- From the Executive Director
- RISE 2024
- Contest Winners
- SHINE/SEED at RISE 2024
- School Resource Officer Grants
- SRP/SRM Workshop
- Start With Hello Week
- Civilian of the Year
- Crisis Center Visit
- Threat Assessment Training
- YMHFA Instructor Training
- SHINE/SEED Workshops
- The CFSS is Growing: Meet Our New Staff
- Virtual BTAM Training
- Peer-to-Peer Support
- Student Safety Conference
- SRMP Training
- School Safety Grant Scoring
- Executive Director Tours
- Calendar of Events
- Join Our Team
- Follow Us
- Tell Us About It
Welcome back for the 2024-2025 school year! My team and I at the Center for Safer Schools look forward to serving and supporting our public-school units.
Over the summer, we had a successful 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit, with over 300 attendees. The reviews were wonderful, and we would like to thank you for your support. Read more about RISE 2024 later in this newsletter.
The Center was busy this summer in addition to RISE, getting ready to serve you in the upcoming school year. We’ve held trainings on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management, to help our students who need support, and previewed our grooming videos per Session Law 2023-128/House Bill 142.
This month’s newsletter and my monthly video message on YouTube contain information on one of our partnering initiatives for school safety: Start With Hello Week, scheduled this year for 16-20 September.
We have expanded our staff and look forward to supporting North Carolina public school units with training and technical assistance.
I wish everyone a safe and fun 2024-2025 school year. Thank you as we work together to keep our schools safer.
— Karen W. Fairley
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 ABOVE: Center for Safer Schools Executive Director Karen W. Fairley on July 31 addresses legislative requirements for schools during the 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit in Wilmington. BELOW: CFSS Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Dr. Stephanie Ellis holds a Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management information session Aug. 29. (CFSS photos)
The Center for Safer Schools held the 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit from July 29-Aug. 2 at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington.
RISE – the CFSS’ signature event – focuses on the Resiliency, Information, Support and Empowerment needed when supporting children and adolescents in schools and communities. The training offers a range of sessions covering the issues of bullying, suicide, critical incidents and other vital information about trauma and victimization among children and adolescents, and how these various dynamics impact school climate and school safety.
Trainings this year included gang awareness, School Risk Management Plans, reportable offenses and suicide prevention.
Executive Director Karen W. Fairley said the CFSS was proud to debut its expanded staff, including Regional School Safety Specialists.
“The Center’s staff has more than doubled in size since last year’s RISE,” she said. “Our Regional School Safety Specialists will have the closest interaction with School Safety Directors going forward, so RISE 2024 was a great opportunity to make meaningful connections.”
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said a larger staff will allow the CFSS to be a better resource in all matters of school safety.
“The Department of Public Instruction is excited to have regional liaisons available for school safety,” she said. “RISE sessions not only will help public school units gain knowledge in many aspects of school safety – including legislative requirements – they will give them an opportunity to foster relationships with the Center staff who will help guide their efforts.”
More information – including a photo gallery and links to the presentations – is available on the official RISE 2024 webpage.
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 The film "Choices" is shown as part of the Educating Kids About Gun and Gang Violence (EKG2) session Aug. 30.
The Center for Safer Schools Student Engagement Team held a contest for K-12 students in North Carolina public school units in conjunction with the 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit.
The theme was “Shine a Light on What a Safer School Looks Like.” The following were announced as winners on Friday, Aug. 2:
Middle School: Jason Jiljo Jose (Oxford Preparatory School), Harper Marchal (Owen Middle School)
High School: Kianna Evans (Oxford Preparatory School), Noah Evans (Scotland High School), Kendra Graham (Perquimans County High School), Michelle Starnes (Albemarle High School), Harley Walton (Lee Early College High School), Luke Wilson (Oxford Preparatory School)
 Center for Safer Schools Assistant Director-Programs Kevin Bradley speaks to SHINE and SEED participants and their parents/guardians Aug. 1 in Wilmington. (CFSS photos)
The summer cohort of the Center for Safer Schools SHINE and SEED programs concluded during the last two days of the 2024 RISE Back to School Safety Summit in Wilmington.
The nearly two dozen students from Graham County Schools and their parents/guardians attended workshops on Thursday, Aug. 1. Topics included suicidality, resilience and the dangers of underage drinking.
Rep. John Torbett (left) told the students on Aug. 1 that one of his goals is for children to be able to get a job that allows them to live comfortably.
“We are about each child acquiring the skills and intellectual knowledge to become a productive member of society,” he said.
CFSS Executive Director Karen W. Fairley during the awards ceremony Friday, Aug. 2 discussed the importance of trusted adults and being proud of where you come from.
“I’m proud of where I came from because it gave me resilience,” she said. “I’m sitting in a room with children who are destined to do great things.
“It’s up to you to make that choice, so you have to make good choices.”
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The Center for Safer Schools 2024-2025 School Resource Officer Grants application in CCIP will close Tuesday, 3 September 2024 at 11:59 p.m. To submit a grant for review and consideration, the application must be submitted with the required documentation uploaded and must have the Chief Administrator Approved status on or before Tuesday, 3 September 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
Although the full application is available, the only section you are applying for is School Resource Officers. Please input N/A into all other sections to move forward and submit the application.
After 5 p.m. on 3 September, there will be no technical assistance available.
If you have any questions, send an email to schoolsafetygrants@dpi.nc.gov.
The Center for Safer Schools will host a Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method Train the Trainer Workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The training, held in partnership with the I Love U Guys Foundation, will be held from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the James Garner Center, 211 Burnette St., Troy, N.C.
SRP and SRM are used for crisis response and post-crisis reunification. The Train the Trainer Workshop introduces participants to the history, concepts and functionality of SRP and SRM and how to train the programs internally.
After learning about the five actions of the Standard Response Protocol, and their associated directives, participants will be able to implement the program and enhance their school safety plans.
Participants also will gain an understanding of the methods for planning, practicing and achieving a successful reunification using the Standard Reunification Method. They will have the ability to organize a reunification team in their school and create a reunification plan.
The workshop is open to school safety directors and support staff. Safety directors and their respective “think partners” (school administrators, law enforcement, etc.) are encouraged to attend together.
Click here to register. If you have questions, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov.
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Sept. 16-20 is Start With Hello Week, which is dedicated to making new social connections and creating a sense of belonging among youth. The Start With Hello program teaches students to be more socially inclusive and connected to one another and empowers them to end social isolation.
The Center for Safer Schools will have posts on its social media channels in support of Start With Hello Week. Public school units are encouraged to share posts using the hashtags #StartWithHello and #StartWithHelloWeek.
Click here for more information on the Start With Hello program and to register your PSU for Start With Hello Week.
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 Center for Safer Schools Executive Director Karen W. Fairley receives the Civilian of the Year award during the NCGIA Gangs Across the Carolinas conference Aug. 13 in Winston-Salem. (CFSS photo)
Center for Safer Schools Executive Director Karen W. Fairley was named Civilian of the Year by the North Carolina Gang Investigators Association on Tuesday, Aug. 13 in Winston-Salem.
Fairley was nominated by CFSS Social Work Consultant Michelle Guarino for her work to protect youth from gun and gang violence and her tireless devotion to keeping our schools safer.
The North Carolina Gang Investigators Association and Gang Free North Carolina awards recognize the accomplishments of law enforcement, corrections officers, departments, gang units, youth, programs and criminal justice professionals in the Carolinas.
Civilian of the Year is awarded to any civilian involved in the course of gang intervention, prevention or suppression of gangs in the community who creates or develops innovative ideas for gang intervention, prevention or suppression of gangs in the community; shows dedication and goes above and beyond for the community; and devotes a significant amount of time to gang intervention, prevention or suppression of gangs in the community.
 Center for Safer Schools staff members (from left) Kaliah Thompson, Dr. Stephanie Ellis, Chris Carey, Karen W. Fairley and Kevin Bradley (second from right) take a photo with National Crisis Center and Sandy Hook Promise staff at the Crisis Center in Miami on June 25. (Submitted photo)
Center for Safer Schools new staff members toured the National Crisis Center in Miami over the summer and met with Crisis Center Director Jessica Jackson and representatives from Sandy Hook Promise.
CFSS Executive Director Karen W. Fairley scheduled this visit so her new staff could receive an overview of the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System and receive training.
“Everyone at the Crisis Center does a great job handling tips from the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System,” she said. “It’s important for Center staff to meet the people who CFSS staff will work with and who does this great work and to see how much they care about our children.”
 Center for Safer Schools Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Dr. Stephanie Ellis conducts Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Training at the Education Building in Raleigh on June 7. (CFSS photos)
The Center for Safer Schools held Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Training at the Education Building in Raleigh over the summer. The training served to support public school units as they craft the school threat assessment teams mandated by Session Law 2023-78/House Bill 605.
The training aimed to create a proactive approach to school behavioral threat assessment, focusing on early intervention and prevention rather than simply reacting to incidents after they occur. Topics included Understanding Behavioral Threats, Risk Factors and Warning Signs, Assessment Protocols, Team Approach and Requirements, Intervention and Monitoring, Legal and Ethical Considerations, and Safety and Intervention Planning.
CFSS Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Dr. Stephanie Ellis, who conducted the training, said behavioral threat assessment is a vital component of school safety.
“Behavioral threat assessment is one of the most useful tools a school can have,” she said.
The training discussed the implementation and monitoring of the fidelity of behavioral threat assessment. A scenario-based approach was used to help participants understand the overall BTAM process and monitoring with fidelity.
“At the heart of it, we’re worried about the student of concern, but we’re worried about all students,” Ellis said. “We really have to look at the root cause of it. School safety has many areas.”
For more information on BTAM training, send an email to CFSS Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Dr. Stephanie Ellis.
Center for Safer Schools Programs staff and Regional School Safety Specialists received Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training from Wednesday, June 19 to Friday, June 21.
Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches adults who regularly interact with youth how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18. Certified instructors are authorized to teach YMHFA both in-person and online. Those trained can include school staff and administrators, law enforcement, mental health professionals and social workers.
Executive Director Karen W. Fairley said having YMHFA-certified instructors on staff enhances the CFSS’ behavioral health resources.
“Considering the mental health of our children is important for the Center, having more than a dozen staff members who are certified instructors in Youth Mental Health First Aid affirms our commitment to being a resource for public school units in all areas of school safety,” she said.
CFSS staff conducted YMHFA training in July at the 2024 CTE Summer Conference in Winston-Salem.
To request Youth Mental Health First Aid Training facilitated by a CFSS staff member, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov.
 Center for Safer Schools Student Engagement Manager Chelsea King speaks to SHINE and SEED participants June 27 at Robbinsville High School. (CFSS photos)
Center for Safer Schools staff held workshops for participants in the SHINE and SEED programs in June and July in Robbinsville.
The workshops covered topics such as safe learning environments, team-building activities, anti-bullying and cyberbullying, and healthy vs. unhealthy relationships. Experts in the fields of personal finance and mental health also spoke to the students.
CFSS Public Relations Specialist Charles Kinnin on Thursday, June 27 spoke about a career in the communications field. CFSS Regional School Safety Specialist-Western Robert Holland (right), a former Macon County sheriff, on Thursday, July 18 spoke about a career in law enforcement.
CFSS Assistant Director-Programs Kevin Bradley said it’s important for students to hear from someone who works in their fields of interest.
“Young people should explore career options with an open mind,” he said. “We hope our SHINE and SEED participants can use the experiences of successful professionals as a guide when making their career choices.”
For more information on the SHINE and SEED programs, send an email to CFSS Assistant Director-Programs Kevin Bradley.
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The Center for Safer Schools announces that educational regions are now served by a Regional School Safety Specialist who will act as a liaison between the CFSS and public school units. The Regional School Safety Specialists are:
The Regional School Safety Specialists also will support safety directors in meeting statutory mandates and utilizing “best practices” related to school safety by providing training and technical assistance.
New CFSS staff hired recently include Assistant Director-Programs Kevin Bradley, Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Dr. Stephanie Ellis, School Safety Training Coordinator Jeffrey Branch and Safety Program Coordinator Chris Carey.
Best Practices in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management virtual training will be held during the 2024-2025 school year. CFSS Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Dr. Stephanie Ellis also will hold BTAM Office Hours from 9-10:30 a.m. on Fridays in September.
Click the following links to register for Office Hours: Sept. 6, Sept. 13, Sept. 20, Sept. 27.
The BTAM training is an updated training based on Session Law 2023-78/House Bill 605 for public school units to review legislative requirements and best practices in implementation and development of BTAM teams.
Training will include building a required BTAM implementation and monitoring team (as required in HB 605); understanding behavioral threats; risk factors and warning signs; assessment protocols; team approach and requirements; intervention and monitoring; legal and ethical considerations; and safety and intervention planning.
The training will also discuss the implementation and monitoring of the fidelity of behavioral threat assessments. A scenario-based approach will be discussed and shared to help understand the overall BTAM process and monitoring with fidelity.
Each team will need to bring an existing behavioral threat assessment case on their PSU protocol (if they have one developed). Fidelity and protocol development and monitoring will be reviewed at this training.
For more information on BTAM training, send an email to CFSS Assistant Director-Behavioral Health Dr. Stephanie Ellis.
The Center for Safer Schools is providing a guidance document designed to assist public school units with the creation, adoption and implementation of peer-to-peer programming, in accordance with Session Law 2023-78/House Bill 605.
The document is a tool for PSUs to help support their peer-to-peer programming processes and understand the program opportunities offered by the CFSS. This guide provides a framework and resources for PSUs while emphasizing the importance of local adaptation and legal compliance. This guidance should be adapted based on specific needs, legal advice and evolving best practices particular to each district or charter school.
The guide also provides resources for specialized instructional. The CFSS is providing resources to implement Mental Health First Aid, SAVE Promise Club, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System and Start With Hello.
The guidance document is available here. For more information, email cfss@dpi.nc.gov.
Center for Safer Schools Executive Director Karen W. Fairley (left) and Executive Assistant-Interim Kaliah Thompson, shown with Dr. Kevin Brown of Oakton College in Illinois, attended the National Student Safety and Security Conference in New York City from July 17-19. (Submitted photo)
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The Center for Safer Schools will hold in-person and online School Risk Management Plan trainings during the 2024-2025 school year.
After completing SRMP training, attendees will be able to:
- Input site-based school data to develop a comprehensive schematic diagram and plans into the SRMP portal.
- Both identify and discuss vulnerabilities and training gaps in their individual plans.
- At least once annually initiate a full schoolwide tabletop exercise on the procedures documented in the SRMP portal.
To obtain the most beneficial training within the SRMP system, charter school personnel should ensure that their school has been loaded into the SRMP and that they have an active NCID and are able to log into SRMP. LEA personnel should make sure they can log into SRMP using their NCID.
If you are not able to log in, click here to try to reset your NCID password first.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop, as they will receive technical guidance to ensure their plans meet the necessary state requirements. All sessions are the same.
For more information on SRMP training, send an email to CFSS Assistant Director-Operations Karen Everett.
Receiving a high score for funding from the School Safety Grant Program (contingent upon the passage of appropriations from the General Assembly) for public-school units is based in part on meeting legislative requirements, including having a complete and updated School Risk Management Plan, anonymous reporting system and panic alarm (hardwired or app).
For more information, send an email to schoolsafetygrants@dpi.nc.gov.
Center for Safer Schools Executive Director Karen W. Fairley is touring North Carolina school districts and charter schools and would like to see anything they want to showcase regarding school safety. For school districts, this includes stops at an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. She also would like to take time to talk with a small group of students.
To schedule a tour, send an email to cfss@dpi.nc.gov. Tours requested but not completed during the 2023-2024 school year will get priority this school year.
Thank you for your patience as she does what she can to get to as many public school units as possible.
BTAM Office Hours
SRP/SRM Workshop
- Oct. 16, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; 211 Burnette St., Troy, N.C.: Register
The Center for Safer Schools welcomes newsletter submissions about school safety events from school districts and charter schools across North Carolina. Email your information and photos to CFSS Public Relations Specialist Charles Kinnin.
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