The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) has finalized agreements with several County of Sonoma departments to collaborate on providing timely support to students who may be a danger to themselves or others.

These behavioral threat assessments, for students a school deems a risk to themselves or their school community, are designed to intervene before a student commits an act of violence or self-harm. The program, based on a successful model from San Mateo County, brings together a team of representatives from SCOE, as well as county-level agencies such as the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, Department of Health Services, Human Services Department, and Child Protective Services. 

“Behind every threat or act of violence at a school is one or more troubled young people who desperately need help,” said Dr. Amie Carter, Sonoma County superintendent of schools. “When a school community reaches out for help because one of their young people is exhibiting concerning behaviors, a multidisciplinary team of experts will assemble quickly, interview the adults who know the student best, and connect the student and their family with necessary community support.”

Now that county-level agreements have been signed, SCOE is working to establish individual agreements with school districts, cities, and police departments.

The behavioral threat assessments are part of a safety and school culture portfolio overseen by SCOE’s School Culture & Partnerships division. It’s a continuation of coalition-building work designed to streamline and standardize emergency responses at schools countywide, as SCOE seeks to build capacity and improve coordination on safety efforts at the county’s 40 independent school districts.

“The support from a coalition of county agencies will provide another tier of safety for our students that I believe will save lives,” said Dr. Louis Ganzler, assistant superintendent overseeing SCOE’s School Culture & Partnerships division. “Behavioral threat assessments are one of the most effective tools to prevent school violence. This upstream thinking is an important effort in SCOE’s safety framework.”