1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on An Introduction to Violence Risk/Threat Assessment: The State of the Field is presented by Stephen D. Hart, PhD. in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

The practice of violence risk assessment and management, also known as threat assessment and management, has expanded rapidly over the past 20 years. In this program, Dr. Hart maps the terrain of the field as it exists today with respect to the distinctions (or lack thereof!) between violence risk assessment and management versus threat assessment management, the nature of violence risk/threat assessment, the theoretical and empirical foundations of violence risk/threat assessment, and the training and expertise of violence risk/threat assessment professionals around the world.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe violence risk assessment/management versus threat assessment/management
  • 2 Describe the theoretical and empirical foundations of violence risk/threat assessment
  • 3 Describe the training and expertise of violence risk/threat assessment professionals around the world
  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health and allied professionals at all career stages who are involved in violence risk and threat assessment. Whether you are new to the field or an experienced practitioner seeking to enhance or refresh your skills, this program provides comprehensive instruction in the structured professional judgment approach to evaluating and managing potential violence. Participants will gain practical knowledge applicable to a variety of settings, including forensic, clinical, and community environments.

  • Experience Level

    This training is applicable for all career stages: entry-level, mid-career, and experienced professionals.

  • Practice Setting

    • Mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors)

    • Allied professionals (nurses, case managers, probation/parole officers)

    • Forensic psychologists and clinicians specializing in risk assessment or threat management

    • Professionals working in:
      • - Correctional facilities
        - Forensic or psychiatric hospitals
        - Law enforcement agencies
        - Community mental health centers
        - Private practice

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.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Stephen D. Hart, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Overview of AI in Mental Health
    template word for outline

  • AI as a Co-Therapist

  • AI for Clinical Efficiency

  • AI in Clinical Education and Supervision

  • Ethical Considerations

  • Clinical and Technological Competency

  • Practical Implementation Strategies

  • Communicating with Clients and Trainees About AI

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.

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.