The SMC Crisis
Prevention TEAM
PRESENTATION TO SANTA MONICA COLLEGE DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
AND COORDINATORS NOV.06, 2015
History, Mission and Purpose of SMC
Crisis Prevention Team
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History: Team formed in fall 2007 in response to incident at Virginia
Tech
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Mission/Purpose:
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To improve campus safety
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Uses a proactive, collaborative approach
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Seeks to PREVENT, IDENTIFY, ASSESS, INTERVENE and MANAGE situations
that may pose a threat
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Goal of team is PREVENTION and “connecting the dots”
Crisis Prevention Team Structure
and Process
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13 person team
Members include representatives from: Campus Police, Student Judicial
Affairs and Discipline, Psych Services , Ombuds Office, Counseling,
Health Services, Academic Affairs, DSPS, International Students, Human
Resources, Title IX team and Legal Counsel
Will soon be adding a Case Manager to the team
Meet twice monthly (or more often if needed)
An average of 20 cases are discussed per meeting
Provide training to faculty and staff
Team members belong to NABITA (National Behavioral Intervention
Team Association)
Team members use NABITA and SIVRA 35 Threat Assessment tools when
appropriate
Various Team members regularly participate in relevant professional
conferences
When should I Refer a Student?
(Signs of Worrisome Behavior)
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Inappropriate Emails
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Emails that are threatening, contain overly violent themes, display
suicidal ideation or severe depression, or are overly personal, etc.
Inappropriate or Bizarre Behavior
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Yelling or screaming in class or public space
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Inappropriate comments (comments that are out of context, violent,
sexual, display paranoid thinking, etc.)
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Mention of Thoughts or Gestures of Self Harm or Harm to Others
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Mention of Family or Domestic Problems
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Suspicion of Alcohol or Drug Abuse
When Should I Refer a Student?
(Signs of Worrisome Behavior)
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Suspicion of Possession of Weapons (guns, knives, etc.)
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Whenever you wonder, “Should I?”
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Trust your instincts
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When in doubt, call or consult
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However, important to distinguish between “normal odd” and
“abnormal odd”
Possible Steps to Take
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Consult
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Department Chair
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Faculty or classified colleague
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Any member of the Crisis Prevention Team (team leader, disciplinarian,
psychologist, campus police, ombudsperson, etc.)
Fill out a Crisis Prevention Report Form (document concern)
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Located on Crisis Prevention Team website under “Health and Safety”
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https://publicdocs.maxient.com/incidentreport.php?SantaMonicaColle
ge
Talk to the Student
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Why?
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You’re the one (most likely) with the relationship with the student
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You’ve observed the behavior first-hand
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You’re the one with genuine concerns about the behavior
How? This isn’t what I signed up for!
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Express your genuine concern
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See if you can get the student to open up about what’s going on in his/her
life
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Be careful to set boundaries. You do NOT want to become the student’s
therapist.
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Make referrals to appropriate resources (Psych Services, etc.)
If you are unsure of what to say, how to approach the situation or
where to refer the student:
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CONSULT WITH A MEMBER OF THE CRISIS PREVENTION TEAM!
What happens when I refer a student to
the SMC office of Judicial Affairs?
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In 2014-15, approximately 703 student cases where referred to the
office of judicial affairs.
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Charges varied from forms of academic dishonesty, disruptive or
inappropriate behavior, Sexual Assault, threats and theft
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The most commonly reported charge involved some form of
Academic Dishonesty or Plagiarism. There were 108 incidents of
disruptive/inappropriate behavior reported.
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In all cases, some form of action was taken.
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Actual sanctions included but were not limited to: 290 written
reprimands, 26 cases of disciplinary probation and 21 actual
suspensions from SMC.
Additional Sources for Training
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At Risk – Online Simulated Training
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Can be done individually or in groups led by SMC Psych Services
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Takes 45 minutes
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Allows you to practice identifying students with worrisome behavior and
guides you through conversations with these students
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It’s well done and informative
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Monthly Psych Services Brown Bag Discussions – “Dealing with
Distressed and Distressing Students”
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Fall Mental Health Awareness Day (October) and Spring Mental
Health Awareness Week (May)
Final Thoughts
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You’re not alone!
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When in doubt, reach out for help – trust your instincts
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Or, if you “see something, say something!”
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The Crisis Prevention Team is about PREVENTION
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We can’t prevent what we don’t know!
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THANK YOU!