more individuals from same institution): $1,099.00 per person

                               * Group rate is only available for Institute registrations.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 16th, 2011

Download a copy of NaBITA's new W-9 here.

Host Site/City Information

Click here to learn more about the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

Click here to learn more about Bonita Springs, Florida

Call for Programs

We hope you will consider submitting a program proposal to present a concurrent session at the conference!  The call for programs deadline is September 1st, 2011.  NaBITA will announce selected proposals by September 15th. Presenter slides, materials and other handouts are due by October 14th.

2011 NaBITA Annual Conference Sponsors

The National Center for Higher Education Risk Management

NCHERM is a law and consulting firm that is dedicated to best practices for campus health and safety. NCHERM is a repository for systems-level approaches and models that will enhance and advance your campus risk management and preventive law efforts. NCHERM emphasizes best practices for policy, training, and educational programming as proactive risk management. NCHERM specializes in advancing culture change strategies and problem-solving for the tough wellness, compliance and liability issues colleges and universities face today. When you engage our services, you benefit from the collective wisdom, experience and constant collaboration of our ten consultants.

Maxient LLC

As the nation’s foremost provider of student conduct administration software, Maxient offers a one-stop, completely customizable, web-based solution that fits college and university budgets in these tight economic times.  In addition to increasing office productivity, Maxient’s Conduct Manager suite features tools specifically designed to assist behavioral intervention teams in connecting the dots.  Founded by individuals who previously worked in student affairs, their experience in the field shows with a product that is highly functional and very intuitive.

Crisis Prevention Institute

CPI's adaptable Prepare Training program gives employees the skills to manage aggressive and potentially dangerous workplace behaviors, including those that occur on campus. The program's proven strategies can reduce the frequency and severity of disruptive incidents, increase campus safety, and improve employee confidence to safely intervene.

Threat Triage

ThreatTriage.com offers a web-based service designed for security professionals to assess threatening communications regarding the likelihood of targeted violence. A psycholinguistic content analysis tool, Threat Triage is capable of evaluating large amounts of written communication in a matter of minutes allowing better allocation of resources to investigate and ultimately prevent serious crimes. Threat Triage was developed from established psycholinguistic research and is supported by results that have tested the product against real threats with known outcomes.

Pharos Resources

Pharos Resources provides a comprehensive approach to support your behavioral intervention practices and increase your coordination of critical resources. Our innovative software, Pharos 360, will help you identify students of concern, efficiently manage student cases, facilitate the flow of critical information in compliance with FERPA guidelines, improve crisis prevention, and build valuable collaboration across your campus. Pharos 360 will significantly increase your institution’s success in proactively breaking down communication barriers and sharing potential threats with those who can intervene. To learn more, visit our NaBITA exhibit booth or go to pharosresources.com/bit

Exhibitor Information

Exhibiting at the NaBITA conference is $1,000 for a table and listing in the conference program.  For more information on exhibiting, please contact samantha@nabita.org.

Conference sponsorships are available, either by becoming a NaBITA Gold Partner, or by agreeing to sponsor a conference event.  Six events are available opening reception on Wednesday, (breakfast on Thursday, lunch on Thursday, snack break on Thursday, breakfast on Friday, lunch on Friday, and a dinner hosted by the sponsor on Thursday night) at the actual catering cost.  For more information on sponsoring an event, please contact samantha@nabita.org.

Lodging, Airport and Ground Transportation

HOTEL

NaBITA has blocked rooms at the conference hotel, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

5001 Coconut Road,
Bonita Springs, FL 34134

(239) 444-1234

NaBITA room rates include a complimentary resort fee, which includes:

- wired Internet access in guest rooms

- island ferry

- resort trolley

- local and 800 telephone access charges                      

- incoming faxes

- 24-hour fitness center

- DVD library

- golf bag storage

- beach chairs and umbrellas

Block rate per night (evenings of November 29th through December 5th)

Click here to make your room reservations online, or call 800-233-1234 and reference the NaBITA conference..   These rates are valid until November 11th, 2011.  Please make your hotel reservations early!  Reservations made after November 11th will be subject to the standard rate and based on availability. 

AIRPORT TRANSPORATION

The South Florida International Airport (RSW) is a 15-minute ride from the hotel. For more information, please visit http://www.flylcpa.com/transportation/

You can reserve airport transport with Naples Transportations and Tours , a car service with an office located in the Hyatt Cocobut Point. Please click here to access NTT's online reservations page. Additional information can be downloaded here.

Taxi service to or from the airport is approximately $35.00 one way.  Click here for more information on taxi service from the airport.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

Want to see Bonita Springs or dine at one of the 25 restaurants within 3 miles of the resort? Interested in taking a ferry to Big Hickory Island Beach, the Hyatt's private island in the Gulf of Mexico?  Naples Tours and Transportation can assist you with this as well! Click here for more information. Arrangements can also be made on-site.

Guests With Disabilities

Please contact Samantha Dutill at samantha@nabita.org if you require accommodations.

Education Credits

The American College Counseling Association (ACCA, www.collegecounseling.org) will be providing CEU certificates for $15 per person.  Registrants will be able to sign up and pay for this service on-site during registration.

Refund Policy

Registration cancellation by August 1, 2011= 100 % refund

Registration cancellation by September 1, 2011= 75% refund

Registration cancellation by October 1, 2011= 50% refund

Registration cancellation by November 1, 2011= 25% refund

Registration cancellation after November 1, 2011 = no refunds

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