The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) strongly supports the “Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety Act of 2018” (H.R. Bill 6664). As a leading voice for college student mental health, and the largest organization of campus mental health leaders in the country, AUCCCD is actively involved in efforts to reduce the risk of violence to self and others.

There have been far too many mass-casualty events already on our campuses and in our local communities. The majority of perpetrators of mass-casualty events are NOT mentally ill. Focusing on individuals with mental health issues will NOT make our communities safer because the vast majority of them will never act violently toward anyone. Instead, the only proven method to deter targeted violence is a threat assessment process that focuses on whether or not an individual’s behavior indicates that they are on a trajectory toward violence.

This bill will help disseminate and standardize this proven, evidence-based threat assessment process* to help schools, campuses, and local communities reduce the risk of preventable tragedies. The grant process established by this bill is also essential to enable campus and local communities with inadequate resources to be able to participate in this important endeavor.

Tragedies of targeted violence impact every one of us, and every one of our communities. This bill deserves bipartisan support, and the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors strongly endorses it.

Association for University and College Counseling Centers Governing Board. Website: www.aucccd.org

References: * Jarvis, John & Scherer, J. Amber. (2015) Mass Victimization: Promising Avenues for Prevention. Washington D.C: Federal Bureau of Investigation. * Meloy, J.R., & Hoffmann, J. (2014). The International Handbook of Threat Assessment. New York: Oxford U. Press.