Introduction to Violence Risk/Threat Assessment and Management in PPSP
Presented by: Stephen D. Hart, PhD
10 Hours / 10 CEs
On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training
This on-demand professional training program on Introduction Violence Risk/Threat 
Assessment and Management in Police and Public Safety Psychology is presented by Stephen D. Hart, PhD in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.
Violence risk is a critical issue in policing and public safety psychology. In operational contexts, the concern is the violence risk posed by persons of interest who are under investigation or who have been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of offenses. In organizational contexts, the concern is the violence risk posed toward police and public safety professionals by persons of interest, or even the violence risk posed by those professionals toward coworkers or members of the public. Regardless, the key question is what kinds of harm might someone perpetrate, against which victims, at which times or locations – and, most importantly, what steps could be taken to mitigate the risks posed and prevent violence?
Dr. Hart provides an overview of violence risk assessment and management, also known as threat assessment and management, including key concepts and general principles. He also describes and differentiates two types of assessment: triage, a rapid sorting and prioritization of cases to identify those in need of immediate attention; and comprehensive violence risk assessment, an evaluation to develop more detailed, long-term management plans. Finally, he discusses the steps necessary to support best practices in violence risk/threat assessment and management in policing and public safety psychology, including education, training, policies, and procedures. Throughout this program, Dr. Hart illustrates important points using case vignettes from his 35 years of experience working with law enforcement, corrections, national security, and other public safety professionals.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1 Describe the relevance of violence risk/threat assessment and management to the practice of policing and public safety psychology.
- 2 Identify and explain key concepts and general principles related to the practice of violence risk/threat assessment and management.
- 3 Differentiate violence risk triage and comprehensive violence risk assessment.
- 4 Describe the education, training, policies, and procedures necessary to support best practices in violence risk/threat assessment and management in policing and public safety organizations.
- 5 Apply the concepts discussed in the program in their own work.
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.
Training Outline
Key topics covered in this training include:
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Overview of violence risk assessment and management.
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Risk Assessment: Triage.
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Risk Assessment: Comprehensive.
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Best practices in violence risk/threat assessment and management in policing and public safety psychology.
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.
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.