This program is only open to members who have completed a Threat Assessment training and are first time participants.
Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org to register.
March 27, 2026 @ 8:00 am – 3:00 pm (In Person)
April 10, 2026 @ 12:30 – 2:30 pm (Virtual)
May 1, 2026 @ 12:30 – 2:30 pm (Virtual)
This program is limited to 40 participants. Registration is limited to 2 participants per district. You will be notified within 3 days if you are being moved to the waitlist.
Attend In Person
Minuteman High School
758 Marrett Rd.
Lexington, MA 02421
Participants must attend the in-person and two virtual sessions to receive PDPs and/or CEUs. The virtual sessions will not be recorded.
SpeakerS
Description
The Fundamentals of Risk Assessment workshop is designed for school clinicians who have completed the Intensive Threat Assessment Workshop. The Fundamentals of Risk Assessment workshop will focus on the principles of a thorough and complete school-based risk assessment for students in crisis. Participants will learn best-practices in risk assessment using a structured professional judgment model. Participants will also learn risk mitigation and protection strategies as well as methods to assess the effectiveness of risk management plans for schools.
In the virtual follow-up trainings, Dr. Richards will present actual cases from schools in Massachusetts to illustrate the complexities of threat assessments, as well as the benefits of applying a structured protocol that integrates key information from all respective stakeholders. Specific tools will be reviewed and shared, and report formats will be distributed to school-based teams to utilize and/or modify for use in their respective districts.
March 27, 2026 (Facilitated by James Barrett, Ph.D.)
Location: Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School, Lexington
Time: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
April 10, 2026 (Facilitated by Ellie Richards, Ph.D.)
Location: Virtual
Time: 12:30 – 2:30 pm
May 1, 2026 (Facilitated by Ellie Richards, Ph.D.)
Location: Virtual
Time: 12:30 – 2:30 pm
About the SpeakerS
James Barrett, Ph.D., (he/him) is the Director of School-Based Programs in the Division of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry at the Cambridge Health Alliance and an Instructor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is the site director of the Safety Net psychology fellowship program and clinical coordinator of the Safety Net Collaborative in partnership with the Cambridge Police Department. Dr. Barrett has presented at numerous national conferences on juvenile justice, preventing retaliatory violence, juvenile risk assessment, and police-mental health partnerships. He is a contributor to Psychological Services, Adolescent Psychiatry, The Community Psychologist, and The Handbook of Human Development for Health Professionals.
Ellie Richards, Ph.D., (she/her) is a child and adolescent psychologist at Cambridge Health Alliance and an Instructor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Richards specializes in providing clinical care to high-risk adolescents, particularly those who are multi-system involved. She serves as the team lead for school-based mental health at CHA, supporting behavioral health staff in four school-based health centers, providing consultation, support, and professional development to several school districts, and is an active member of the Cambridge Police Department’s Safety Net Collaborative, a partnership between families, police, schools, youth programs, and others to prevent and reduce juvenile delinquent behaviors. Finally, her research focuses on increasing access to mental health treatment for youth.
Participants must attend the in-person and two virtual sessions to receive PDPs and/or CEUs and must pass the quiz following the second virtual session. If you are not eligible for PDPs and/or CEUs, you may apply for a Certificate of Attendance.
Membership Information
Most MPY webinars are available ONLY to current staff from member districts and organizations. Public school memberships include police and fire personnel. Former and retired employees and members of committees, including but not limited to, PTO/PTA, PAC, School Improvement Councils, Health Councils, Drug/Alcohol Councils, and school volunteers, are not considered MPY members.
PDPs and CEUs
MPY is an approved Professional Development Provider through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (Provider No. F20180079). Professional Development Points (PDPs) are offered for most MPY professional development webinars. PDPs are issued in 10 hour increments, per DESE requirements.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for clinical staff through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc. (MaMHCA). The NASW and the MaMHCA approve each event individually. CEUs may be given in hourly increments.
To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must pass the quiz.
Event Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend a MPY webinar you must cancel, through Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org, one business day before the webinar.
For MPY hybrid conferences, the date in-person registration closes will be posted on MPY’s website. Virtual conference registration will close one business day before the hybrid conference. You cannot cancel or switch your registration from in-person to virtual after in-person registration closes. Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org with any questions regarding registration.