The U.S. Department of Justice awarded the University of Â鶹´«Ã½–West Oʻahu $2 million over three years to increase the university’s threat assessment and violence prevention capabilities in K–12 private, charter, and public schools and their communities throughout Â鶹´«Ã½.

“This award is significant, both in the amount and the scope since it not only continues to build knowledge and capacity of Behavior Threat Assessment and Management within K–12 schools and connected communities, but it helps the state with identifying options for violence prevention to assist with keeping our school communities safer during these challenging times,” said Principal Investigator Bev Baligad, who serves as UH West Oʻahu’s director of compliance, Title IX coordinator and Behavior Intervention Team manager.

The project is titled, “Â鶹´«Ã½ State Targeted Violence Prevention—School Community and Threat Assessment Team Training and Capacity Building.”

Goals and expected outcomes

• increased threat assessment and violence prevention capabilities on involved campuses
• sustainable violence prevention practices in K–12 schools and its communities
• successful application of bystander intervention techniques by members of school and campus communities
• school Behavior Threat Assessment teams operating under national best practice
• improved cultural perception of threat assessment and violence prevention practices in school and campus communities

Partnerships that will support the project include the Â鶹´«Ã½ Office of Homeland Security, the Â鶹´«Ã½ State Fusion Center (HSFC), K–12 private and charter schools, Threat Team Â鶹´«Ã½, and other public and private organizations and businesses. Additionally, UH West Oʻahu is a lead implementing partner in the , working closely with Homeland Security and HSFC to achieve state-wide violence prevention.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded targeted violence and terrorism prevention grants to Baligad in and , totaling more than $1.3 million, to help build Â鶹´«Ã½ state school threat assessment teams and to further state community awareness efforts.

“UH West Oʻahu intends to fulfill its commitment to the prevention of acts of targeted violence in Â鶹´«Ã½ by working closely with schools and fostering the establishment of sustainable threat assessment teams and practices,” Baligad said.

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The (DHS) awarded the $533,285 for its efforts to address targeted violence and threat prevention. The award is part of a DHS program that works to prevent incidents of domestic violent extremism, as well as to bolster efforts to counter online radicalization and mobilization to violence.

In September, DHS announced the awarding of under the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grant program for fiscal year 2022.

“The newly awarded TVTP grant funds will further Â鶹´«Ã½ efforts to build state capacity, engage and train members of our community, and help to build a bystander intervention program that works for our community,” said Bev Baligad, principal investigator of the UH West Oʻahu grant.

Baligad is the director of compliance and chair of , which is considered a leader within the state for implementing and utilizing national best practices in the field of threat assessment.

“Working in partnership with one another is how we best prevent acts of terrorism and targeted violence,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a release. “Through the grant awards we are announcing today, we are equipping local communities and organizations—including those historically underserved—with needed resources so they can become more effective partners, strengthen our security, and help the American people feel safe and secure in our daily lives.”

Related story: School violence prevention aim of $780K Homeland Security grant, October 18, 2021

UH West Oʻahu has received a two-year total of more than $1.3 million from the TVTP grant program. This year’s award follows for the university’s efforts to create threat assessment and management teams and bystander training.

Baligad said, “UH West Oʻahu continues to be heavily involved in the state’s strategy to address targeted violence and threat prevention, and we are excited to work closely with our community members to build awareness that will help keep our ʻohana safe.”

Read more in .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

A recent school safety training event featured the chief of the U.S. Secret Service (NTAC), Lina Alathari. In August, the 2022 Â鶹´«Ã½ Behavior Intervention/Threat Assessment Team (BITAT) Advanced Annual Training, was presented by in collaboration with host campus .

The event brought together about 100 participants, who attended in person or virtually from throughout the state and the continental U.S., with the shared goals of identifying, assessing, intervening and managing threats in schools.

“Far too often, communities have been devastated by violence directed at places where we should all feel safe,” Alathari said. “NTAC’s research and training helps to empower communities with information on how to identify and intervene with those who pose a risk of violence to themselves or others. I am grateful to all of our audiences who are committed to this critical work.”

Attendees were a mix of public and private, K–12 and higher education officials, as well as local and federal threat prevention agencies. The guest speakers, all of whom attended in person, included the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service and more.

“This event represents the beginning of a small portion—focused on schools—of the state’s larger targeted violence and threat prevention strategy,” said event organizer Bev Baligad, director of compliance and chair of the . “I fully anticipate growing this event in the upcoming years.”

A training tradition

The UH West Oʻahu BIT annual training has been a tradition since the team’s inception in 2017. Since then, UH West Oʻahu has held mandatory annual training in an effort to stay updated on any national and state trends, continue team building, and review and modify its team manual if necessary.

In 2021, UH West Oʻahu extended invites to Leeward CC and Windward CC—other campuses that had also received basic foundational training and that had teams positioned to understand trends that its leaders could then consider for their campus.

The UH West Oʻahu BIT, also referred to as “ECHO Alpha,” serves as the inspiration for successful implementation of BITATs across the state.

• Related UH News story: School violence prevention aim of $780K Homeland Security grant, October 18, 2021

The recent training included representatives from all identified ECHO teams: ECHO 1, Kapolei Middle School; ECHO 2, UH Maui College; ECHO 3, Windward CC; ECHO 4 Island Pacific Academy; and ECHO 5 Kauaʻi CC.

“We are not creating a model; we focus solely on building a strong team foundation so that whatever model is chosen by a school, it will be sustainable and strong,” Baligad said. “By helping schools implement strong, knowledgeable and community-connected teams, we believe the state has the capability to make our schools and our ‘ohana safer.”

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—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

Sex Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is observed nationally every April to promote education and prevention of sexual violence. This year, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Mānoa is inviting its community to take part in upcoming SAAM events in April.

To further promote prevention and healing through reconnecting individuals to their communities, the theme of this year’s SAAM campaign is “Roads to Reconnection.”

“SAAM is meant to build awareness and increase prevention efforts in ending sexual violence. Here at UH Mānoa, it is imperative that we build a sense of community and safety for our haumāna (students),” said Jamie Newalu, UH Mānoa advocate. “It is everyone’s kuleana to look after one another. Sexual assault is not a light matter, and we all probably know someone who has been impacted by sexual violence. I encourage everyone to come and join our efforts to stand against sexual violence, and to reconnect with the community as we come back to campus.”

Roads to Reconnection

• Wednesday, April 6, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Campus Center Courtyard

A resource fair featuring both on- and off-campus resources where participants can learn more about sexual violence prevention and healing. Alongside UH Mānoa resources, there will be featured community resources which include the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Domestic Violence Action Center, Planned Parenthood, ±á´Çʻ´ÇÌ„±ô²¹ Nā Pua, Â鶹´«Ã½ State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Nā Leo Kāne. The event will include music, fun and games.

Roads to Reconnection: Standing Together

• Thursday, April 14, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Campus Center Courtyard

A resource fair featuring UH Mānoa student groups and resources that are standing together to prevent sexual violence. Participants can come and join your peers on spreading awareness to end sexual violence. The event will include music, prize giveaways and free food.

TEAL Thursday

• Thursday, April 14, 9 a.m–2 p.m. at Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services (QLCSS)

In honor of SAAM, an awareness display will be presented at QLCSS. Come and check out the display, take selfies and have a reflective moment as we all embrace the kuleana of ending sexual violence. Everyone is encouraged to wear teal for this “TEAL Thursday” event.

On- and off-campus resources

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of SAAM events would like to emphasize the resources, both on- and off-campus, that are available to everyone. The SAAM events are co-sponsored by UH ²Ñā²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s Women’s Center, , UH System Confidential Advocate and the office.

“UH Mānoa is the largest university in the State of Â鶹´«Ã½, and we are cultivating many future leaders, advocates and brilliant minds that will make an impact in this world,” said Newalu. “It is important that as a university community, we stand together and advocate against sexual and gender-based violence to make this a safe environment for our growing leaders to develop. Sexual violence knows no bounds, and is a pervasive problem across the world. It will take a collective effort from everyone, especially our future leaders, to put an end to sexual violence.”

For more information on upcoming events, follow @PAUviolence, @uhmwomen, @uhadvocate and @manoaadvocate on Instagram. For questions, contact Newalu at (808) 956-9499.

As part of a program that aims to strengthen the nation’s targeted violence and terrorism prevention capabilities, the U.S. awarded the $780,000 to create threat assessment and management teams, and bystander training.

Bev Baligad, principal investigator of the UH West Oʻahu grant, said the use of Behavior Intervention/Threat Assessment Teams (BITATs) within K–12 schools and higher education as a means to identify, assess, intervene and manage threats has become a national best practice in the prevention of targeted school violence within the U.S.

“ is a leader within the state for implementing and utilizing national best practices in the field of threat assessment,” said Baligad.

The funds from the grant will help to create and implement four pilot BITATs within the state. They are ECHO-1, Kapolei Middle School; ECHO-2, ; ECHO-3, ; and ECHO-4, ʻEwa Beach Elementary School.

“The goal is to build a solid foundation and threat assessment capacity within the state for future threat assessment teams in the hopes of preventing targeted violence within our communities,” Baligad said.

The grant to UH West Oʻahu was one of 37 under the Fiscal Year 2021 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program.

“Domestic violent extremism and targeted violence pose significant and persistent threats to our homeland,” Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in the release. “Attacks on schools, houses of worship, workplaces and public gatherings threaten Americans’ lives and inflict trauma on our communities. The Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program prioritizes investments that empower and equip communities across our country to prevent acts of violence before they occur.”

The 2021 TVTP grants expand on the department’s new approach to prevention, which centers on providing local communities with evidence-based tools to help prevent violence, while protecting civil rights, civil liberties and privacy rights. These grants will help local communities strengthen online and in-person prevention efforts, including addressing early-risk factors that can lead to radicalization and violence.

UH West Oʻahu intends to create and build BITATs and a bystander intervention program designed specifically for the needs of the diverse population, culture and environment of Â鶹´«Ã½. Additionally, training programs, ongoing collaboration, networking with other teams and programming to help encourage the community to safely intervene, when necessary, will build a “spider’s web” of threat assessment and capacity that stretches across the state.

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—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman