1 Hours / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on The Importance of Risk Communication: Short Reports is presented by Kelly A. Watt, Ph.D. in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

Risk communication is one of the most important and challenging strategies for ensuring that management strategies are implemented and violence is prevented. This program focuses on best practices related to short report structure, content, and process. Case illustrations highlight promising practices and challenging issues when writing short reports (e.g., including all relevant information but only relevant information). 

This program is appropriate for those new to the field of violence risk/threat assessment, as well as experienced professionals who are looking for an update on issues and best practices related to risk communication.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe basic elements and core virtues related to short reports
  • 2 Describe promising practices and challenging issues related to writing short reports

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health and allied professionals who are engaged in violence risk and threat assessment. It is intended for those who specialize in evaluating, managing, and communicating about potential risks of violence, with expertise in balancing ethical, legal, and professional responsibilities.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counselors)
    • Nurses
    • Case managers
    • Probation and parole officers
    • School psychologists
    • Other related allied professionals involved in violence risk management

  • Experience Level

    Practice occurs in multidisciplinary environments across acute, community, and institutional settings where violence risk/threat assessments are conducted and findings must be communicated to stakeholders. Work focuses on structured evaluations, management planning, and clear risk communication via oral briefings and written feedback while balancing privacy, legal, and ethical duties.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Inpatient and outpatient mental health services
    • Emergency and crisis response programs
    • Community behavioral health agencies
    • Correctional and forensic services
    • Probation and parole offices
    • Courts and legal settings
    • K–12 and higher education threat assessment teams
    • Law enforcement/public safety units and workplace threat management programs

  • Practice Setting

    Practice occurs in multidisciplinary environments across acute, community, and institutional settings where violence risk/threat assessments are conducted and findings must be communicated to stakeholders. Work focuses on structured evaluations, management planning, and clear risk communication via oral briefings and written feedback while balancing privacy, legal, and ethical duties.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Inpatient and outpatient mental health services
    • Emergency and crisis response programs
    • Community behavioral health agencies
    • Correctional and forensic services
    • Probation and parole offices
    • Courts and legal settings
    • K–12 and higher education threat assessment teams
    • Law enforcement/public safety units and workplace threat management programs
Presented By

Kelly A. Watt, PhD

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.
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 Approval Statements

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.