Responding to risk through behavioural intervention teams

Managing risk appropriately is a concern for us all. Dave Wilson describes the Behavioural Intervention Team model used in many parts of North America. As counsellors, therapists and other professionals in UK student services, we are skilled and, sadly, experienced in working with students troubled by suicidal ideation. However, I have noted through communications with practitioners from other educational establishments on various JISCMails, or at conferences I have attended, that there appears to be a growing expectation that student services staff should also work with other aspects of behavioural risk, such as risk to self, risk to others, or risk from others, as well as risk in relation to retention of students. In this context there is also the Government’s PREVENT agenda to take into consideration. Yet student services professionals may not always be best equipped to work with individuals at risk. In addition, there are barriers to effective working with students at risk, such as silo thinking between services on campuses, where fears of crossing a line in relation to confidentiality may prevent sharing of important information. This can lead to confusion, to duplication of work if two different departments offer simultaneous interventions, or to concerns that slip through the net when assumptions are made that another department will deal with a situation.