Assessment & Management of Stalking using the SAM

Presented by: P. Randall Kropp, PhD

20 Hours / 20 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on the Assessment & Management of Stalking using the SAM is presented by P. Randall Kropp, Ph.D., in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

This program provides a set of comprehensive, structured professional judgment guidelines for assessing and managing the risk of stalking. The SAM incorporates the latest advances in the SPJ approach to risk assessment, including violence risk formulation and scenario planning methods. Initial research has demonstrated the SAM’s promise for its use by professionals working with stalkers and their victims, with results showing the SAM has good reliability and validity (Kropp, Hart, Lyon, & Storey, 2011).

Learning Objectives

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

1 Describe how the SAM incorporates the latest advances in the SPJ approach to risk assessment
2 Describe key concepts for assessing & managing risk for stalking behavior
3 Describe strengths & weaknesses of SPJ instruments
4 Describe how to rate the risk factors on the SAM
5 Describe methods of violence risk formulation & scenario planning
6 Describe how the SAM can be implemented in practice to formulate cases
7 Describe the reliability and validity of the SAM
8 Describe relevant research on the SAM and its use for professionals
9 Describe key concepts for assessing and managing risk for stalking behavior
10 Analyze and implement the SAM in case studies

Intended Audience

This comprehensive training is designed for professionals at any stage of their career who are interested in enhancing their skills in stalking violence risk assessment, including the use of the Stalking Assessment and Management (SAM) tool. It is relevant for those working in forensic psychology, criminal justice, victim services, health care, social services, education, security, and human resources, especially individuals who work with people at risk of stalking or those who have been victimized. The program offers valuable insights and practical tools for anyone seeking to integrate structured professional judgment approaches into their practice.
- Mental Health Professional
- Forensic Psychologist
- Criminal Justice Professional
- Victim Services Provider
- Health Care Provider
- Social Worker
- Educator
- Security Professional
- Human Resources Professional
Experience Level

This training is applicable for all career stages: entry-level, mid-career, and experienced professionals.
- Beginner: New to structured professional judgment (SPJ) approaches or the SAM; seeking foundational knowledge of risk assessment concepts, key SAM components, and introductory application in practice.
- Intermediate: Familiar with basic risk assessment principles; seeking to deepen understanding of SAM implementation, violence risk formulation, scenario planning, and evaluation of reliability and validity.
- Advanced: Experienced in risk assessment and management; seeking to critically analyze research, apply the SAM to complex case studies, and evaluate strengths and limitations of SPJ instruments in diverse clinical contexts.
Practice Setting

Professionals who complete this training typically work in environments where assessing and managing the risk of stalking is essential to safety and well-being. These settings may include clinical offices, forensic units, correctional facilities, law enforcement agencies, victim advocacy centers, hospitals, schools, corporate workplaces, and security operations. The practice setting is often multidisciplinary, requiring collaboration with colleagues from various backgrounds to address the needs of individuals at risk of stalking or those who have experienced victimization. Practitioners may conduct assessments, develop management plans, provide consultation, and support policy development within their organizations.
- Outpatient mental health clinics or private practices
- Forensic psychiatric hospitals or correctional institutions
- Police departments or probation/parole offices
- Victim services agencies or crisis intervention centers
- Hospital emergency departments or primary care clinics
- Child protection or family services agencies
- K-12 schools, colleges, or universities
- Corporate human resources or employee assistance programs
- Security firms or workplace threat assessment teams

Presented By

P. Randall Kropp, PhD

Dr. Randall Kropp is a clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in the assessment and management of violent offenders. He works as a threat assessment specialist for Protect International Inc., is a psychologist with the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia, Canada, and is Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University.

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Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

Guidelines: Participants learn about how the SAM incorporates the latest advances in the SPJ approach to risk assessment
Violence risk formulation
Scenario planning
Research: Participants learn about relevant research of the SAMs use with stalkers and their victims by professionals
Reliability
Validity

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).

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.