This one day event will contain state of the science information about threat assessment and threat management in the workplace utilizing the WAVR-21, a structured professional guide developed by the presenters. This is a “can’t miss” event for any individual working in a profession which requires the evaluation of risk of violence and/or the management of the subject of a risk based investigation, including law enforcement, security, mental health, education, human resources, corporate administrators, etc. While this program will be presented at a high level, those with no experience in threat assessment and threat management will derive a significant amount of information by attending.
The authors of the WAVR-21 will present a one-day training on violence risk and threat assessment in the workplace. The centerpiece of this dynamic event will focus on the use of the WAVR-21, a structured professional guide developed by the presenters and designed for mental health professionals and workplace-based threat management team members in security, human resource and law enforcement. First published in 2007, recognition of the WAVR-21 continues to grow as the go-to assessment tool for workplace threat scenarios. The WAVR includes 21 empirically-based criteria for assessing different forms of workplace violence risk, including student violence in college and university settings. Incorporating years of research, the core of the WAVR-21 is the “pathway to violence” approach to cases, as developed by professionals at the US Secret Service and the US Marshals Office. Research has demonstrated good to excellent interrater reliability for summary judgments of violence risk based on the WAVR-21, and validation research continues. In this one-day format the presenters will succinctly describe the scientific and clinical basis for the WAVR risk and protective factors. From there the focus will be on practical use of the WAVR screening and assessment tools – how they are integrated into dynamic threat case management with its demands for flexibility. The workshop will include didactic segments, large and small group interaction, case vignettes, and video presentations. Common workplace threat scenarios will be addressed, including stalking, subjects driven by paranoia and mental illness, domestic violence, bullying, and chronically antisocial individuals.