Upcoming Violence Prevention/Threat Evaluation Training Opportunities Offered by DESPP/DEMHS

The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), through its Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), is hosting three upcoming violence prevention training opportunities focused on threat evaluation.

As part of a broader, community-wide approach to violence prevention, DESPP and DEMHS are encouraging healthcare professionals who work in emergency departments, behavioral health, social work, safety and security, emergency management, and other disciplines to participate in trainings focused on how to recognize and report potential warning signs and connect individuals with appropriate resources.

Detailed instructions on how to register are available at the links below.

Basic Threat Evaluation and Reporting Course (B-TERC)
Dates: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, OR Thursday, January 7, 2027
Time: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: On-site at 1111 Country Club Road, Middletown, CT 06457
Audience: Individuals who serve on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) teams

(B-TERC) is a one-day training that teaches participants how to help assist in preventing acts of targeted violence, such as, but not limited to, terrorism, school shootings, or mass attacks in public spaces by identifying those threats or observable behaviors that may indicate the potential for violence. Participants are equipped with the tools to identify and report threats or observable behaviors that may concern others, as well as recognize intervention strategies to move individuals off of a pathway to violence.

• Registration instructions for September 30 B-TERC training (linked here) and January 7 B-TERC (linked here) training

Threat Evaluation and Reporting Overview (TERO)
Date: Friday, October 30, 2026
Location: Virtual
Time: 12-3 p.m.
Audience: Open to all participants

The Threat Evaluation and Reporting Overview (TERO) is a three-hour introductory training focusing on a behavioral approach to violence prevention. The TERO raises awareness about the risk factors, triggers and stressors, and warning behaviors that could impact a person’s decision to commit an act of targeted violence. Further, it outlines the mitigating factors that could help prevent acts of targeted violence, while emphasizing the importance of community involvement in seeking help for individuals, and respecting their privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

• Registration instructions for October 30 TERO training (linked here)