School Safety and Collaboration: Building a Behavioral Health and Justice Response

Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

School safety has emerged as an ongoing priority for leaders across the behavioral health and criminal justice systems, but many are struggling to effectively respond to school safety threats because they lack structured and collaborative approaches. This webinar addresses the evolving meaning of school safety and present school responder models as a framework for cross-system collaboration to create safer schools. It also describes how this partnership can be both preventative of school safety threats and provide a supportive response to students who may be at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system. The information provided in this webinar also highlights the importance of integrating behavioral health and justice strategies to create safer school environments.

Panelists:

• David Adams, senior policy advisor, BJA
• Crystal Brandow, senior project associate, National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice, Policy Research Associates
• Tim Ferrara, deputy director, Schenectady County Center for Juvenile Justice
• Avery Irons, senior project associate, National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice, Policy Research Associates
• Felicia Lopez Wright, policy analyst, Behavioral Health, the CSG Justice Center
• Andrea Tote-Freeman, district director of Pupil Personnel Services, Schenectady City School District
• Allison Upton, project manager, Behavioral Health, the CSG Justice Center