The Connecticut Center for School Safety and Crisis Preparation at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) has received a $362,655 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for its Threat Assessment and Management Team.
In a statement, the DHS said the Danbury-based school “will expand and enhance capacity for schools in Connecticut to manage school-related threats.” WCSU will use the grant funds to develop threat assessment teams that will assist school districts in their violence prevention and intervention efforts, including the identification and investigation of digital threats from social media platforms.
The federal funds are part of the DHS”™ Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program for fiscal year 2023, which is allocating $20 million across 34 grants.”¯
“We are excited to receive this grant because it will help build and enhance Connecticut K-12 schools”™ violence prevention efforts,” said Amery Bernhardt, director of the Connecticut Center for School Safety and Crisis Preparation. “The training helps schools to recognize concerning behavior, assess the level of risk, and intervene to move people away from using violence.”
