1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

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

Leading authorities, including those in the field of violence risk/threat assessment, distinguish between initial and comprehensive risk assessments. In this program, Dr. Watt helps violence risk/threat assessment professionals to understand the distinction, explain it to stakeholders, and use it to deliver services and manage liability more effectively. She also provides a high-level overview of different approaches to conducting initial risk assessments, which are the type most often completed by violence risk/threat assessment professionals.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe initial versus comprehensive assessments of violence risk
  • 2 Describe the difference between initial and comprehensive assessments of violence risk to improve service delivery and liability management
  • 3 Describe an overview of various methods used in conducting initial risk assessments

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health professionals and allied clinicians who are involved in violence risk and threat assessment, regardless of their career stage. It is suitable for those specializing in forensic psychology, threat assessment, or risk management, and for clinicians who work with individuals or organizations where evaluating and managing potential violence is essential. The program provides comprehensive instruction in the structured professional judgment approach, equipping participants with practical skills and insights relevant to a variety of professional roles.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Psychologist
    • Psychiatrist
    • Social Worker
    • Counselor
    • Allied Clinician
    • Forensic Psychologist
    • Threat Assessment Specialist
    • Risk Management Professional

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals seeking foundational knowledge in violence risk/threat assessment, with a focus on distinguishing between initial and comprehensive assessments.

    • Beginner: New to violence risk/threat assessment or seeking a foundational understanding of initial versus comprehensive assessments; may have limited experience explaining these distinctions to stakeholders or applying them in practice.

  • Practice Setting

    Practice settings for professionals involved in violence risk and threat assessment are diverse, reflecting the need to evaluate and manage potential violence across various environments. These clinicians often work in settings where safety, risk management, and multidisciplinary collaboration are prioritized. Their workspaces may include clinical offices, forensic units, correctional facilities, schools, hospitals, community mental health centers, corporate environments, or government agencies. The environment is typically structured, confidential, and may involve high-stakes decision-making, frequent interaction with legal or organizational stakeholders, and the use of specialized assessment tools.

    Examples of practice settings:

    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals or secure treatment facilities
    • Correctional institutions (prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers)
    • Community mental health clinics
    • Private practice specializing in forensic or risk assessment services
    • School districts or university counseling centers
    • Corporate or workplace threat assessment teams
    • Law enforcement agencies or public safety departments
    • Government agencies (e.g., child protective services, military mental health units)
    • Hospitals or emergency departments with behavioral health services

Presented By

Kelly A. Watt, PhD Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International

Dr. Kelly A. Watt obtained her BA in psychology at Simon Fraser and her MA and PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She worked as a Psychology Fellow at Vancouver Coastal Health between 2008 and 2010. She currently works as Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International and a Workplace Consultant at Competence Center Bergen. She is a member of the Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute at Simon Fraser University. Her expertise is in the field of clinical- community-forensic psychology, with a special focus on violence risk assessment and management, victim safety planning, coordinated community responses, and threat assessment teams. She has co-authored more than 75 articles, chapters, reports, and presentations and is the co-author of manuals for risk assessment and safety planning, including the Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP), and the Aid to Safety Assessment and Planning (ASAP). She is currently the editor of Intelligence, the newsletter of the Canadian, American, European, and Asia Pacific associations of threat assessment professionals. She also currently serves the chair of special interest group for the Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. She has provided over 120 invited presentations and workshops for mental health, law enforcement corrections, security, victim services, social services, human resources, occupational health and safety, and legal professionals in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Kelly A. Watt, PhD
We are proud to partner with

Protect International Risk and Safety Services

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. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



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) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 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), SW CPE 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 and 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #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. CONCEPT Professional Training 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.