Moraine Valley Community College

Threat Assessment and Behavior Intervention Teams

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Preventing violence and supporting the safety and well-being of the college are responsibilities of all members of the college community. Campus safety is enhanced through community members identifying behaviors that are concerning or may pose a potential threat and reporting those concerns in a caring and timely manner.

Moraine Valley Community College has two multidisciplinary teams designated to offer support to faculty, staff and students who encounter individuals of concern. As per the Illinois Campus Security Enhancement Act of 2008 [110 ILCS 12] and associated Administrative Code (Title 29: Emergency Services, Disasters, and Civil Defense, Section 305.80 Campus Threat Assessment Team), these teams conduct threat assessments; address aberrant, threatening, or dangerous behavior on campus; and provide guidance and best practices for preventing violence and providing supportive services. These teams meet regularly and are comprised of members from the following offices (as appropriate): MV Police, Student Conduct, Counseling, Disability Services, Human Resources, and Student Engagement. The college attorney serves as an advisor and on an “on call basis” as necessary. Other persons/organizations deemed appropriate for a particular circumstance might also participate as needed.

Threat Assessment Team (TAT)

Seeks to intervene with individuals who have the potential to become violent before they actually act out in a manner that could threaten the campus community.

A threat is a concerning communication or behavior that indicates an individual may pose a danger to the safety of college employees or students through acts of violence or other behavior that would cause harm to self or others. Threats may be expressed behaviorally, orally, visually, in writing, electronically, or through any other means. Threatening behaviors include:

  • Directly communicated threats of harm
  • Communicated threats of harm to a third party
  • Overt physical or verbal intimidation
  • Bullying that continues after interventions to stop the behavior
  • Making inappropriate statements about physically or psychologically harming others
  • Research, planning or submitting class assignments related to carrying out current or future violence
  • Stalking, including cyberstalking (engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to: 1. fear for their safety or the safety of others; or 2. suffer substantial emotional distress.)
  • Physical violence or throwing objects with intention to cause harm toward a person(s) or property
  • Possession of weapons on college property or at college activities
  • Any statements or behaviors indicating suicidality (see reporting procedures below)

Deisinger, G. (2021)

For emergency situations or immediate assistance (24 hours a day, 365 days a year), please contact the MV Police Department by:

  • Picking up a Red Phone in any campus facility. This is a direct line to the campus police.
  • Accessing a Blue Light located in campus parking lots and other campus outdoor areas. This is a direct line to the campus police.
  • Pushing the “panic button” on any classroom phone. This is a direct line to the campus police.
  • Calling the MV Police Department by dialing extension 5555 from any campus phone.
  • Calling the MV Police Department by dialing (708) 974-5555 from your cell phone.
  • You can always dial 911 in an emergency.

If a potential threat is not imminent, complete the Incident Reporting form, or contact the Chief of Police or the Dean of Students.

Any statements or behaviors indicating suicidality that are not imminent should be reported directly to Counseling at (708) 974-5722.

The Threat Assessment Team will review the case utilizing a systematic approach designed to:

  1. Identify situations and/or subjects of concern
  2. Investigate and gather information
  3. Assess the situation
  4. Manage the situation and mitigate harm
  5. Monitor and re-assess the situation

We rely on the college community to help maintain a safe and secure environment at all times. Therefore, college employees and students are expected to cooperate with any requests from the Threat Assessment Team relative to successfully monitor any threatening behavior.

Confidentiality of complaints and parties will be preserved to the greatest extent possible, understanding that the college may have an obligation to take some action even if the complainant is reluctant to proceed. Parties and witnesses to a complaint are also expected to maintain confidentiality of the matter, understanding that they will often not have all of the facts and that they could impair the investigation by divulging information to persons outside of the investigatory process. Additionally, documents that are created and maintained as part of a student’s educational record are subject to the protections of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act; and documents that become part of an employee’s personnel file are subject to protections afforded by Human Resources procedures.

Retaliation against persons who in good faith report concerns/violations or cooperate in an investigation is strictly prohibited. Additionally, filing knowingly false or misleading reports and providing knowingly false or misleading information in an investigation is also strictly prohibited. Appropriate disciplinary action can result from any of these acts.

The Chief of Police (708-974-5365) or the Dean of Students (708-974-5390) are available for consultation if you are not sure if a referral is appropriate. For immediate assistance contact the MV Police Department (708-974-5555). Current Threat Assessment Team members include:

We rely on the college community to help maintain a safe and secure environment at all times. Therefore, college employees and students are expected to cooperate with any requests from the Threat Assessment Team relative to successfully monitor any threatening behavior.

Police DepartmentStudent Conduct OfficeStudent Engagement
Chief of Police
Patrick Treacy		Dean of Students
Kent Marshall		Dean of Student Engagement
Dr. Scott Friedman
Counseling CenterCenter for Disability ServicesHuman Resources
Counselor
Shanya Gray
Jessica Contreras		Director of Disability Services
Coleen Kowalski		Human Resources Specialist
 Malu Mitra
Moraine Valley Community College Attorney (as needed)
Other persons/organizations deemed appropriate for a particular circumstance (as needed)

Behavior Intervention Team (BIT)

Seeks to intervene with students of concern who have not violated the Code of Student Conduct and do not pose a threat to themselves or the college community. The goal is to provide services and support for students of concern so that their behavior does not become a Student Conduct or Threat Assessment Team concern.

The following chart compares certain types of behaviors and indicates when to refer:

Appropriate for a BIT referral:NOT appropriate for a BIT referral:
Aggressive language towards/about othersTalking during lecture
Erratic behavior/mood swingsAcademically unskilled
Disorganized appearanceJust “different”
Unresponsive to othersNot doing homework
Noticeable change in behaviorTexting during class
Not picking up on social cuesInterrupting you
Talking about things that do not relate to classAsking a lot of questions
Disconnected/Not engaging in classUnmotivated/late to class

The behaviors listed above that are NOT appropriate for a BIT referral should either be handled as a classroom management issue, or the student can be referred to appropriate academic resources or directly to Counseling.

Behavior Intervention Team members are available for consultation if you are not sure if a referral is appropriate. Current Behavior Intervention Team members include:

Student Conduct OfficeCounseling CenterCenter for Disability ServicesAcademic Affairs
Dean of Students
Kent Marshall
Coordinator, Student Conduct
Marva Bruno		Counselor
Souzan Naser		Director of Disability Services
Coleen Kowalski		Dean of Liberal Arts
Dr. Cynthia Anderson

To refer a student to the Behavior Intervention Team, complete the Incident Reporting form found here or contact one of the BIT members listed above. The Behavior Intervention Team will review the case to determine and implement an action plan. A member of the Behavior Intervention Team will follow-up with the referral source and the student of concern as needed.

“If a student’s behavior falls somewhere between concerning behavior or threatening behavior listed above, it is most likely appropriate for a Student Conduct referral. Reporting the incident as soon as possible helps ensure that the student is held accountable and the behavior is addressed in a timely manner. If a student is disruptive in a classroom setting to the point of severely impacting the academic progress of the class, you may ask the student to leave for the remainder of the class period. Then file a report with the Code of Conduct Office as soon as possible.”

If an employee’s behavior is concerning but not threatening, colleagues are encouraged to report the concern to their supervisor or Human Resources as appropriate.

Resources

MV Police Website including Campus Emergency Responses
Student Conduct Portal Page including Guidebook for Assisting Students of Concern
Counseling Portal Page including Community Mental Health Resources and Crisis Lines
Disability Services Portal Page
Human Resource Portal Page