The Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), with funding from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant, has developed a two-day workshop to familiarize participants with a model that addresses behavioral threats in the community from a public health perspective. These trainings present the most up-to-date information on the subject matter presented in a format that is suitable for a wide audience, they are being offered all around the state, and there is no fee for the training. County administrators or their representatives, county attorneys, and county public health officials would be welcome participants in these workshops, along with business leaders, law enforcement, mental health providers and other community stakeholders.
According to DCJS, building a community threat assessment team will require leadership from county administrators and city managers, and the Department has some ability to provide technical assistance to communities that decide to start this process.
The link below includes the course description, dates and locations for the workshop, and a registration link.
DCJS training on Domestic Extremism and Violent Extremism Awareness also may be of interest and is available at the following link:
https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/training-events/domestic-extremism-and-violent-extremism-awareness
DCJS will be adding more dates for these trainings, and they anticipate launching a one-day training covering legal aspects of the threat assessment process including information sharing.
VACo Contact: Jeremy R. Bennett