This chapter provides an overview of the development, implementation, and operation of threat assessment and management practices within institutions of higher education. The authors provide a brief summary of the history and development of campus threat management over the past 25 years, noting the contributions of a range of disciplines, research, and informed practice. The chapter delineates the essential elements of a comprehensive threat assessment and management process designed to help campus practitioners to identify, assess, and intervene across the range of potential threats and concerns that may arise. The authors provide an overview of legal duties and issues relevant to threat management, referencing legal principles and cases that have informed standards of practice for the field. Finally, the authors discuss opportunities for advancing the practice of threat management to sustain and enhance the health, safety, and well-being of campus communities.

No abstract

This article identifies what student mental health professionals need to know about legal issues of relevance to threat assessment and management. The article summarizes the common law duties and the common law and statutory standards of care that are likely to apply to the work of college and university threat assessment and management teams. The article also addresses privacy law, disability law, policy, and documentation-related issues that often present challenges in the campus threat assessment and management context. In sum, the article strives to educate student counseling center professionals so that they can contribute effectively to the important work of threat assessment and management teams without being hindered by potential misconceptions about legal issues.