1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention Programs: Critical Elements is presented by Stephen D. Hart, Ph.D., in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

Legal duties and standards of practice related to violence in the workplace have evolved rapidly and substantially over the past twenty years. In many countries around the world, all organizations—public, private, or non-governmental—are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent and respond to violence in the workplace. 

In this program, Dr. Hart reviews the nature and prevalence of workplace violence and the sources of law that place duties on workplaces to deal with the problem. He then describes current standards of practice relevant to workplace violence prevention and intervention, including ISO and ANSI standards. Finally, he presents an integrated framework comprising eight essential elements, one that can be used to audit an organization’s strengths and vulnerabilities and determine priorities for program improvement.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe diverse sources of law that impose duties on workplaces related to violence prevention and intervention
  • 2 Describe critical documents that set out standards of practice related to workplace violence prevention and intervention
  • 3 Describe the eight elements of a comprehensive workplace violence prevention and intervention program
  • 4 Describe how the eight elements can be used to audit an organization’s strengths and vulnerabilities and determine priorities for program improvement
  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health professionals who conduct or plan to conduct forensic evaluations related to workplace violence, as well as those interested in expanding their expertise in forensic mental health, organizational assessment, or occupational safety and health. It is suitable for clinicians and professionals involved in workplace violence assessment and prevention, or those seeking to add or enhance forensic evaluation services in their practice.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Forensic Psychologists
    • Forensic Psychiatrists
    • Clinical Social Workers
    • Occupational Health Psychologists
    • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Clinicians
    • Organizational Consultants
    • Risk Assessment Specialists
  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for mental health professionals at various stages of experience with workplace violence prevention and intervention.

    • Beginner: Participants new to workplace violence prevention will gain foundational knowledge of legal duties, standards of practice, and the prevalence of workplace violence.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience will deepen their understanding of diverse legal sources, critical standards (including ISO and ANSI), and the application of an integrated framework for program assessment.
  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners work in multidisciplinary, legally regulated environments where organizations are obligated to prevent and respond to workplace violence in line with current standards (including ISO and ANSI). They conduct forensic evaluations and risk assessments, audit programs, and advise on prevention and intervention systems within organizational contexts.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Private forensic mental health practices
    • Hospital or health system behavioral health services
    • Occupational health and employee wellness clinics
    • Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
    • Corporate threat assessment, security, or risk management units
    • Human resources and organizational compliance departments
    • Government agencies and public-sector workplaces
    • Universities and large educational institutions

Presented By

Stephen D. Hart, PhD Faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University

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.

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Stephen D. Hart, PhD
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.