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Now Hiring for Job Positions throughout Central Ohio
The ESC is now hiring for educator positions, including intervention specialists, teaching assistants, and more in schools throughout the Central Ohio region - some of which now include a $1500 hiring incentive. For more information regarding incentive eligibility, please see here.

Threat Assessment Training

Ohio's 133rd General Assembly enacted House Bill 123, the "Safety and Violence Education Students (SAVE Students) Act," regarding school security and youth suicide awareness education and training. The state legislation calls for a comprehensive approach to school safety involving the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Public Safety, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Attorney General’s Office.

In partnership with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) and other educational service centers throughout the state, the ESC is offering free threat assessment training to assist schools in meeting the requirements of the SAVE Students Act. To learn more about the Act and its requirements, please see ODEW's website here.

Each district will receive a CSTAG manual and certificate fulfilling the threat assessment requirement in HB123.

Upcoming Training Dates

Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines: Advanced Training | February 6, April 30 & June 4, 2025
This training is designed for existing teams who have completed Levels 1 and 2 of CSTAG (new members on established teams are welcome). This Level 3 CSTAG refresher training is available through a half-day workshop. Topics include:
  • Concept of threat assessment
  • Interviewing to identify the four threat categories; the safety interview
  • Best practices (3 case exercises on errors in threat assessment; review of meetings, coaching, and threats to self)
  • FERPA and information sharing
  • Fairness and equity, role of law enforcement
  • Case management and interviewing exercise

This training is designed for new multidisciplinary teams who will be trained to use CSTAG in a full-day program that covers the following Level 1 and 2 topics.
Level 1: Fundamental Knowledge
  • Concept of behavioral threat assessment and management
  • Prevention and school safety
  • Introduction to the CSTAG decision-tree
  • Scientific evidence supporting CSTAG (Safety outcomes; Fairness and equity)
  • Best practices (Pathways to violence; FERPA and information sharing; Special education)
Level 2: Application of the CSTAG model
  • Transient threat cases
  • Serious and Very Serious Substantive threat cases
  • Case management
  • Implementation
Please note that lunch is on your own.


Questions about the content, please contact Christina Grady-Watts at [email protected]. Questions about registration? Please contact Samantha Finkel at [email protected].

Who Should Attend

District Teams Should Attend:
  • Approximately 3 district-level staff to be trained - those associated with safety 
  • Approximately 3 building-level staff for each elementary building (administrator(s), mental health support like psych or counselor, SRO, other) 
  • Approximately 3-5 building-level staff for each junior high/high school (administrator(s), mental health, SRO, etc.)

Learn More about CSTAG Training Guidelines

The Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG), developed in 2001 and known as the Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines until 2018, is an evidence-based model for schools to use in conducting threat assessments of students. For information about workshops on threat assessment with Dr. Cornell, go to this website.

Contact Us

For more information or questions, please contact Christina Grady-Watts or Missy Pfaltzgraf.