School Safety Template: How to Run a Threat Assessment and Create a Response Plan

Start here: a single, usable template to assess threats and keep students safe

If you run a school or community center, you need a practical, legally sound way to assess threats, act quickly with law enforcement, and provide mental-health support — all without paralyzing everyday learning. This guide gives a ready-to-implement threat assessment and response plan template, step-by-step procedures, and checklists you can adapt in 60–90 minutes.

Why this matters in 2026

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw two trendlines intensify school safety work: (1) more copycat and ideologically inspired threats amplified on social media, and (2) a stronger federal and state emphasis on multidisciplinary, care-focused threat assessment that combines law enforcement, mental health, and education partners. Agencies including the FBI, U.S. Department of Education and other national partners now recommend threat assessment teams as the first line of prevention rather than immediately resorting to exclusionary discipline.

That shift matters because research and recent incidents show early reporting by peers and staff — together with timely, coordinated response — prevents escalation. Use the template below to operationalize that approach at your site.

Quick reference: What this template gives you

• Immediate actions for imminent threats
• Step-by-step threat assessment workflow for non-imminent concerns
• Forms: Incident Intake, Threat Assessment Summary, Safety & Intervention Plan
• Law enforcement coordination checklist and memorandum-of-understanding (MOU) guidance
• Mental-health response pathways, referrals, and documentation standards
• Training, exercise, and review schedule so your plan stays current

Immediate action: Imminent threat checklist (do this now)

When someone reports a threat that appears imminent (weapons, specific timeframe, immediate action), follow this prioritized checklist first — within minutes.

1. Ensure safety: Call 911 if life is in immediate danger. Evacuate or lock down per your Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
2. Secure evidence: Preserve digital posts/screenshots, witness names, and physical evidence. Do not probe the subject — preserve chain of custody for law enforcement.
3. Notify designated administrator and on-site law enforcement: Use pre-established emergency contacts (see Law Enforcement Coordination section).
4. Activate Critical Incident Response: Notify your district/sponsor, mental-health clinician, and communications lead for parent messaging.
5. Document immediately: Complete a rapid Incident Intake Form (template below) and forward to the Threat Assessment Team (TAT).

Threat assessment workflow: Non-imminent concerns (step-by-step)

Non-imminent concerns are reports that a student or visitor may pose a risk but there is no immediate danger. Treat these through a structured, time-bound TAT process.

Step 1 — Intake (within 24 hours)

• Anyone (staff, parent, student) completes an Incident Intake Form or calls the school safety hotline.
• Intake identifies reporter, incident summary, location, and whether a weapon, threat, or self-harm is mentioned.

Step 2 — Triage (within 24–48 hours)

• Designated administrator reviews intake and classifies risk: Low, Moderate, High.
• For Moderate or High, convene the TAT within 48–72 hours. For Low, assign monitoring and document.

Step 3 — Full Threat Assessment (within 5 business days)

• TAT collects behavioral history, academic/attendance records, discipline and health records (as permitted by law), and interviews relevant staff and witnesses.
• Assess intent, capability, specificity/timing, and access to means — the core elements of an evidence-based risk analysis.
• Document findings on the Threat Assessment Summary Form and classify final risk level.

Step 4 — Intervention and Safety Plan (immediately after assessment)

• For all risk levels, create a written Safety & Intervention Plan specifying supervision, behavioral supports, restrictions, and mental-health services.
• For Moderate/High, include law enforcement coordination, family engagement, and community-based treatment referrals.
• Set review dates and metrics for de-escalation (e.g., 30-day review).

Step 5 — Monitor, document, and adjust

• Weekly check-ins for Moderate risk; daily for High risk until stabilized.
• Update records and share only necessary information per FERPA/HIPAA and local policies.

Team composition: who should be on your Threat Assessment Team (TAT)

Effective teams are multidisciplinary. Typical core membership:

• Team Leader: Principal or director (decision authority)
• School resource officer (SRO) or local law enforcement liaison — advisory role, not sole decision-maker
• Mental-health clinician: school psychologist, counselor, or contracted clinician
• Student services representative: special education or attendance officer
• Legal/privacy advisor: district counsel or designated privacy officer
• Teacher or staff representative: with direct knowledge of the student

Include family when appropriate and safe. Consider community partners (behavioral health agencies) on-call.

Template forms and fields (copy and adapt)

1 — Incident Intake Form (summary)

• Reporter name/role and contact information
• Date/time and location of observation
• Summary of concern (verbatim quotes, screenshots, images)
• Immediate safety concern? (yes/no)
• Suggested contacts/witnesses

2 — Threat Assessment Summary (key sections)

• Subject information (name, DOB, grade)
• Behavioral history and precipitating events
• Specificity and imminence of threat
• Capability (access to weapons, technical skills to create devices)
• Protective factors (family support, positive peers)
• Final risk rating: Low / Moderate / High
• Rationale and evidence list

3 — Safety & Intervention Plan (must include)

• Supervision and monitoring actions
• Mental-health supports and referrals (who, when, frequency)
• Academic accommodations and reentry supports
• Disciplinary or safety restrictions (limited campus access, weapon prohibitions)
• Law enforcement coordination actions and contact person
• Family engagement plan and consent considerations
• Review dates and de-escalation metrics

Law enforcement coordination: practical checklist

Work with law enforcement ahead of time to avoid confusion during incidents. Prepare a short MOU covering roles, information-sharing, and evidence handling.

• Pre-incident: Secure a written point-of-contact list, agreed notification thresholds, and evidence preservation protocols.
• During an incident: Law enforcement leads criminal response; school maintains care of students and communications to families unless a court order directs otherwise.
• Evidence & chain of custody: Preserve digital content (screenshots, device) and physical items. Record who handled items and when.
• Post-incident: Joint debrief (after-action review) within 72 hours to identify procedural changes.

Tip: An MOU that clarifies that the TAT is the primary fact-gathering body (not the SRO alone) reduces duplication and protects student privacy.

Mental-health & prevention: embedding care into the plan

Threat assessment is not punishment-first. Modern best practice treats concerning behavior as an opportunity for intervention. Your plan must include:

• Immediate safety stabilization and suicide/self-harm screening when relevant
• Timely access to crisis counseling and longer-term care coordination
• Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and trauma-informed approaches
• Clear referral pathways to community providers and Medicaid/private insurers

Document consent for treatment and information-sharing. When mental-health conditions are involved, consult your district counsel to reconcile FERPA and HIPAA considerations.

Privacy and legal notes (must-know)

Follow privacy laws when sharing student records. In the U.S., FERPA allows limited disclosures to protect student safety; HIPAA applies to health providers. Your privacy or legal advisor should create a short decision table for staff documenting when to share and with whom.

2026 trends and advanced strategies to adopt

As of 2026, the following practices are emerging as effective:

• AI-enhanced monitoring with guardrails: Tools that surface concerning posts can help, but require human review and strict privacy rules to avoid false positives and bias.
• Data-driven prevention: TATs that track leading indicators (chronic absenteeism, sudden behavior changes) reduce crises when paired with early supports.
• Community-based diversion: More districts are contracting community behavioral health teams to provide short-term outreach rather than exclusionary discipline.
• Regular joint exercises: Tabletop exercises that include mental-health providers and family representatives improve real-world coordination.

Implementation timeline (90-day roll-out)

1. Week 1: Adopt the template, appoint TAT members, sign basic MOU with local police.
2. Weeks 2–3: Train staff on intake process and privacy decision table. Share family-facing communications.
3. Week 4: Run a tabletop exercise with at least one simulated non-imminent threat.
4. Month 2: Launch a mental-health referral pathway and community partnership agreements.
5. Month 3: Conduct first after-action review and revise forms based on feedback.

Case study snapshot: why early reports matter

Recent news (late 2025) described an adolescent who planned copycat attacks inspired online and was stopped after a peer reported concerning posts. That case highlights three lessons:

• Peers see warning signs; a simple intake pathway lets them report safely.
• Digital evidence (screenshots) is valuable and must be preserved correctly.
• Cooperation between school staff, mental-health clinicians, and police can redirect a young person toward treatment instead of immediate criminalization.

Training, exercises and continuous improvement

Schedule recurring activities:

• Annual TAT training on assessment tools and legal updates
• Quarterly tabletop exercises with law enforcement and health partners
• Monthly case reviews of closed assessments to extract lessons
• Annual policy review incorporating federal guidance and local incident data

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Relying on a single discipline: always use a multidisciplinary team.
• Delaying assessment: set clear timelines (24–72 hours) for triage and meetings.
• Over-sharing or under-sharing: use a privacy decision table to balance safety and rights.
• Ignoring mental health: pair safety plans with treatment referrals and follow-up.

Templates (copy-paste starters)

Sample Incident Intake (one-line)

Reporter: ________ | Date/Time: ________ | Location: ________ | Summary (verbatim): ________ | Immediate danger? Yes / No

Sample Risk Matrix (summary)

• Low: No clear intent or means. Monitor, offer support.
• Moderate: Concerning behavior + some access/plan. Convene TAT, craft Safety Plan, notify law enforcement liaison.
• High: Specific plan, access to means, imminence. Immediate law enforcement involvement and crisis stabilization.

Documentation and records retention

Keep assessments and Safety Plans in a secure case file. Retention schedules vary by jurisdiction — consult records policy. Document decisions and evidence to support legal defensibility and continuity of care.

Final checklist before you leave this page

• Have you named a TAT leader and backups?
• Do you have an incident intake form accessible to staff and students?
• Is there a short MOU with your local law enforcement?
• Have you identified local mental-health partners and created a referral directory?

Next steps and resources (2026)

Consult federal guidance on threat assessment and school safety from the U.S. Department of Education and the FBI for additional templates and legal considerations. Update your plan annually and whenever your community or law enforcement partners change.

Call to action

Put this plan in place this month: download and adapt the Incident Intake, Threat Assessment Summary, and Safety & Intervention Plan, then run a tabletop exercise with your TAT and law enforcement. If you want a ready-made packet tailored to your state laws and local agency contacts, contact your district safety officer or download the editable packet linked on your district intranet.

Protecting students is a team sport — start with a clear process, trained people, and documented follow-through.

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