Behavioral Assessment Team Emergency Resources(BAT)

Overview and Goals

Gustavus Adolphus College has established a Behavioral Assessment Team (BAT) that is committed to improving community safety. The Behavioral Assessment Team assists in managing situations that pose, or may reasonably pose, a threat to the health, safety, and well-being of the campus community. Through a proactive, collaborative, organized, and objective approach, the Behavioral Assessment Team is able to identify, assess, intervene, and manage disruptive or threatening situations or individuals. The threat assessment process encourages early intervention to manage individuals whose behaviors potentially impede their own or others’ ability to function successfully or safely.

It is the responsibility of faculty, administrators, staff, and students to immediately report any situation that could possibly result in harm to anyone at the College. Any member of the campus community may become aware of a troubling or troubled person or a situation that is causing serious anxiety, stress, or fear and, if so, this information should be provided to the Behavioral Assessment Team through Campus Safety (507) 933-8888 or Dean of Students Office (507) 933-7526.

In cases where a person may pose an immediate risk of violence to self or others, the St. Peter Police at 911, as well as Campus Safety, 507-933-8888 should be contacted.

Purpose

For the safety of the campus community, any threat, explicit or implied, will be considered a statement of intent. The Behavioral Assessment Team will recommend actions to the appropriate vice president(s) in order to protect the students, employees, and Gustavus community. This team has been established to:

  • Coordinate and assess information from faculty, administrators, students, local authorities, and others.
  • Identify resources for troubled students and personnel and make referrals to appropriate campus and off-campus agencies; help secure therapeutic actions that are appropriate, such as treatment or counseling, and that may include internal or external psychological evaluations.
  • Investigate the incident(s) and recommend appropriate actions, which may include suspension, expulsion, involuntary leave of absence, filing of criminal charges, or ongoing monitoring for follow-up and observation of behavior patterns; recommendations are made as appropriate to the Vice President for Student Life, the Vice President for Finance and Administration and/or the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, who shall sign off on action to be taken.
  • Respond to incidents of violence, threatening behavior, unwanted pursuit, harassment, and behavior indicating a student poses a risk to self or others; when necessary, initiate contacts with appropriate authorities to place a student in the custody of the police or a mental health facility capable of supporting specific behaviors.
  • Authorize notification, within FERPA guidelines, of parents, guardians and/or next-of-kin.
  • Assess outcomes of actions taken periodically.

Procedure

  • Threat-related information should be reported to the Behavioral Assessment Team by calling Campus Safety (507) 933-8888 or Dean of Students Office (507) 933-7526. However, in an emergency, immediately contact the St. Peter Police at 911, as well as Campus Safety, (507) 933-8888.
  • The Behavioral Assessment Team will convene to evaluate the report. Individual members of the Students Assistance Team are also available for advice and consultation.
  • The following preliminary investigative information will be collected and analyzed by the Behavioral Assessment Team to complete the preliminary investigation as expeditiously as possible:
    • Student disciplinary/judicial history;
    • Interviews with students, faculty, administrators, and staff members to determine the existence of corroborating evidence;
    • Other relevant information as deemed appropriate to assure the safety of the College community.
  • If the situation is assessed to be an immediate serious threat, appropriate parties will be notified (e.g., law enforcement, mental health professionals, potential victims, etc.) to prevent harm.

Behavioral Assessment Team

  • Group structure: A collaborative process to assess threats will be used, and, depending on the situation, members of the Students Assistance Team and/or others with areas of specialization/responsibility may be called upon to assist the team. Other individuals may also be consulted as needed such as a faculty member who has a concern about a student and/or a forensic psychologist to share expertise.
  • Meeting Schedule: The Students Assistance Team group will meet on a weekly basis. The Behavioral Assessment Team will meet both on a regular schedule (to be determined) AND on an emergency basis.
  • Information Analysis: The Students Assistance Team and/or Behavioral Assessment Team will review information and reports concerning troubling or troubled students as well as disruptive, inappropriate, and/or threatening behavioral situations submitted by faculty, administrators, staff, and students.
  • Information Maintenance and Confidentiality: All information received by or related to the activities of either group will be maintained in the Office of the Vice President for Student Life. This information will be treated as confidential among and between members of the Students Assistance Team and Behavioral Assessment Team, will be protected in accordance with FERPA and other applicable laws and administrative rules, and will be released only as required by law or permitted by law under exigent circumstances.

Non-Retaliation and False Claims

  • The College prohibits retaliation against persons who in good faith report violations of this policy or cooperate in an investigation.
  • The College also prohibits the filing of knowingly false or misleading reports and providing knowingly false or misleading information in an investigation. Discipline or other action can result from either of these acts in violation of this policy.

Conclusion

While supervisors, managers, department chairpersons, deans, and student life/residence life staff are appropriate counsel for general student concerns, they are not experts in responding to threatening or alarming incidents. Therefore, it is everyone's responsibility (students, employees, and visitors) to report incidents that could result in harm to members of the Gustavus campus community to the Behavioral Assessment Team by calling (507) 933-7526 or in case of an emergency, directly to the St. Peter Police at 911, as well as Campus Safety, (507) 933-8888.