An Introduction to Violence Risk/Threat Assessment: Approaches to Comprehensive Assessment

Presented by: Stephen D. Hart, PhD

1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on An Introduction to Violence Risk/Threat Assessment: Approaches to Comprehensive Assessment is presented by Stephen D. Hart, Ph.D., in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

To protect safety and manage liability, comprehensive violence risk/threat assessments are an essential part of case management for some incidents of concern. In this program, Dr. Hart provides an overview of the major approaches to comprehensive violence risk/threat assessment. Next, he compares the strengths and limitations of major approaches to comprehensive violence risk/threat assessment. He ends by illustrating the major approaches to comprehensive violence risk/threat assessment using a case study.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

1 Describe how to differentiate between the main approaches to comprehensive violence risk assessment and management
2 Describe the strengths and limitations of major approaches to comprehensive violence risk assessment/management
3 Describe the practical application of major approaches to comprehensive violence risk assessment/management

Intended Audience
This training is intended for mental health and allied professionals who are involved in violence risk and threat assessment, offering both foundational knowledge and advanced insights with a focus on the structured professional judgment approach. It is suitable for those specializing in forensic psychology, risk assessment, or threat management, and provides practical skills for evaluating and managing potential violence.

Examples of Relevant Professionals:
- Mental Health Professional
- Psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Social Worker
- Counselor
- Law Enforcement Professional
- Probation/Parole Officer
- Legal Professional
- Forensic Psychologist
- Risk Assessment Specialist
- Threat Management Specialist
Experience Level
This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals seeking foundational knowledge in comprehensive violence risk/threat assessment.
- Beginner:Participants are new to violence risk/threat assessment and seek to understand the major approaches, their strengths and limitations, and practical application in case management. No prior experience with comprehensive violence risk/threat assessment is required.
Practice Setting
Practice settings for professionals involved in violence risk and threat assessment are typically high-stakes environments where safety, legal, and ethical considerations are paramount. These settings require collaboration across disciplines and often involve working with individuals or groups who may pose a risk of harm to themselves or others. Professionals may operate in clinical, forensic, legal, or community-based environments, conducting assessments, developing management plans, and providing expert consultation.

Examples of Practice Settings:
- Forensic psychiatric hospitals or secure mental health units
- Correctional facilities and juvenile detention centers
- Community mental health clinics
- Private forensic or clinical psychology practices
- Law enforcement agencies or threat assessment units
- Probation and parole offices
- School or university threat assessment teams
- Hospital emergency departments or crisis intervention teams
- Legal offices specializing in criminal or civil cases involving violence risk
- Corporate or organizational threat management programs

Presented By

Stephen D. Hart, PhD

Dr. Stephen D. Hart obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at the University of British Columbia. He has been on faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University since 1990, and has held the rank of Professor since 2001. He also served as a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway between 2000 and 2021. His expertise is in the field of clinical-forensic psychology, with a special focus on the assessment of violence risk and psychopathic personality disorder. He has co-authored more than 250 books, chapters, and articles. He has served as editor of two scientific journals; a member of the editorial board of eight journals; and ad hoc reviewer for more than 40 journals. He has served as an executive committee member of several professional organizations, including President of the American Psychology-Law Society and the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. He has received various distinctions for his professional work, including the Career Achievement Award from the Society of Clinical Psychology, the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Research Excellence in Psychology and Law from the American Psychology-Law Society and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. He maintains an active practice in violence risk assessment. He has consulted with government agencies from more than 25 countries; led more than 500 training workshops around the world; and given expert evidence before courts, tribunals, inquests, review boards, and parliamentary committees in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

We are proud to partner with

Protect International Risk and Safety Services

We are proud to partner with Protect International Risk and Safety Services for this training. Protect International's threat assessment professionals are internationally recognized experts that have developed some of the world's most widely used and best-validated threat assessment tools. Protect International provides services and products related to violence risk assessment and management, also known as threat assessment and management. Protect International services and products include threat assessment training and support, case assessment and management, legal consultation, policy review and development, and program evaluation and research; along with threat assessment manuals, worksheets, licenses, and software applications for those tools.

Learn More About Our Partner

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here.

American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.
Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).

Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.