Assessing Student Threats: Implementing the Salem-Keizer System

About the Author

John Van Dreal is a school psychologist and the retired Director of Safety and Risk Management Services for the Salem-Keizer School District. He continues his career consulting with school districts and communities on behavioral threat assessment systems and operational security. He has over 30 years of experience in threat assessment and management, psycho-educational evaluation, crisis intervention, behavioral intervention, and security and risk management systems consultation. In 1999, he began the development and implementation of the Salem-Keizer Model, a multi-agency student threat assessment system considered by experts to be a leading practice. Through that collaboration, he has worked daily with educators, law enforcement, trial court personnel, juvenile justice, and mental health personnel in the assessment and management of youth and adult threats of aggression within the schools, institutions, and the community. He served as Chair of Oregon's Mid-Valley Student Threat Assessment Team from its inception in 2000 through 2015 and continues to provide consultation to its membership. He has served as a member of the Marion County Threat Advisory Team since 1999. He regularly provides training and consultation to audiences nationally on threat assessment systems, preventing and mitigating human violence, school security, and response options for violent intruder and active shooter situations.