Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
University of Nebraska Omaha logo
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • About Backback to Main menu
    • We Are NCITE
    • Newsletters
    • Our Community
    • Center Directory
  • Research Backback to Main menu
    • NCITE Research
    • Published Reports
    • Annual Request for Proposals
  • News Backback to Main menu
    • News Center
    • NCITE in the News
  • Events Backback to Main menu
    • Upcoming Events
    • ENVISION Conference
  • Get Involved Backback to Main menu
    • Donate to NCITE
    • Job Opportunities
  • Podcast
  1. UNO
  2. National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)
  3. news
  4. 2024
  5. 07
  6. RECAP: NCITE Webinar on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management

RECAP: NCITE Webinar on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management

On July 25, NCITE hosted a webinar on behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM). Panelists were Melissa Zisler (NTER) and CJ Wren (AZ-STAMP).

  • published: 2024/07/29
  • contact: NCITE Communications
  • phone: 4025546423
  • email: ncite@unomaha.edu
  • search keywords:
  • threat assessment
  • btam
  • prevention
Three rectangle Zoom screen panels showing the three panelists.

Clockwise, from left: moderator Erin Grace, NTER Director Melissa Zisler, AZ-STAMP Program Manager CJ Wren

On July 25, NCITE hosted a webinar discussing behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM). Panelists were:

  • Melissa Zisler, Ph.D., director, National Threat Evaluation and Reporting (NTER) Office, Department of Homeland Security
  • Detective CJ Wren, program manager, Arizona Statewide Threat Assessment and Mitigation Program (AZ-STAMP)

Key Takeaways

  • BTAM is not just about law enforcement response. Wren stressed that the approach is “not about punishment,” but about keeping the community safe and getting help to the people in need.
    • Wren cited a recent BTAM success story in Tempe, Arizona, in which the local FBI office flagged a threat of violence posted by a high school student on social media. The FBI shared the information with AZ-STAMP, which, in collaboration with the Tempe Police Department, contacted a school resource officer. The resource officer identified the student and reached out to the family, starting the intervention and mitigation process.
  • BTAM requires an interdisciplinary approach. “We know we need help. We know we’re not the only ones out there on an island trying to solve this,” Wren said. Wren cited psychologists, mental health practitioners, public health personnel, and educators as among the professionals necessary to successfully address behavioral threats.
    • Zisler emphasized the need for a “holistic approach,” adding that “it took a bit for the law enforcement community to come around, and we’re still working (on) that.”
  • Buy-in is a big obstacle for BTAM programs. “A lot of people still have the perspective of ‘this will never happen here,’” Zisler said. She said that communities need to develop prevention infrastructure and mitigation processes well before threats emerge.
    • "Start your team now,” Wren said. “I have a colleague who likes to say that ‘it’s too late when the Fox and CNN vans show up in front of your school and put a microphone in your face to start talking about BTAM then.’”
  • Balancing safety with privacy is a key concern for BTAM teams. “There can be a lot of confusion with threat assessment and management as far as like, ‘is this profiling,’ right?” Zisler said. She said that teams assess behavior, not profiles. “Privacy and civil rights and civil liberties are at the forefront of everything we do,” Zisler said. “It is a huge block of our training.”
  • “Management” is divided into 1. context and 2. documentation.
    1. Context: what are the circumstances in which threats are made?
    2. Documentation: carefully recording mitigation efforts is essential for team transparency and post-evaluation. “It could cost someone their life if we’re not tracking these things all the way through,” Wren said.

Resources

  • Tempe Care 7 Program
  • Behavioral Approach to Violence Prevention | DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis
  • Partners seeking more information or who wish to collaborate with the National Threat Evaluation Reporting Office can contact nter.mtp@hq.dhs.gov.

News Sections

  • National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) News Center
  • UNO News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

Featured

  • NCITE Insights No. 35 — Youth Recruitment and Mobilization
  • NCITE Insights No. 34 — Exploitation of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
  • NCITE Insights No. 33 — Student Spotlight: Jargon Translation and NCITE Communications
  • NCITE Insights No. 32 – Old Threats and New: ISIS and 764

National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)

Connect with NCITE
  • 6001 Dodge St.
  • Omaha, NE
  • ncite@unomaha.edu
Social media
Our DHS Partners
  • Centers of Excellence
  • Science & Technology Directorate (S&T)
  • Office of University Programs (OUP)

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.