Beyond the Trigger™ Districtwide Violence Prevention, Threat Response, and Reinstatement System

Beyond the Trigger™

Districtwide Violence Prevention, Threat Response & Reinstatement System

Is Your District’s Threat Assessment and Reinstatement Process Defensible?

Beyond the Trigger™ is a districtwide Violence Prevention, Threat Response, and Reinstatement System designed specifically for K–12 school districts seeking to reduce weapons-related incidents, dating violence, and serious behavioral misconduct—while protecting students, staff, and district liability.

Unlike programs that rely solely on punishment or removal, this system addresses the full continuum of school safety by integrating prevention, structured intervention, and safe reintegration into a single, defensible framework.

This is not a standalone curriculum.

It is a governance-level system that functions as a centralized Command Center for your Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) Team.

Designed For

• Superintendents and Deputy Superintendents
• Directors of Student Services
• District Safety and Security Leaders
• Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management (BTAM) Teams
• School Board and Legal Counsel (oversight and compliance)

Best Suited For:

Middle Schools, High Schools, Alternative Schools, In-School Suspension (ISS) Programs, Reinstatement Hearings, and Districtwide Safety Initiatives.

Why District Leaders Choose This System for School Safety Compliance

Most school safety initiatives focus on either prevention or discipline. Very few provide districts with a structured, documented process for what happens before, during, and after a serious behavioral or violent threat.

Beyond the Trigger™ was designed to bridge that gap.

This system is:

• Compliant
  Engineered to align with modern school safety mandates, including HB 268, Alyssa’s Law, and state-level violence prevention requirements.
• Defensible
  Provides standardized documentation, logs, and protocols designed to withstand legal scrutiny and post-incident review.
• Restorative and Corrective
  Moves beyond zero-tolerance discipline toward measurable behavioral change, accountability, and safe reintegration.

The Three-Pillar Safety Architecture

Beyond the Trigger™ is built around three integrated components that allow districts to assess, intervene, and safely reintegrate students following high-risk behavior.

Component 1: The Administrative Command Center

(Threat Assessment Governance & Liability Management)

This Administrative Command Center provides the procedural backbone required for legally defensible threat assessment, intervention, and reinstatement decisions.

A. Legal & Clinical Documentation (The “Paper Trail”)

• Initial Concern Report Form
  Captures early warning signs (“leakage”), reporter details, and incident specifics to establish immediate facts.
• Risk Assessment Tool (Transient vs. Substantive)
  A standardized decision-support instrument guiding teams in distinguishing non-genuine threats from credible, high-risk threats.
• Threat Classification & Intervention Plan
  Establishes response levels (Low, Medium, High) based on assessed risk.
• Safety Plan Template
  Operationalizes supervision, monitoring, and target-protection measures.
• Case Documentation Log
  A centralized chronological record of all actions, meetings, and decisions—critical for liability defense.
• Student Reinstatement & Behavioral Safety Contract
  Defines behavioral boundaries, no-contact provisions, and accountability expectations prior to reentry.
• Final Case Closure & Reinstatement Report
  Documents curriculum completion, compliance, and authorization for safe return to campus.

B. Training & Protocols

• How to Establish a BTAM Team
  Step-by-step guidance for building a multidisciplinary threat assessment team.
• Anger Management PowerPoint Training Deck 
• De-escalation PowerPoint Training Deck 
• Trauma-Informed Training Deck and Interview Scripts
  Standardized language to ensure interviews are conducted legally, ethically, and clinically.
• Warning Sign & Leakage Checklists
  Practical tools for staff and parents to identify pre-incident indicators.

Component 2: Safety Intervention Curriculum

(Tier 2 & Tier 3 Behavioral Remediation)

This component replaces suspension-only responses with structured, skill-based intervention using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles.

All interventions are educational and skill-based, designed for school implementation and not intended to replace clinical treatment when required.

• Teen Dating Violence Prevention Curriculum (Tier 1)                                                 This empowering workbook is designed to help students understand what healthy relationships look like, build confidence, and protect themselves from unhealthy or abusive patterns.
• Anger Management Curriculum (Tier 2) 
  Targeted support for students exhibiting transient threats, emotional dysregulation, or escalation behaviors.
• Beyond the Trigger™ Student Curriculum (Tier 3) 
  A CBT-based intervention for students involved in weapons violations or serious threats, focusing on de-escalation, impulse control, and legal consequences.

Component 3: Protective Factors & Family Engagement

(Reducing Long-Term Risk and Recidivism)

This component strengthens the protective factors necessary to sustain behavior change beyond the school setting.

• Financially Lit Curriculum (Grades 6–8)
  Addresses economic instability—a documented risk factor associated with behavioral and disciplinary challenges—by teaching financial psychology and decision-making.
• Parent & Teen SEL Workbook
  Aligns school and home expectations while transferring firearm safety education and monitoring responsibilities to families.
• Success Without a Degree (Audiobook)
  Mindset and future-planning content for students disengaged from traditional academic pathways. 

Implementation Model

Beyond the Trigger™ is deployed through a district-exclusive licensing model, not individual curriculum sales.

Districts receive:

• Multi-year, districtwide usage rights
• Train-the-trainer authority
• Internal deployment across schools and programs
• Centralized documentation and compliance alignment

This model ensures consistency, sustainability, and defensibility across all campuses. 

Legislative & Safety Mandate Alignment

Investment & Value Consideration

 Fragmented Tier 2 and Tier 3 safety efforts often result in high consulting costs, inconsistent practices, and increased exposure.

Beyond the Trigger™ provides a consolidated, districtwide system with predictable long-term value when compared to the financial, legal, and reputational costs of unmanaged risk.

Meet the Architect

Dr. Derek Collins is the architect of the Beyond the Trigger™ system and the BTAM documentation framework.

He is a Certified Violence Intervention Specialist, CEO of The Diversion Center, and Founder of the National Association of Court Approved Treatment Providers (NACATP). With over a decade of experience and more than 20 published curricula, Dr. Collins is a trusted authority for districts requiring evidence-informed, liability-reducing interventions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we distinguish between transient and substantive threats?

Transient threats are non-genuine expressions of temporary emotion. Substantive threats involve sustained intent, planning, or leakage. The system’s Risk Assessment Tool guides teams through this distinction.

Can threat assessment data be shared with law enforcement under FERPA?

Yes, under the Health or Safety Emergency Exception. District legal counsel should always be consulted.

How does this differ from suicide risk assessments?

Suicide risk assessments address harm to self. Threat assessments address harm to others. While distinct, overlap may occur and should be carefully documented.

What does reinstatement require after a violent threat?

• Mental health clearance when indicated
• Completion of assigned intervention curriculum
• Signed behavioral safety contract
• Parent conference and home safety review
• Short-term monitoring plan

Next Steps for District Leadership

Districts interested in implementation typically begin with a leadership briefing to align scope, licensing, and deployment timelines.

To request an implementation overview, briefing, or special requests:

Email Cleopatra Jordan at cjordan@thediversioncenter.com

TIER 1 – UNIVERSAL PREVENTION (HB 268 FOUNDATIONAL REQUIREMENT)

HB 268 Alignment

HB 268 emphasizes early prevention, climate, and awareness.

Tier 1 satisfies HB 268 by:

• Creating shared expectations

• Reducing baseline risk

• Supporting reporting culture

Tier 1 Includes

• Schoolwide SEL and behavior expectations

• Violence awareness education

• Anti-bullying and reporting procedures

• Staff training on recognizing warning signs

HB 268 Question Tier 1 Answers:
“What is the district doing universally to reduce risk and identify concerns early?”

TIER 2 – TARGETED INTERVENTION (CORE HB 268 FUNCTION)

What Tier 2 Means Under HB 268

Tier 2 is where HB 268 becomes operational.

This tier addresses:

• Early warning signs

• Behavioral “leakage”

• Escalating conduct before it becomes criminal

HB 268–Relevant Tier 2 Indicators

• Threatening language without planning

• Anger dysregulation

• Dating violence concerns

• Peer conflict with escalation risk

• Repeated referrals with warning signs

HB 268–Aligned Tier 2 Interventions

• Anger management programs

• Conflict resolution curricula

• Targeted behavioral education

• Check-in / check-out monitoring

• Parent notification and engagement

HB 268 Expectation:
Districts must intervene before behavior becomes a threat, not after.

TIER 3 – INTENSIVE, HIGH-RISK INTERVENTION (MANDATED RESPONSE ZONE)

What Triggers Tier 3 Under HB 268

Tier 3 is required when there is:

• A credible threat

• Weapons involvement

• Sustained intent to harm

• Escalation despite Tier 2

• Removal from campus

HB 268–Aligned Tier 3 Components

• Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTAM process)

• Risk classification (transient vs substantive)

• Individualized intervention plan

• Formal documentation

• Reinstatement criteria

• Ongoing monitoring

HB 268 Focus:
Tier 3 must be structured, documented, and defensible.

SECTION 3: BEHAVIORAL THREAT ASSESSMENT & CASE MANAGEMENT (HB 268)

BTAM Teams Under HB 268

HB 268 expects districts to utilize multidisciplinary teams to:

• Identify concerning behavior

• Share information responsibly

• Coordinate response

• Monitor outcomes

Case Management Is Not Optional

Under HB 268, case management:

• Demonstrates compliance

• Supports decision-making

• Protects districts legally

HB 268–Aligned Case Management Includes

• Initial concern reports

• Threat assessment findings

• Intervention records

• Parent communications

• Reinstatement documentation

• Monitoring notes

If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen.

SECTION 4: REINSTATEMENT & REENTRY (THE BIGGEST HB 268 GAP)

Why Reinstatement Matters Under HB 268

HB 268 emphasizes prevention and intervention, but many districts struggle with what happens after removal.

Reinstatement is where HB 268 either succeeds—or fails.

HB 268–ALIGNED REINSTATEMENT PROCESS

1. Readiness Review

• Threat assessment review

• Stability evaluation

• Clearance if required

2. Intervention Completion

• Tier 2 or Tier 3 curriculum completed

• Skill acquisition documented

3. Behavioral Safety Contract

• Clear expectations

• No-contact provisions

• Accountability measures

4. Parent & Guardian Engagement

• Reentry meeting

• Home safety discussion

• Acknowledgement of responsibilities

5. Monitoring Plan

• Defined monitoring window (30–90 days)

• Assigned staff contact

• Escalation protocol

HB 268 compliance is strengthened when reinstatement is structured.

SECTION 5: FERPA & HB 268 – WHAT GEORGIA ALLOWS

FERPA Basics

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects student education records—but does not prohibit safety-based information sharing.

HB 268 + FERPA = HEALTH & SAFETY EXCEPTION

Critical Rule

Schools may share information without consent when there is an:

Articulable and significant threat to health or safety.

This allows sharing with:

• BTAM team members

• School administrators

• Law enforcement

• Mental health professionals

When necessary to protect safety

What Makes FERPA Sharing Defensible

✔ Documented safety concern
✔ Identified threat indicators
✔ Purpose-limited disclosure
✔ Case management records

HB 268 expects districts to act—FERPA allows it when safety is at stake.

SECTION 6: HB 268–ALIGNED TIER COMPARISON

SECTION 7: KEY HB 268 TAKEAWAYS

1. HB 268 prioritizes prevention and intervention

2. Tier 2 is the most underused compliance tier

3. Tier 3 must be documented and defensible

4. Reinstatement must be structured

5. Case management is a compliance tool

6. FERPA allows safety-based sharing

7. Documentation protects districts

“Under HB 268, school safety is not about harsher discipline—it’s about early identification, targeted intervention, and defensible decision-making when risk is present.”