Regional Safety and Security Center

Overview

The Regional School Safety and Security Center is a statewide school safety and security network collaborative in partnership with OSPI and the nine ESD’s. The purpose of this network is to provide coordination and resources that support all school safety efforts.

The OESD Regional School Safety and Security provides a region‐wide support network to help keep our school environments safe and prepared; and foster safe, secure and supportive learning environments in our school communities.

Contact

Kristin Schutte
Executive Director 
Student Services and Support

Phone: 360-405-5833
Email: schuttek@oesd114.org

Student walking in class
Student sitting in class

"There isn't anything more important than the safety of our students, staff and families,"

Former OESD 114 Superintendent Greg Lynch (July 2013-June 2022)

Purpose

The purpose of the School Safety and Security Coordinator is to assist in the development, expansion and maintenance of the regional safety and security program services. This includes technical assistance, coordination, training and facilitation of school safety programming (i.e. policy and procedures, comprehensive school safety plan reviews, safety best practices, cross-systems collaboration).

Contact

Mark McVey
Safety and Security Coordinator
Phone: 360-900-9532
mmcvey@oesd114.org

Goal

The overall goal of the School Safety and Security Coordinator is to provide leadership in comprehensive school safety planning, otherwise referred to as emergency operations planning (EOP) to increase schools district and schools’ capacity to respond to disasters; and to support the efforts of the local school districts and schools to bring best practices in school safety and student well-being.

Objectives

  • To enhance student safety and security through comprehensive emergency operation plans. To include planning for the prevention of, mitigation of, intervention in, protection from, response to, and recovery from various natural, physical, social, emotional, biological, and technological threats and trauma to an individual, the school, and the community.
  • Increase school district and school’s competency in school safety and security efforts by:
    • Providing coordination of school safety and student well-being efforts in collaboration with local and state partner
    • Dissemination of school safety and student well-being resources to the school districts within the region.
    • Sponsoring school safety and security trainings
    • Holding convening sessions with districts/schools for cross networking and sharing, community leaders, coordinate appropriate crisis and emergency response and recovery, and crisis intervention teams.
  • To provide real-time support and assistance for school districts in crisis, such as offering information, technical assistance associated with best practices, and staff trained in responding to school emergencies.

The School Safety and Security Coordinator’s direct services include:

  1. Services necessary for comprehensive safe school planning under RCW 28A.320.125.
  2. Planning, coordination, and/or delivery of other school district staff training related to school safety issues, in order to maximize quality professional learning.
  3. HIB Compliance Officer Training and Bullying Prevention for schools and districts (includes adjusted RCWs, updated definitions, and helpful resources.)
  4. School Safety and Security Staff Training Program.
  5. Comprehensive School Safety Site Assessments.
  6. Building partnerships and serve as a liaison with community partners (such as emergency responders, and law enforcement agencies), for the purpose of implementing comprehensive safe school planning.

School Safety Cooperative Aims to...

  • Provide a consistent level of service and expertise across the region to school districts within the co-op;
  • Foster a common framework and shared approach in coordination, and execution of the emergency management strategies and common command structures;
  • Co-op resources to reduce duplication of efforts and training cost to district; and
  • Assist Districts and schools to be better prepared.

Contact

Kristin Schutte
Executive Director
Student Services and Support
(360) 405-5833
schuttek@oesd114.org

School Bus

Why Join the Cooperative?

  • Improve the capacity of our schools to prevent and respond to a crisis at school.
  • Convening of school district/school teams to train, plan and prepare for emergencies (e.g. Table Top drills).
  • Shared professional learning and staff development costs with the collective identification of external subject matter expertise to meet school district needs.
  • Maintain compliance of current safety and security laws with regulations and development of policies and procedures.
  • Leverage external expertise to assist with the evaluation of safety and security needs of schools and school district infrastructure leading to long range plan for resources.
  • Identification of emergency preparedness related materials and equipment including infrastructure technology – bulk purchases equal reduced cost for member participants.
  • Provide continuity of support and services between school districts, Law Enforcement and Fire and Emergency Services leadership – key personnel turnover challenges.
  • Routine planned discussion, coordination and emergency planning with school district, Law Enforcement and Fire and Emergency Services Leadership.
  • Common framework and shared procedures in coordinating the execution of emergency response.
  • Best practice Crisis Management Team training.
  • Access to all training materials from previous events, as allowed by presenters.

Threat Assessment Purpose

To provide a comprehensive, multidimensional system to assist schools in addressing situations that may pose a threat of harm to others and to provide options for intervention.

Goals

Keep students who are at risk from committing violent acts in school.
Help protect students and staff members from potential violence.
Provide a student-specific safety plan utilizing community resources to mitigate the threat of violence.
Involve parents in the threat assessment process.

Document the program’s effectiveness in dealing with students who make threats of violence, including student academic and behavioral success.
Work in collaboration with community partners to coordinate resources for the safety and well being of youth, families and communities.

Objectives

  1. Assess threats of potentially harmful or lethal behavior and determine the level of concern and action required.
  2. Organize resources and strategies to manage threatening situations that pose a risk of harm to others.
  3. Maintain a sense of psychological safety among our schools and community.
  4. Reduce the number of expulsions for students who can be maintained safely in the school environment.

Contact

Malorie Woods
Threat Assessment Coordinator
Phone: 360-478-6891
Email: mwoods@oesd114.org

Behavioral Health at OESD 114

The OESD has a long history of working closely with our member school districts to provide programs and support for programs that support mental health and positive, trauma-informed discipline systems. Recent trends in student anxiety levels and school violence, have brought school climate issues into sharp focus. The OESD is committed to facilitating systems that draw on school and community partnerships to encourage a positive and safe learning environment for all students.

Contact

Ciela Meyer
Behavioral Health Navigator
Phone: (360) 643-0047
Email: cmeyer@oesd114.org

The Behavioral Health Navigator

The Behavioral Health Navigator’s role includes increasing access to behavioral health services and supports for students and families by facilitating cross-systems coordination and integration of various service delivery models appropriate for the school setting, as well as assisting with and conducting trainings for school district staff to develop, implement and/or update their plans for recognition, initial screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students.

The Behavioral Health Navigator’s role includes....

  • Coordination of behavioral health resources, supports, service providers, schools, school districts, and communities in the ESD region.  
  • Facilitation of partnerships across the multiple systems of behavioral healthcare services and supports for children and families. 
  • Ensuring the adequacy of systems level supports for students in need of behavioral health services through the integration of various service delivery models appropriate for the school setting.  
  • Collaboration with ESDs, OSPI, districts, schools, community partners, and other stakeholders to increase access to behavioral healthcare services and supports. 
  • Conducting outreach to school districts in the ESD region to provide technical assistance and training for expanding behavioral health services. 
  • Provide technical assistance and support to districts on plan development and implementation of their Plan for Recognizing and Responding to Emotional or Behavioral Distress authorized by RCW 28A.320.127.

Crisis Numbers

  • Regional Crisis Lines
    • Volunteers of America 1 (888) 910-0416
    • Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741-741
  • National and Washington State Crisis Lines
    • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255
    • WA Listens: 1 (833) 681-0211

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