Kevin Clarke * Barbara & David Elias * The Myszka Family Foundation

Erie County District Attorney’s Office

Patrick P. Lee

AGENDA

Working Together to Reduce the Threat of Violence in our Schools & Communities

7:45-8:45am      Sign-In & Registration

8:45-9:00am   Welcoming Remarks & Introductions

9-10:10am        Addressing Violence in the Lives of our Youth: Pulling all the Levers We Can

Firearm violence in the U.S. impacts our youth in many ways. Professional practices in schools and other settings have the potential to reduce the incidence of firearm violence, which can both improve physical and mental wellbeing and strengthen communities. This presentation will overview recent research on gun violence prevention and intervention, including key take-aways from the report of the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare’s (AASWW) Grand Challenge to Prevent Gun Violence. An overview of ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order) legislation, which can be used to temporarily remove gun access during a crisis, along with other prevention strategies to reduce harm, will be discussed.
Patricia Logan-Greene, MSSW, PhD, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University at Buffalo School of Social Work;
Co-founder, AASWW’s Grand Challenge to Prevent Gun Violence

10:10-10:45am  Break – Exhibits

1. Compeer Buffalo
2. Crisis Leadership Preparedness Solutions (CLPS)
3. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
4. New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
5. First Net Built by AT&T
6. Homeland Security Investigations: iGuardian
7. Institute on Disability Awareness at Niagara University
8. Mental Health Advocates
9. UB Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention
10. UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences: Protecting Soft Targets (ProSoT)
11. USSS & NTAC
12. OMH (Materials only)

10:45-11:15am    Implementing a Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management (BTAM) Response
Jeffrey McGarry, Supervisory Social Science Research Specialist with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC)

BTAM emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to identifying, assessing, and managing individuals who may pose a potential threat of violence, focusing on proactive interventions and a fact-based evaluation of behaviors rather than relying solely on profiles or stereotypes, with a key goal to distinguish between "making a threat" and "posing a threat."  Learn how behavioral threat assessment can facilitate the delivery of appropriate interventions and resources as part of a violence prevention strategy that focuses on addressing the factors driving an individual toward violence.

11:15-12:30pm     Moderated Panel Discussion with BTAM Leaders

Introductory Remarks
Paula Granger, Assistant Director, Office of Counter Terrorism, and Director, Domestic Terrorism Prevention Unit, New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services

Panel Discussion
Moderator:
Steven Leach, PhD, Program Manager for Education and Awareness in the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Unit, NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services
Panelists:
Federal Level
• Jeffrey McGarry, Supervisory Social Science Research Specialist with USSS-NTAC
County Level
• Patrick McMahon II, Senior Detective, Erie County Sheriff’s Office & Member, Erie County Threat Assessment Team
• Eric J. Willman, Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Coordinator for the Rochester Threat Advisory Committee (ROCTAC) & Task Force Officer, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force
City of Buffalo
• Sharese L. Saleh, MA, MHC-P, Captain, Buffalo Police Department & Director of Behavioral Health Services
School Level
• Dr. Brian Graham, Superintendent of Schools, Grand Island Central School District
• John Fitzpatrick, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Development and Human Resources, Grand Island Central School District

12:30-1:00pm    Exhibits

Founding Sponsors