 NEWS RELEASE
Date: January 14, 2026
Media Contacts: Liz Merah, Oregon Department of Education
Michael Clark, Willamette Education Service District
Public Consulting Group
Oregon School Safety and Prevention Specialists Certified as Behavioral Threat Assessment Trainers
The SK Cascade Behavioral Threat Assessment model engages schools and communities to address root causes of concerning behavior and help prevent school violence.
(Salem, OR) — The Oregon Department of Education (ODE), in partnership with Willamette Education Service District (WESD) and Public Consulting Group (PCG), recently trained and certified 13 School Safety and Prevention Specialists from education service districts across the state in the SK Cascade Behavioral Threat Assessment model. The certification is part of Oregon’s broader school safety framework and the Oregon Model of Behavior Safety Assessment (BSA). This initiative is made possible through funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program.
With this certification, School Safety and Prevention Specialists can now deliver SK Cascade Behavioral Threat Assessment training at no cost to schools and districts, expanding access to consistent, research-based school safety practices statewide.
The SK Cascade model is prevention-oriented and focuses on facilitating understanding and community engagement to help address root causes of behaviors in students. It engages educators alongside community partners, including mental health providers and law enforcement, to identify concerning behaviors early and connect students with appropriate supports to prevent harm and violence in schools.
“School safety is about belonging and wellbeing,” said Jenn Johnson, ODE’s School Safety and Prevention System Coordinator. “Students deserve schools where they feel safe and can thrive. Through the work of the Oregon School Safety and Prevention Specialists, who are now certified trainers of the SK Cascade model, we are better equipped as a state to cultivate those school environments.”
Behavior Safety Assessments, grounded in the SK Cascade model, center equity to ensure responses to student behavior are fair, non-discriminatory, and culturally responsive. Rather than relying solely on discipline, these assessments focus on student growth, support, and reintegration while maintaining school safety.
“Students have better outcomes when schools are prepared to recognize and manage the range of behaviors that signal a need for early intervention and support through behavior safety assessments,” said Cassie Stafford, Coordinator of School Safety and Mental Health at WESD. “Sustained BSA training empowers school teams to respond with confidence and compassion, building strong partnerships with families and communities, creating a unified approach to safety that is rooted in care.”
The importance of training aligns with recent findings from the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center’s 2025 American School Leader Panel, which identified professional development as essential for building competencies such as risk assessment, bias mitigation, and matching interventions to individual student needs.
“Data continues to support training and community engagement as best practices in behavioral threat assessment,” said John Van Dreal, PCG’s Chief Architect and advisor for school-based violence prevention solutions. “States taking a proactive, consistent, and inclusive approach to training are more likely to be successful, not only in mitigating the threat of student violence or self-harm, but in rerouting students of concern toward better academic and social outcomes.”
Schools, districts, local law enforcement and community organizations seeking more information or looking to get involved should visit ODE’s website or contact their regional School Safety and Prevention Specialist.
For more information on the SK Cascade violence prevention model visit PCG’s website.
 The group of School Safety and Prevention Specialists from ESDs across the state who were trained and certified in the SK Cascade Behavioral Threat Assessment model.
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