Why a Multiyear Training Plan Makes Good Sense (and Better Cents) 

Published on: September 15, 2025

A NABITA Tip of the Week by W. Scott Lewis, J.D.

At NABITA, we’ve spent years helping institutions respond to some of the most complex behavioral intervention and threat assessment challenges. One thing we’ve learned through this work is that the institutions that promote safety most effectively are not the ones reacting year-to-year, but those that take the long view and build capacity intentionally, invest in their staff, and plan training with strategic foresight. 

It’s time to move beyond the annual training cycle. Planning a multiyear training strategy is smart regardless of whether you’re a single K-12 school, an entire district, a community college, a large public university system, or a small private college. The advantages are clear: predictable budgeting, thorough coverage of competencies, intentional professional development, varied content and progressive training curricula, and continuity despite inevitable staff turnover. 

So many schools are still stuck in the mode of providing the same training every year, or just training on policy. This rarely builds the kinds of skills that create lasting change. Training audiences get bored. They tune out or don’t attend because they already took the same training the previous year. We need them to tune back in, and to do that, we need to design content that is fresh, expansive, and interactive.  

Why Multiyear Planning Works 

A well-designed multiyear training plan solves several key challenges we often hear from members: 

• Budgeting headaches become more manageable when you map out what you’ll need three years from now, not three months out. 

• Staff turnover, a constant in our field, is easier to manage when you anticipate it and have foundational training built in at regular intervals. 

• Team development is more strategic when you build training like a curriculum, ensuring foundational knowledge early on and advanced concepts over time.  

• Consistency across your institution or system improves when everyone is using the same tools, frameworks, and language. 

Start with Who You Are 

When designing a multiyear plan, it helps first to ask: what kind of institution are we? 

• If you’re a large higher education system, such as a community college system or a consortium of independent universities, you can likely access more resources, a larger pool of staff, and the ability to host or share trainings across campuses. That also means you’re facing higher turnover, and your plan must account for re-training new staff regularly. 

• If you’re a single school or institution, your challenge may be more about limited bandwidth or staff capacity. But the upside is greater consistency, lower turnover, and more focused attention on long-term skill development. 

• If you’re a K-12 district or state department, scale and resourcing will vary, but the same principles apply: anticipate change, prioritize consistency, and align your training to real-world challenges. 

A Roadmap That Outlasts Turnover 

NABITA offers a curriculum map that helps members build training plans across years, roles, and responsibilities. We recommend allocating staff bandwidth for 3-5 team training days each year.  

Everything begins in Year 1 with foundational training on NABITA’s standards and tools: 

• BIT Standards and Best Practices: Our BIT Standards course for higher education or K-12 settings provides a shared language and framework, essential for cohesive and coordinated teamwork, and includes our Risk Rubric (K-12 version).  

• Risk Assessment Tools: Most institutions benefit from training in both Structured Interview for Violence Risk Assessment (SIVRA), or its K-12 version, and Non-Clinical Assessment of Suicide (NAS). 

• If you’re seeing increased threats or concerning behavior toward others (verbal, written, or online), start with SIVRA. 

• If self-harm, suicidality, and depression are your primary concerns, begin with NAS. 

• Complete both SIVRA and NAS in Year 1 or choose one in Year 1 and the other in Year 2. 

From there, training paths diverge based on your team’s roles and needs. Here’s an example of Year 2: 

• Case Management: Whether or not you have staff with the title “Case Manager,” your team does engage in case management. That’s why it’s crucial to include Case Management Standards and Best Practices early in your plan. 

• SIVRA or NAS, depending on which course your team didn’t complete in Year 1. 

Next, layer in advanced training in Year 3. We suggest:  

• Violence Risk Assessment of the Written Word (VRAWW) 

• SIVRA in Practice 

• NAS in Practice 

• Building an Individualized Threat Management Plan (or its K-12 version) 

• Case Management Support and Interventions 

At any time, consider sprinkling in NABITA’s specialized workshops:  

• BIT and Case Management Recordkeeping and Documentation Workshop 

• Collaboration and Support: Addressing the Intersection of BIT, Conduct, and Disability Support Workshop 

• Strategies for Leading a Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment Team Workshop 

• Violence Risk Assessment Report Writing Workshop 

To help your team thrive despite turnover, we recommend repeating foundational courses in Years 2 and 3 to effectively onboard new members and provide a refresher: 

• BIT Standards & Best Practices 

• Case Management Standards and Best Practices  

• SIVRA 

• NAS 

This multiyear training model ensures that new staff members stay grounded in the core competencies while your experienced team continues to grow. Even with minimal training days, you can build a robust developmental arc that pays dividends to team confidence and campus safety. 

The Perks of Membership 

If you’re a NABITA member, especially a Super Member, your plan can be even more efficient. Super Membership includes three complimentary registrations to NABITA certification courses, and K-12 Professional Development Package holders receive six complimentary trainings. This means you won’t pay extra to enroll in these courses; they are already part of your membership benefits. Use your inclusions to train new staff, attend advanced sessions, or take advantage of workshops that reinforce skills and offer specificity throughout the year.  

If you’re a larger system or consortium, three inclusions may not cover your team’s training needs. In that case, we recommend leveraging NABITA’s consulting services to design custom in-person or virtual sessions tailored to your needs. Our team can work with you to make this financially viable. 

Plan for Greatest Impact, Not Box-Checking 

A piecemeal approach to training leads to knowledge gaps, inconsistent protocols, and staff members who don’t feel equipped. A multiyear plan, on the other hand, ensures your team learns in a logical, layered, and connected way. You’re not just training to check boxes; you’re building a resilient, informed, and empowered team that leverages its institutional knowledge and transmits it forward amidst staff turnover.  

This isn’t about overwhelming your team with endless training. It’s about giving them the exact tools they need at the right time to do their work well. 

Let’s Build Your Roadmap 

We’re here to help you take the guesswork out of what you need to know and what’s next. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing plan, our consulting team can help you build a multiyear training strategy tailored to your institution’s size, structure, and goals. 

To build a customized multiyear training plan, contact our consulting team at inqury@tngconsulting.com.