Frequently Asked Questions
We are here to help with any questions you have about DTAM™, its key features, benefits, and security.
What does DTAM™ stand for?
DTAM™ is Safer Schools Together’s Digital Threat Assessment and Management™ cloud-based system for managing Digital Threat Assessments® and responding to worrisome online behaviors and other safety concerns with step-by-step, evidence-informed assessment protocols.
What is DTAM™?
DTAM™ is a patent-pending intervention and prevention management solution equipping multi-disciplinary teams to comprehensively identify, assess, and document digital threats and other worrisome behaviors in real-time.
Why do schools need DTAM™?
Only 15% of BTAM teams are utilizing publicly available social media information that would inform their behavioral threat assessment, according to the U.S. Secret Service NTAC Report: Findings from a 2025 American School Leader Panel Survey.
DTAM™ bridges this gap by capturing and analyzing the “digital leakage” that occurs when concerning behaviors manifest on personal devices outside school infrastructure. DTAM™ ensures that school safety and threat assessment teams can make data-driven intervention decisions before situations escalate.
What safety concerns can DTAM™ be used for?
It can be used to manage Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessments®, worrisome online behaviors, and other safety concerns.
- Threat-Related Behavior
- Critical Incident Response
- Bullying/Cyberbullying
- Suicidal Ideation
- Sextortion
- Sexual Assault
- Firearms
- Gang-Associated Behavior
- Substance Abuse Concerns
- Hate/Racism or Radicalization
- Non-Suicidal Self-Harm
- Illegal Activity
- Physical Violence
- School Community Concerns
Is DTAM™ meant to replace any current case management software?
Absolutely not. DTAM™ is not designed to replace any current case management system that exists. We understand schools have dedicated case management software. DTAM™ is designed to be a supplemental resource to aid into any case management software that is already in place. One of the great things about DTAM™ is that by generating PDF reports you can attach them into your case management software and know that you’ve checked off the box for digital to complete a full and comprehensive work-up.
Does DTAM™ work on a Mac, PC, or phone?
Yes. Because DTAM™ is a Cloud-based platform and operates in the Web browser, it is fully accessible across all device types, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones—on both Mac and PC, as well as Apple® and Android® operating systems.
Can I use DTAM™ with any social media platform?
Yes. DTAM™ transforms the current reality where publicly available, open-source worrisome digital behaviors can go undetected by providing school districts and higher education institutions with the specialized tools they need to protect their communities. You may use DTAM™ to capture digital leakage across any social media platform, such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X.
Is DTAM™ a monitoring service?
No. DTAM™ does not proactively search out worrisome online behavior by scraping social media platforms for keywords. We believe that the best source of scanning for worrisome online behavior is by human operators and not automated keyword searches. DTAM™ is designed to guide and assist you with using DTA® principles to find, document, and intervene in worrisome online behavior. Additionally, if you are interested in scans being run for your school district, SST offers Worrisome Online Behavior™ (WOB) Reports that can be performed by our trained threat analysts.
Is DTAM™ connected to school or student devices?
No. DTAM™ is not a platform integrated into student or school devices (i.e., phones and computers) and is not a monitoring service. It is designed to use Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA®) principles and publicly-available, open-source information to give you the tools for assessment in one safe, secure platform for making decisions and collaborating effectively.
What if a subject of concern has more than one account per social media platform?
Yes, the OSINT Discovery Wizard accounts for that and you can add multiple accounts for each social media platform for one individual or subject of concern.
Are there hierarchies that allow different users different visibility?
Yes, there are Lead, Member, Viewer, and Consultant levels. DTAM™ uses a hierarchical organization structure with role-based permissions. Each user is assigned to an organization and given a role that determines their access level. All users are notified as they are assigned to a case, regardless of their access level.
Can more than one person work on a case simultaneously?
Yes, DTAM™ allows for multiple users to work on a case simultaneously. The platform guides multi-disciplinary teams step-by-step through the process with evidence-informed assessment protocols.
How is data used, stored, and protected?
DTAM™ is built with enterprise-grade security and multi-region data residency to ensure FERPA compliance in the United States and FIPPA/PIPEDA compliance in Canada. Canadian schools’ data is stored on Canadian servers and USA schools’ data is stored on USA servers. The software functions the same regardless of the country, but data is stored on multi-region residency.
Is there a storage limit on the platform?
DTAM™ data is stored on secure servers and does not currently have any storage limit for our customers. Because DTAM™ is working solely with images and not videos or larger size files, we do not anticipate any storage limit issues with school districts, so there is no storage limit we are planning to incorporate. We can provide a data compliance sheet with more details for our prospective customers upon request.
Is metadata stored in evidence picture records?
Yes, the metadata associated with each screenshot or image is embedded directly within the image file for case records and it is easily accessible within DTAM™.
Can I set up a Digital Safety Plan?
Yes, the software comes with a number of different standard digital safety plan options, such as digital and behavioral baseline checks/reviews, backpack checks, increased supervision, SEL support, and much more. You can assign the recommendation to a user and then schedule daily, weekly, 30-, 60-, and 90-day e-mail reminder notifications with start and end dates.
Are Support Plans covered?
Yes, when establishing a Subject of Concern, you will be given dropdown selection options for IEP, 504, BIP, and FBA support plans, or you may add one custom.
Does the software allow for chain of custody?
Yes, the user who initiates the case is responsible for closing it to ensure maintaining chain of custody.
Is there an audit trail when someone makes changes?
Yes, there is an audit trail with timestamp on records for the creation and updating of cases. You can easily access these under each case via the Audit Log button.
Can you run reports?
Yes, DTAM™ has professional documentation and reporting. The software provides PDF or HTML format case report documentation instantaneously with the simple click of a button.
Can you see past assessments for the same student?
Yes, the analysis history will showcase past cases for the same student, so you’ll be able to see the level of concern in previous assessments easily.
Can DTAM™ reports be used to support search warrants and arrest warrants?
Yes. DTAM™ is designed to provide immediacy, transparency, and defensible documentation for Digital Threat Assessment® and investigative workflows. The platform enables authorized users to systematically collect, preserve, and organize open-source intelligence (OSINT) and other digital records that may be used to support search warrant and arrest warrant applications. All uploaded images and digital artifacts are automatically timestamped at the point of entry, preserving critical metadata for evidentiary purposes. This structured, time-stamped documentation helps establish reliability, context, and continuity of information when presented to investigators, supervisors, or judicial authorities.
Will DTAM™ reports stand up in court if a criminal investigation proceeds to trial?
Yes. DTAM™ reports are designed to support court-admissible documentation in criminal investigations. The platform maintains automatic metadata time-stamping for images and digital evidence, ensuring accurate documentation of when materials were collected and entered into the system. In addition, DTAM™’s case management workflow supports chain-of-custody principles by requiring the initiating user to manage and formally close the case. This accountability helps ensure the integrity, traceability, and continuity of records from initial documentation through investigation and potential court proceedings, strengthening the credibility and defensibility of DTAM™ reports if a case goes to trial.
What does onboarding look like?
You will receive an onboarding training video, plus an experienced SST member will schedule a time to train your team live on the software. They will help set up the users for your organization at that time and ensure your team is ready to begin using the software. We will also follow-up and check in to ensure proper usage and that you are gaining value from the platform.
What is the pricing?
There is an annual license fee charged for each student enrolled at the school, a training fee, and a one-time set-up fee for implementation. Please contact us for pricing.