1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on An Introduction to Violence Risk/Threat Assessment: Legal Issues is presented by Brianne Layden, Ph.D. in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

Every violence risk/threat assessment has the potential to be reviewed by a court, tribunal, or review board. For this reason, violence risk/threat assessment professionals need to understand the key legal issues relevant to the services they deliver. In this program, Dr. Layden identifies the major legal duties that influence the practice of violence risk/threat assessment across jurisdictions. She discusses how these duties sometimes conflict and offers recommendations for avoiding, resolving, or mitigating them. Throughout, she uses case vignettes from her own practice to illustrate key points.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe major legal duties that influence the practice of violence risk/threat assessment across jurisdictions
  • 2
    Describe conflicts that may arise among the various legal duties that influence the practice of violence risk/threat assessment
  • 3
    Describe steps that can be taken to avoid, resolve, or mitigate conflicting legal duties relevant to the practice of violence risk/threat assessment
Presented By

Brianne Layden, PhD

Dr. Brianne Layden obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at Simon Fraser University. She is a clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in the assessment and management of risk for violence toward the self and others. She works as a Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International Risk and Safety Services Inc., is a contract psychologist with Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia, is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, and is the associate editor of Intelligence, an e-newsletter that keeps professionals up to date about recent advances in threat assessment around the globe. She also serves as a Member-at-Large for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services.

Her expertise involves the assessment and management of self-directed violence and personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder, and intersecting risks (e.g., general and self-directed violence). She has provided training workshops and invited presentations for forensic mental health, law enforcement, corrections, security, victim services and higher education, and has co-authored over 50 articles and conference presentations. She is currently in the process of developing structured professional judgment tools for the assessment and management of self-directed violence.


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  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health and allied professionals involved in violence risk and threat assessment, 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 professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors)
    • Forensic psychologists
    • Threat assessment specialists
    • Risk management professionals
    • Law enforcement personnel
    • Probation and parole officers
    • Legal professionals

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with violence risk/threat assessment and related legal issues.

    • Beginner: Participants new to violence risk/threat assessment or unfamiliar with the legal duties and conflicts involved will gain foundational knowledge of key legal concepts and responsibilities across jurisdictions.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in violence risk/threat assessment will deepen their understanding of how legal duties may conflict and learn practical strategies for addressing and mitigating these conflicts in their practice.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners operate in clinical, forensic, educational, workplace, and public-safety environments, conducting structured professional judgment assessments, developing risk management strategies, and collaborating in multidisciplinary teams. These high-stakes, policy-driven settings require meticulous documentation that can withstand scrutiny by courts, tribunals, or review boards and adherence to key legal duties across jurisdictions.

    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Inpatient psychiatric units and forensic hospitals
    • Community mental health and outpatient clinics
    • Correctional facilities and probation/parole services
    • Law enforcement and public safety agencies
    • K-12 schools, colleges, and university threat teams
    • Workplace/corporate security and HR threat management programs
    • Courts, review boards, and legal consultation practices
    • Government agencies and community-based violence prevention programs
    • Private practice and consulting firms specializing in risk/threat assessment for HTML.
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).


Sponsorship Provider Statement

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.