Assessing Threats and Violence Risk in the Workplace and on Campus with the WAVR-21
Dr. Reid Meloy, co-author of the WAVR-21, will present a one day training on violence risk and threat assessment in the workplace and on campus. The centerpiece of this dynamic event will be the WAVR-21, a structured professional guide, designed for mental health, security, law enforcement, education, HR and legal professionals. First published in 2007, the WAVR-21 includes 21 empirically-based criteria for assessing different forms of workplace violence risk, including student violence in academic settings. Incorporating years of research, the core of the WAVR-21 is the “pathway to violence” approach to cases, as developed by professionals at the US Secret Service and the US Marshals Office. A recent study demonstrated good to excellent inter-rater reliability for The WAVR-21, and validation research continues. The workshop will emphasize integrating the WAVR-21 “tool kit” into dynamic threat case management with its demands for flexibility. Teaching methods will include lecture, large and small group interaction, case vignettes, and video presentations. Common workplace threat scenarios will be addressed, including stalking, subjects driven by paranoia and mental illness, domestic violence, bullying, and chronically anti-social individuals.
“WAVR training was selected and provided on a systemwide basis to all ten University of California campuses.” UC, Office of the President
Workshop Content
The scientific and clinical basis for the WAVR-21 risk and protective factors
Assessing violence risk in the workplace
Assessing communicated threats in the workplace
Integrating the WAVR-21 into ongoing workplace threat management practice
Common workplace threat scenarios
Applying the WAVR-21 in the workplace threat assessment process
Workshop Objectives
List the steps of the “pathway to violence” as put forth by Calhoun and Weston
Identify how the WAVR captures and documents a subjects risk of violence at any given moment
Describe the differences between making a threat and posing a threat
List the legal issues involved in confronting a potentially violent employee
Demonstrate through practice cases the ability to accurately assess risk using the WAVR-21
