ICDTA® -Theresa-Campbell

Theresa Campbell

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ICDTA® -Theresa-Campbell

Theresa Campbell is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of Safer Schools Together (SST), an organization focused on promoting a climate and culture of safety in schools.

Theresa established SST in 2008 to provide law enforcement agencies, school districts, and community partners with comprehensive violence prevention/intervention training.

In 2018, she expanded her role to include CEO and founder of the International Centre for Digital Threat Assessment® (ICDTA). Previously, Theresa served as the Executive Director of the International Centre for Threat Assessment (ICTA).

As a Subject Matter Expert in School Based Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment, violence prevention, and trauma response, Theresa regularly consults on high-profile cases throughout North America. She has worked extensively with the Federal Behavioral Sciences Unit on high profile and complex threat situations, continues to provide support and training to the National Youth Officer Training Division in Canada and has also provided curriculum for the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) Basic and Advanced SRO Courses. She is also a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP).

Theresa has conceptualized, developed, and implemented many successful and innovative evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies and programs and played a pivotal role in the implementation of a School Based Threat Assessment Model: Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) based on the NTAC model, FBI four-pronged assessment, and the work of Mr. Kevin Cameron. Ms. Campbell also designed and implemented a multi-tiered training program for the British Columbia Provincial Expect Respect and a Safe Education (erase) initiative, which included the implementation of threat assessment policies, protocols, training, tools and resources for multidisciplinary teams. Theresa also developed a risk assessment screening tool (RAS) based on the five development domains and a school culture, a climate assessment tool (Safe & Caring School Tool), and in 2000 she developed one of the first Anonymous Online Student Reporting tools in North America (PSSTWorld).

Ms. Campbell has authored many training resources/publications/guides that are being used throughout North America, some of which are: Basic Threat Assessment, Advanced Threat Assessment, Train the Trainer (Basic Threat Assessment), Fundamentals of Digital Threat Assessment®, Basic Digital Threat Assessment®, Advanced Digital Threat Assessment®, Digital Threat Assessment®: Train the Trainer, Basic Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA), Advanced Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA), Communicating Through Crisis – Navigating Critical Incidents, Trauma Informed Schools, Classrooms and Communities, School Police Guidelines for Threat Assessment, Emergency Guidelines for Schools, Utilizing a Case Study Approach for Professional Learning, Ensuring Safe and Caring School Communities, Targeted Hate and Racism through a Restorative Approach, and Gang Reduction through Informed Practice (GRIP).

Theresa is the executive producer of five award-winning prevention documentaries and serves as a representative on municipal, provincial, and federal committees. She has been recognized for her work by all levels of Government throughout North America (i.e. awarded the prestigious Frederic Milton Thrasher Award for superior service in gang prevention, facilitated a round-table discussion in Surrey and Ottawa with previous Prime Minister Stephen Harper about threat assessment, youth violence and gang-related issues, and served as co-chair at the 16th World Congress: International Society for Criminology held in Kobe, Japan). Ms. Campbell was nominated for the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, Premier’s Partnership Award, Award of Excellence – Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Award of Excellence and Recognition – Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), and Social Trailblazer Award.

Through Ms. Campbell’s remarkable leadership, SST continues to provide best practice and evidence-based multi-tiered training, consultation, and support to schools and districts across North America through the delivery of core services such as Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA) training, Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA) training, Worrisome Online Behavior™ (WOB) reporting, and 24/7 Threat Assessment Support/Consultation. In addition, SST has provided training/case consultation in Mexico, Thailand, China, Germany and the United Kingdom.

ICDTA® - Kelly LePrieur

Kelly LePrieur

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Kelly is the Chief Operating Officer for Safer Schools Together, an organization that is focused on violence prevention and promoting a climate and culture of safety in schools.

Kelly was in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 10 years, supporting families and staff with child development and growth. She owned and operated her own center before becoming a Regional Director at a large Canadian based childcare company. Kelly was responsible for overseeing and managing 13 facilities across British Columbia. While in this role, she developed an initiative that streamlined the daily reporting process for all center’s company-wide throughout North America, winning her an Award of Achievement.

Kelly has provided training and workshops for students, parents, and teachers. Through years of experience, she has developed a unique skillset in guiding professionals to help support children with challenging behaviors.

ICDTA® - John Callery

John Callery

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Mr. John Callery is a professional public speaker and has conducted hundreds of lectures around the world on a myriad law enforcement and counter-terrorism topics. Mr. Callery is the former Special Agent in Charge (SAC/SES) of DEA’s San Diego Division and held leadership positions for DEA in Los Angeles, DEA International Training, DEA/HQS and Hawaii. Mr. Callery has been a consultant to Safer Schools Together (SST) CEO Theresa Campbell since 2018 and is presently the Vice President of SST. He has dedicated his law enforcement experiences and efforts to school safety in his new role with SST.

ICDTA®-Bill-Reynolds

Bill Reynolds

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Bill Reynolds is an accomplished Senior Executive with more than 20 years of success across the education, retail, insurance, financial services, healthcare, and nonprofit fields. Leveraging extensive experience improving cultural alignment and creating strategic channel partnerships for a B2B company, he is a valuable advisor to Safer Schools Together. His broad areas of expertise include entrepreneurship, product development, sales management, growth, analytics, business analysis, enterprise software, global operations (China), investments, and customer service.

Sherri Mohoruk

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Sherri Mohoruk is a safety and wellness consultant with Safer Schools Together and serves as a liaison with the Ministry of Education. She provides strategic advice regarding school safety matters and direct support to public school districts and independent schools dealing with safety, critical incidence and trauma-related matters. Previously Sherri held two leadership positions with the BC Ministry of Education – most recently as Superintendent of Integrated Services Safe Schools and earlier as Superintendent of Liaison.

As Superintendent of Integrated Services; Safe Schools, Sherri had responsibility for all aspects of student health and safety with a specific focus on implementing the provincial Expect Respect and a Safe Education (ERASE) strategy to address bullying, violence threat risk assessment, critical incidence, and trauma response. Other responsibilities included Internal government/national liaison on student health and safety, Healthy Schools, Emergency Preparedness and student issues related to substance misuse, mental health issues, child abuse, and reporting, domestic violence and gang prevention.

In her role as the Superintendent of Liaison, Sherri provided a link between the Minister of Education, the Ministry of Education and the province’s sixty school districts and education partners. She facilitated connections between ministry divisions, school districts, and partner organizations to improve the implementation of ministry policy, initiatives, and directions.

Sherri has worked in public education in both Canada and the United States as a teacher, principal, director for student services, director for curriculum and instruction and as an assistant superintendent. She has a long-standing interest in educational leadership, student health and safety, literacy and early childhood education. She has presented nationally and internationally at a number of different levels.

Dr. Melissa Reeves, Ph.D., NCSP, LPC

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Dr. Melissa Reeves, Ph.D., NCSP, LPC is a nationally certified school psychologist, licensed special education teacher, licensed professional counselor, and former district coordinator of social/emotional/behavioral services. She is past president of the National Association of School Psychologists (2016-17) and has over 20 years’ experience working in public schools and a private school, in addition to providing mental health services in day and residential treatment settings. She was an Associate Professor at Winthrop University and taught both undergraduate and graduate psychology courses, in addition to supervising graduate school psychology students in their field-based traineeship and internship placements. She also served on the university’s Critical Incident Management Team and the College of Arts and Science COVID-19 Recovery committee. 

Currently, Dr. Reeves is a threat assessment & mental health specialist and senior advisor and speaker for Safe and Sound Schools, an organization founded by two parents who lost their children in the Sandy Hook tragedy. She is also a consultant and trainer for SIGMA Threat Management Associates, a Raptor Technologies Company, and delivers the USSS/NTAC model based “Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA)” training for Safer Schools Together (SST). Dr. Reeves actively works and consults with K-12 schools regarding threat assessment cases and is engaged in helping state departments of education and school districts establish threat and suicide risk assessment procedures and emergency response protocols. Dr. Reeves is the lead author of the South Carolina Department of Education School-Based Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Best Practice Guidelines for South Carolina K-12 Schools and has also recently served as an expert witness in court cases involving targeted school attacks and threat and suicide risk assessments, particularly involving students receiving special education services.  

In addition, Dr. Reeves is co-author of the nationally and internationally recognized National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) PREPaRE School Safety and Crisis Preparedness curriculum, the first comprehensive K-12 school crisis prevention and intervention curriculum. She is also a current member and former Chair of the NASP National School Safety and Crisis Response Committee which provides consultation and support to school districts across the country after large scale crisis events including school shootings and natural disasters. She was a founding member of the Colorado Society of School Psychologists State-Wide Crisis Response Team, which trained school districts across Colorado in crisis response and was also a crisis responder to support students after Columbine. In addition to responding to various crises over the years, she travels both nationally and internationally training professionals in the areas of crisis prevention and intervention, threat and suicide assessment, the impact of trauma and PTSD on academic achievement, and cognitive behavior interventions in the school setting. She has conducted more than 350 workshops and presentations and consults with schools on establishing a positive and safe school climate that focuses on prevention programs and positive discipline measures to decrease behavioral incidences while increasing academic achievement.  She has also provided consultation and staff development training to United States Department of Defense Educational Activity Schools located on military installations.  

Dr. Reeves has authored six books: School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model (original and 2nd Edition); Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences; Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management for K-12 Schools; Identifying, Assessing, and Treating PTSD at School; and Comprehensive Planning for Safe Learning Environments: A School Professional’s Guide to Integrating Physical and Psychological Safety: Prevention through Recovery. She has contributed multiple articles to the Communiqué, the nationally disseminated publication for the National Association of School Psychologists and has co-authored numerous book chapters and journal articles. In addition, she has testified in front of the U.S. Senate Ad Hoc Subcommittee for Disaster and Recovery regarding “Children and Disasters: A Progress Report on Addressing Needs.”  As NASP President, Dr. Reeves appointed the NASP Social Justice Task Force, and two additional task forces to study distance education and virtual delivery of school psychology services.  

Dr. Reeves has been awarded the National Association of School Psychologists Presidential Award in 2006, 2012, and 2018 and the NASP Crisis Interest Group Award for Excellence in 2007 and 2011. She was a 2007 national finalist for the Joseph E. Zins “Purpose” Award for Early Career Practitioners in Social Emotional Learning; in 2006 awarded Golden Heart Award, presented by Cherry Creek School District Parent Special Education Advisory Council; and received the University of Denver, College of Education Leadership in Learning Alumni Award in 2006. She has received numerous other awards throughout her career in addition to serving elected terms on the NASP Board of Directors as a NASP Delegate, Regional Representative, and NASP President. She is also member of the American Psychological Association, Colorado Society of School Psychologists, and Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP).  

Dr. Greg Gerber

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With a Doctorate of Education (EdD), Dr. Gerber holds the position of Assistant Professor at the New York Institute of Technology, where he serves as the Associate Dean of the Master of Instructional Technology program and as the Director of the Vancouver Centre for Teaching and Learning, and is deeply engaged in the practice and scholarship of teaching. 

Greg brings his extensive experience in conducting and facilitating threat assessments in K to 12 schools to his role as a Senior Consultant and Trainer for Safer Schools Together where he leads Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA) training based on the USSS/NTAC model, Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA), and Advanced Digital Threat Assessment® (ADTA) trainings. 

Dr. Gerber’s previous professional experience includes working as Director of Learning for the Society of Christian Schools in BC (SCSBC) independent schools, Adjunct Professor in Education at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and TWU (Trinity Western University), and a Senior Technical Consultant.  

Greg has extensive experience in technology infrastructure and securities, curriculum and pedagogy, leadership, and instruction and finds joy in solving complex problems and helping educators resolve tensions between practice and theoretical understanding. 

ICDTA®-Colton-Easton

Colton Easton

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Colton joined Safer Schools Together (SST) in 2016 after receiving his Diploma in Law Enforcement Studies at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. In his current role as the Project and Training Manager, Colton works closely with SST CEO/Founder Theresa Campbell in the development and implementation of trainings such as Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA) which is based on the USSS/NTAC model, Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA), and many more.

Colton is an accomplished trainer, having presented to thousands of individuals from organizations across North America including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and numerous other law enforcement agencies and both K to 12 school districts and higher education campuses.

Colton began his time at SST as a Threat Analyst where he gained invaluable experience and knowledge collecting social media data that is used to assist Safety/Threat Assessment teams in conducting accurate threat assessments. He has been involved in several high- profile cases relating to school safety in Canada and the US.

ICDTA®-Ocean-Van-Samang

Ocean Van Samang

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Ocean Van Samang is a specialized trainer and the mental health advisor for Safer Schools Together and has worked for over 20 years in the field of mental health and disabilities.

She is currently the Chief Administrative Officer of Inclusion PR and has worked as a therapist and educator in the areas of communication, anxiety, depression, resiliency, and trauma. Ocean has assessed youth for suicidal and self-harming behaviors in schools, community agencies, and hospitals. She has developed a curriculum for both K-12 and post-secondary.

Ocean provides training and support throughout North America in the areas of threat risk assessments, mental health literacy and trauma-informed classrooms.

Jessy-Johal

Jessy Johal

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Jessy Johal started his career as a Safe School Liaison with the Surrey School district. He then moved to a specialized role of Outreach Worker with Surrey School’s award-winning Wraparound program where he built relationships with at-risk youth and supported RCMP Youth Section staff with daily high risk situations (altercations, substance use, school misconduct). In this role, Jessy also worked on gang prevention and intervention strategies in partnership with the Surrey RCMP Gang Enforcement team. Shortly after, Jessy moved on to a supervisory role with the City of Surrey where he developed unique programs tailored to the needs and interests of vulnerable youth.

In his current role, Jessy helps to deliver the Gang Reduction Through Informed Practice (GRIP) strategy implemented by Safer Schools Together in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Education. The GRIP strategy is comprehensive training designed to deliver proven prevention and intervention strategies to communities throughout B.C. in response to youth gangs. Jessy is responsible for conducting social media / GRIP presentations to students, parents, and school professionals. As GRIP consultant, Jessy assists police agencies and school district professionals with safety plans and community consultations.

ICDTA®-Randy-Wallis

Randy Wallis

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Randy is a Trainer and Case Consultant for Safer Schools Together. He provides support to the Threat Analyst team while also training across North America.

As a lifelong learner and someone who is passionate about Youth Safety, Randy has supported ‘at-risk youth’ and their families throughout his 30+ year career as an International School Counsellor and as an Inner-City Youth and Family worker. Having presented to educators, parents, and students across the globe, Randy comes with immeasurable knowledge and a unique skill set.

Randy has a long history of combining his work in counselling and education to work alongside Law Enforcement, International Embassies, Mental Health Clinicians and Hospitals. Through this work, Randy has developed comprehensive and developmentally appropriate Social-Emotional Curriculum and Child Safety protocols to ensure Safe and Caring Schools.

With his studies in counselling and psychology, Randy has centred most of his work to understand family structure and dynamics, cognitive behavioural interventions for trauma, and inclusion in schools.

While supporting the Threat Analyst team and training, Randy is putting final touches on a manual created for educators in learning to support children through traumatic transitions in the International School’s community.

Jen Chambers - Trainer ICDTA®

Jen Chambers

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Jen Chambers has been an Educator and Counsellor in British Columbia schools for almost thirty years. Her career began with teaching English and Philosophy to high school students in the District Gifted Program in Greater Victoria, BC. After earning a Master’s Degree in Counselling, Jen broadened her professional practice to supporting struggling youth in schools.

Jen has held the role of District Counsellor, Safe Schools Coordinator, and District Critical Incident Response Lead for the past eight years. She is also a trainer for Safer Schools Together (SST), where she presents the US Secret Service/NTAC model-based “Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA)”, “Trauma-Informed Safe and Caring School Communities”, and “Anxiety, the Brain, and the Classroom: The ABCs of a Trauma-Informed Approach” sessions.

Jen’s work focuses on supporting the most vulnerable youth in her community and providing professional development for staff focusing on mental health initiatives, trauma informed practices, harm reduction, BDTA and critical incident response.

Steven MacDonald

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After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Victoria, Steven specialized in language analytics and artificial intelligence for major media corporations in the Tech Industry. 

Steven’s experience and knowledge in both technology and the world of social media have enabled him to have a greater understanding and a more hands-on approach to working with schools, communities, and law enforcement with the ability to assist in data collection and accurate threat assessments for school districts nationwide.

As a trainer, Steven is passionate about providing presentations and workshops to students, staff, and parents on social media awareness, the importance of creating a positive digital footprint, cyberbullying, and online safety.

ICDTA®-Tyler-Lum

Tyler Lum

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Prior to joining Safer Schools Together in 2022, Tyler worked in the tech industry completing security audits and overseeing operations.

After completing his bachelor’s degree at Simon Fraser University, Tyler joined a non-partisan security think tank originally based out of Ottawa. The goal was to educate the public on both national and transnational security issues. Starting off his career by writing briefing notes, Tyler eventually joined the think tank in helping write two different books on Structured Analytical Techniques. Tyler has also published five double blind peer reviewed journals.

Tyler was born in the Lower Mainland of BC and continues to serve his local community in varying ways. In his free time, Tyler volunteers with the Red Cross, working as a virtual respondent helping those who have been affected by disaster.

ICDTA®-Christopher-Felton

Christopher Felton

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Christopher M. Felton has been in Law Enforcement for over 17 years, with experience at a large Midwest Police Department as well as Active-Duty U.S. Army Military Police. Christopher has served at his police department in various capacities, currently as a Detective Sergeant with the Gang and Violent Crimes Unit, Narcotics Division. 

As a Trainer for Safer Schools Together Chris delivers the USSS/NTAC model based “Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA)”, “Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA)” and “Advanced Digital Threat Assessment® (ADTA)” trainings. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at two local universities where he teaches courses in Criminal Justice, Forensic Psychology, and Emergency Management.

Christopher has also served as a Crisis Intervention Officer, Public Information Officer, and Field Training Officer within his district. He also co-founded and currently leads the Police Officer Peer Support/Critical Incident Stress Management Team which provides training to new recruits and veteran officers on critical incident stress. He has been an Education Committee and Steering Committee Member for the Northeast Indiana Critical Incident Stress Management Team since 2017, facilitating group Critical Incident Stress Debriefings around northeast Indiana, advising on current best practice in the realm of critical incident stress management, and serving as a representative for both the NECISM and Peer Support Team. 

As a Leading Investigator/Research Assistant with Hutton Criminal Profiling and Associates from October 2015 to June 2020, Christopher collaborated on studies presented at the American Society of Criminology Conferences. He has also presented at the National Gang Crime Research Center Conference in Chicago, IL. 

Christopher is currently completing his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, Law and Public Policy at Walden University and holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice – Forensic Psychology, a Master of Philosophy, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. 

Dr. Joe Holifield

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Dr. Holifield is a clinical psychologist and school psychologist who has an independent practice in San Luis Obispo and Ventura, CA. He received his master’s degree in clinical psychology in 1995 from Xavier University-Cincinnati and doctoral degree in School Psychology from Loyola University-Chicago in 1999. In his early career, Dr. Holifield trained and worked as a psychologist in inpatient hospital settings, residential treatment centers, and therapeutic day treatment schools for children and adolescents.  

From 1992-2015, Dr. Holifield taught various undergraduate and graduate courses in counseling and therapy, child development, child-adolescent psychopathology, cognitive assessment, personality assessment, tests and measurement, educational psychology, and research methods at several universities. He was an adjunct lecturer at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo from 2000-2015. He has delivered numerous professional presentations, workshops, papers, and research posters on various topics that have included clinical and neuropsychological assessment, child psychopathology, memory assessment/interventions, and executive functioning coaching. He has provided clinical supervision to mental health professionals throughout his career in clinical settings as well as schools. 

With over 20 years of experience, has conducted behavioral threat assessments for many school districts, being the lead psychologist for threat assessment for several districts. He was originally trained in the U.S. Secret Service Model/NTAC model and presents Safer Schools Together (SST)’s Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA), which is based on that model. Dr. Holifield has also presented workshops on threat assessment at the conventions of the California Association of School Psychologists Convention (CASP) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). He was an invited speaker and panelist and co-presenter on school violence at the Pre- Conference of the National Association of School Neuropsychologists. He has been a panelist discussing the importance of community prevention of targeted violence at the National STOP School Violence Conference and keynote speaker for a community-based mental health organization on mental health approaches to violence prevention. He continues to provide workshops and presentations at various venues. 

From 2019-2023, Dr. Holifield designed, implemented, and evaluated a 4-year community-based threat assessment project (B-HARP) in San Luis Obispo County, CA. He is presently the Project Director for a 3-year federal school violence grant for two counties in CA. He is researching the community implementation of threat assessment practices and training community mental health professionals to connect with school-based teams. Dr. Holifield’s current research is tied to the goals and outcomes of both grants. These projects focused on the Salem-Keizer/Cascade K-12 Threat Assessment Model. The primary focus of his consulting work is bridging safety management by threat assessment teams with clinical management/intervention via community clinicians. He offers training and consultation to mental health agencies and clinicians in designing their organizational practices to interact or collaborate with threat assessment teams. He is a trainer for John Van Dreal Consulting, LLC providing threat assessment training for school-based threat assessment teams in the Salem-Keizer/Cascade K-12 Threat Assessment Model.

Benjamin S. Fernandez, MS. Ed

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Benjamin S. Fernandez, MS. Ed, completed his graduate studies in School Psychology at Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA) and has worked as a school psychologist in Pennsylvania and Virginia with over 27 years of experience as a practitioner. Currently, he serves as a crisis intervention specialist in Northern Virginia, providing leadership and the coordination of crisis intervention services, and response consultation after acute traumatic events.  

He has worked as a lead school psychologist and coordinator providing a broad array of psychological and school-based mental health services including assessment, suicide screenings, threat assessments of students and nonstudents, consultation, counseling, prevention, and intervention as well as serving as a crisis team leader. Further, he has conducted presentations on suicide prevention for families as well as helping to establish the collection and review of suicide screening data to enhance processes and identify areas of further prevention and intervention.  

Benjamin is a Lead PREPaRE Trainer and has contributed to presentations, articles, books, and webinars related to youth suicide, PREPaRE, school mental health, school safety and crisis intervention on the local, state, and national levels. He is also a Trainer for Safer Schools Together (SST), where he delivers the USSS/NTAC model based Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA) training. 

Benjamin has testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the Federal Commission on School Safety, the Congressional School Safety Caucus, and served as a member of the Governor of Virginia’s Children’s Cabinet on Student Safety. Most recently, Mr. Fernandez contributed to the Virginia Department of Education’s Suicide Prevention Guidelines. In 2010, he was named School Psychologist of the Year by the Virginia Academy of School Psychologists and in 2012, he was named School Psychologist of the Year by the National Association of School Psychologists.  

In 2015 and 2018, Benjamin received the NASP Presidential Award and in 2021 received the National Association of School Psychologists Crisis Management and Grief Support in Schools Interest Group Award for Excellence for significant contributions to the field of school safety and crisis intervention. 

 

 

Dr. Margaret A. Sedor, NCSP.

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Dr. Sedor is a School Psychologist and serves as the District Suicide Prevention and Wellbeing Coordinator within the Sweetwater Union High School District in California. She is also Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at San Diego State University and has a private practice.  

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Sedor has provided leadership in the areas of mental health, wellbeing, suicide prevention, USSS/NTAC behavioral threat assessment and crisis management at the county, state and national level. Dr. Sedor has been instrumental with the Sweetwater School District in building a systemic framework for staff and student wellbeing, has created a wellbeing ambassador program, wellbeing centers and a district youth leadership council to engage student voice and agency.  

As a nationally recognized presenter, Dr. Sedor provides training in MTSS, mental health and wellbeing, restorative practices, crisis management and psychological triage, suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. She also leads Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA) training for Safer Schools Together (SST), which is based on the US Secret Service/NTAC model.  

Currently, Dr. Sedor serves on the NASP School Safety and Crisis Response Committee, the CASP Legislation Committee, CASP Mental Health Committee, and recently the California Department of Education Social Emotional Learning Task Force.  

 

Dr. Steven E. Brock

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Dr. Stephen E. Brock is a Professor Emeritus of School Psychology in the College of Education at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). His professional preparation includes undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology and a Ph.D. in Education (with an emphasis on psychological studies) from the University of California, Davis, where he researched Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 

With an extensive background in school psychology, Dr. Brock brings a wealth of experience to his role as a professor. He spent 18 years as a school psychologist with the Lodi (CA) Unified School District, including a 6-year tenure as Lead Psychologist. His responsibilities included serving multiple elementary and middle schools, contributing to the development of the district’s school crisis response protocol, and specializing in functional behavioral assessment. 

Dr. Brock’s influential leadership activities at the state level have included serving as President of the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP). He continues to contribute to CASP as an Executive Advisory Committee member for CASP’s peer-reviewed journal, Contemporary School Psychology. His past roles at CASP, including the Region 10 Representative, the Employment Relations Specialist, the Convention Chairperson, and the Spring Conference Chairperson, demonstrate his significant impact on the field. He has also made notable contributions as an editorial board member of CASP Today (the CASP newsletter) and Associate Editor of The California School Psychologist (now known as Contemporary School Psychology). His guest editorship of special issues on “School-Based Threat Assessment” and “Addressing Aggression and Violence in Diverse School Settings” further showcases his leadership and expertise. In recognition of his contributions, he received a CASP Outstanding School Psychologist award in 1997, and in 2012, he was honored with CASP’s highest recognition, the Sandra Goff Memorial Award. 

Dr. Brock has been heavily involved in national-level leadership activities. He served as the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) president and currently holds the position of Associate Editor of the Communiqué (the NASP newspaper). He is also a member of the School Psychology Review Editorial Advisory Board. Dr. Brock was a founding member of NASP’s School Safety and Crisis Response Committee and chaired the Elections & Nominations Committee. Additionally, he previously held roles such as Coordinator of the Crisis Management Interest Group, California representative to the Delegate Assembly (now known as the Leadership Assembly), Western Region Representative to the Executive Council (now known as the Board of Directors), and Secretary. Dr. Brock has received several awards and recognitions, including NASP’s Presidential Award in 2004, 2006, and 2016, the Crisis Management Interest Group’s Award of Excellence in 2006 and 2007, and a Government and Professional Relations Committee Certificate of Appreciation in 2016. In 2024, he was honored with one of NASP’s highest awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award, for his exceptional services to children and school psychology, particularly in education and mental health services. 

Dr. Brock lectures extensively (both nationally and internationally) on a diverse range of topics, including school safety, traumatic stress, emotional disturbance, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, professional burnout, ADHD, and special education eligibility. He is a trainer for Safer Schools Together (SST) where he delivers the USSS/NTAC model based Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA) training. 

Dr. Brock’s contributions to the field of school psychology extend beyond his professional roles and association leadership. He has authored dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. Notably, he was the lead editor of the NASP publication Best Practices in School Crisis Prevention and Intervention (2nd ed.), the lead author of School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model (2nd ed.), and the lead author of the PREPaRE  Mental Health Crisis Intervention (3rd ed) workshop, further solidifying his position as a thought leader in the field. 

Heilit Biehl

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Heilit Biehl is the Director of Judicial Services for Jeffco Public Schools in Jefferson County, Colorado. She is a member of the district’s Department of School Safety Management Team. In this role, Heilit is responsible for a department of five who manage court monitoring of juvenile cases, oversight of records, processes, training, and consulting on school-based and district-level threat assessment & safety plans. She has worked in education for over 15 years including in PreK-12, colleges, and universities in Colorado, Florida, and Utah.  

Heilit trains school districts on the Colorado Threat Assessment & Management Protocol (PreK-12) and is certified in WAVR-21 and TRAP-18. She also trains on Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA) for Safer Schools Together (SST), which is based on the US Secret Service/NTAC model. 

She serves on the Board of Directors for the “I Love U Guys” Foundation as Vice-Chair, is the President of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) and is a board delegate and the Scholarship Chair for the Colorado Association of Latino/Latina Administrators & Superintendents (CO-ALAS). Heilit has volunteered with the Colorado School Safety Resource Center and Center for the Study of Prevention of Violence at CU Boulder in establishing a grant-funded research program reviewing Colorado practices in threat assessment. Heilit is also a mom to two school-aged children and has previously volunteered in her children’s school serving as the School Accountability Chair.

 

 

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