Tuesday, September 1, 2020
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of School Safety recently launched the Speak Up Speak Out Resource Center a single, comprehensive resource providing schools:
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threat assessment consultation
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critical incident response
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general school safety guidance
Speak Up Speak Out is a centralized safety tool available 24 hours a day. Resources for domestic abuse and crisis intervention in every county are listed as well.
As part of Speak Up Speak Out, the Wisconsin DOJ (2020) is “providing a free confidential reporting application or tip line to all schools. The information for one recipient contact administrator (RCA) is required to forward any tips reported to the Resource Center's tip line, to your school and local law enforcement. The RCA can then add any additional contacts from your School Safety Intervention Team (SSIT).” A school district representative must fill out a form for each individual school for contact information to be updated.
Threat Assessment Consultation
Schools can contact the Office of School Safety for a consultation to work through responding to a possible threat. Also listed are the school threat assessment protocol, an early intervention tool to support students with troubling behaviors; mandatory reporting training for school staff; and several threat assessment resources.
Critical Incident Response
When a school experiences a critical incident, the Office of School Safety Resource Center can provide support. If approved, a deployment team trained in incident command system, threat assessment, and trauma-informed practices to manage a crisis will be mobilized. The Office also offers crisis planning information for schools.
General School Safety Guidance
Finally, as schools fulfill requirements for Act 143, a new checklist is available for all schools to use, outlining the required information for each building and how to submit it.
Anyone can contact the DOJ Office of School Safety with questions about school safety practices, training, Wisconsin Act 143 requirements, grants, and more. Call: 1-800-MY-SUSO-1 (1-800-697-8761) or email: schoolsafety@doj.state.wi.us.
The Wisconsin DOJ Office of School Safety also offers Speak Up Speak Out training opportunities for middle and high school students. Visit the DOJ Training Opportunities web page for webinar registration information.
For more information, visit the Speak Up Speak Out Wisconsin website.
References
Wisconsin Department of Justice. 2020. “Update School Contact Information.”
Accessed August 26, 2020. https://speakup.widoj.gov/update-school-contact-information