5 Hours / 5 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on B-SAFER is presented by P. Randall Kropp, PhD in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

Intimate partner violence is a prevalent and serious problem worldwide, and evidence suggests that rates may increase during the pandemic. During this program, the nature of intimate partner violence, general principles of violence risk assessment, and management will be discussed. This program describes how to administer B-SAFER. The B-SAFER is a simplified, brief version of the SARA-V3. Participants are given an opportunity to build their skills in this area through a practice case.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the nature of intimate partner violence and intimate partner violence risk
  • 2 Describe the general principles of violence risk assessment and management, focusing on structured professional judgment (SPJ) approaches
  • 3 Describe the administration of the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER)

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for professionals across multiple fields who encounter intimate partner violence (IPV) in their work. It is suitable for individuals working in behavioral health, justice and public safety, victim services, forensic evaluation, and threat assessment. The training welcomes participants from entry-level advocates to advanced clinicians and justice professionals. No prior experience with the B-SAFER tool is required, but a basic understanding of IPV or violence risk concepts is helpful.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Psychologist
    • Psychiatrist
    • Social Worker
    • Counselor
    • Marriage & Family Therapist
    • Psychiatric Nurse
    • Probation/Parole Officer
    • Police Officer (including domestic violence units)
    • Prosecutors’ Victim-Witness Staff
    • Pretrial Services Staff
    • Corrections Case Manager
    • Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Advocate
    • Shelter/Housing Provider
    • Child Protection/Welfare Staff
    • Hospital IPV Team Member
    • Campus Safety/Title IX Staff
    • Forensic Evaluator
    • Threat Assessment Team Member
    • Multidisciplinary Case-Review Panel Member

  • Experience Level

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

    • Beginner: New to IPV risk assessment or structured professional judgment (SPJ) approaches; seeking foundational understanding of IPV dynamics, risk factors, and the B-SAFER tool.
    • Intermediate: Some experience with violence risk assessment or related clinical work; looking to deepen skills in applying SPJ principles, coding B-SAFER items, and formulating risk scenarios.
    • Advanced: Extensive experience in IPV assessment or forensic mental health; aiming to refine advanced skills in risk formulation, management planning, and integrating B-SAFER findings into complex casework.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals who participate in this training work in diverse environments where intimate partner violence (IPV) is identified, assessed, and managed. These settings range from clinical offices and hospitals to law enforcement agencies, courts, correctional facilities, shelters, and multidisciplinary teams. Their work environments may be fast-paced and high-stress, often requiring collaboration with other professionals to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals affected by IPV. They may conduct interviews, perform risk assessments, provide counseling or advocacy, develop safety plans, and participate in case reviews or threat assessments.

    • Outpatient mental health clinics and private practices
    • Hospital emergency departments and psychiatric units
    • Community mental health centers
    • Domestic violence shelters and advocacy organizations
    • Police departments and specialized domestic violence units
    • Probation, parole, and corrections offices
    • Child protection and welfare agencies
    • University counseling centers and campus safety offices
    • Court systems, including pretrial services and victim-witness programs
    • Multidisciplinary threat assessment or case review panels

Presented By

P. Randall Kropp, PhD, Threat Assessment specialist for Protect International Inc.

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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P. Randall Kropp, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • IPV Risk & SPJ Basics — what “risk,” “assessment,” and “management” mean; roles and scope.

  • Decision Framework — motivators, disinhibitors, and destabilizers that drive violent choices.

  • B-SAFER Overview & Use — purpose, who uses it, step-by-step administration.

  • Item Coding (Presence/Relevance) — rate IPV behaviors, psychosocial adjustment, and victim vulnerabilities.

  • Risk Formulation & Scenarios — synthesize factors into plausible future-violence pathways.

  • Prioritization & Opinions — communicate overall risk/priority and clear, defensible rationales.

  • Management Planning — supervision, treatment targets, monitoring, and victim safety planning tied to risk factors.

  • Lethality Indicators — separation/custody conflict, stalking, weapons/strangulation, severe disinhibition—what to flag and escalate.

  • Reassessment & Reviews — routine vs. special reviews; triggers for updating the case.

  • Practice & Tools — guided case exercises, coding sheets, and management-plan templates.

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.

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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.