The Safer Community Project: mitigating the risk of violence on campus

1. The Safer Community Project:mitigating the risk of violence on campus Sally Trembath Manager, Mental Health and Safer Community Programs Health and Wellbeing

2. University campuses today Expansion in student numbers Emphasis on social inclusion Diversity of social and cultural norms Increase in numbers of, and severity of, mental health presentations Increase in the incidence of violence, including lethal violence Human behaviour emerging as a key challenge for complex organisations

3. Problem behaviours in a University community Disgruntled students and staff, complainants Threateners, may or may not be harmless Personal, domestic disputes Criminals Abusive students or co-workers Abusive supervisors Mentally ill

4. Mental health ABS 2007: 1 in 4 18 � 24 year olds suffered diagnosable psychological illness Incidence of violence in the past year (n=7000): No mental health diagnosis 2% Psychosis, bipolar, panic disorder, major depression 11 � 13% 50% of completed suicides did not seek professional help Aust study: tertiary students 4x more likely psychologically distressed than aged match peers, only 11% had sought help

5. Signposts along the pathway to violence Some critical incidents occur without warning others emerge over time Analysis of multiple lethal shootings shows that in 75% cases others were aware of plans in 50% of cases more than one person had reported concern about the individual�s behaviour prior to the event What did you know? When did you know it? What did you do?

6. Learning from deadly lessons Community commitment to safety and the healthy development of its youth Mental health literacy Intelligence re confidentiality/privacy Radar screen to Detect signals Share information, join dots Coordinate response

7. IACLEA blueprint for safer campuses Security represented at senior level and in strategic planning Safety awareness and mental health literacy Collaboration between legal, security, mental health and HR staff Protocols to remove high-threat individuals prior to execution of their plan Involuntary hospitalisation where needed

8. Monash safer community project Aims to mitigate the risk of harm including lethal violence on campus, whether through suicide or homicide Assumes underlying responsibility for protecting, promoting and maintaining the health and wellbeing of the student and staff community Funded by most senior executive group Collaborative strategic framework Systematic threat assessment and risk management framework

9. Mental health and safer community framework High risk specialised response