By: Linda Abbott, L.M.H.C., Consultant, TNG Consulting, LLC
We continue exploring the updated standards published in NABITA’s Industry Standards for Behavioral Intervention Teams whitepaper as we focus on Standard 13. This standard explains the importance of using an objective risk rubric to assess the level of risk for all individuals referred to your Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT).
Standard 13. Objective Risk Rubric: The team uses an evidence-based, objective risk rubric to assess every referral.
An objective risk assessment tool is a crucial component of the BIT process. Assigning a risk level to each student or individual of concern at the referral stage creates consistency. It also allows the team to engage in an objective decision-making process using a shared language. NABITA’s Risk Rubric is unique because it is designed to score each referral, regardless of how severe or insignificant it seems. It helps teams triage concerns including, but not limited to, emotional health, adjustment difficulties, threatening or aggressive behavior, and threats to self or others.
As a refresher, our BIT process follows these three steps: 1. Gather data, 2. Assess risk, and 3. Deploy interventions. During the second phase of the process, the team applies an objective scoring tool, like NABITA’s Risk Rubric, to reach a consensus on the risk level. Considering the multiple perspectives of team members will help the team actively mitigate bias in the assessment process. Once the rating is assigned, it should be documented in the electronic recordkeeping system and include a brief rationale for the overall rating and the scores on the D-Scale and E-Scale. Using an objective rubric also helps teams manage liability and streamline the BIT process.
To understand the significance of behavioral concerns, it is essential to establish behavioral baselines for referred individuals. This entails collecting data on their typical behavior, habit patterns, and routines. It also includes gathering information BIT members share during the meeting and other relevant sources like educational records. Sometimes, a lack of information or prior referrals may be a data point, as it could suggest that the concerning behavior is new and atypical for the individual. Establishing a baseline facilitates the identification of deviations that indicate distress or a threat, and the NABITA Risk Rubric enables teams to assign a risk level objectively based on the pertinent details. This process makes detecting changes faster and more accurate when updating the risk level in subsequent BIT meetings.
Teams should apply an objective risk rubric to each referral, regardless of how severe or insignificant the referral seems. The NABITA Risk Rubric is designed to be the initial assessment for every referral. It should also be used in subsequent discussions about a referral, as risks are fluid and likely to change as more information is gathered and interventions are deployed. Following the initial assessment and risk rating, BITs can (and often should) utilize additional assessments to collect further data to assess risk most effectively.
Practical tip: If a subjective opinion, such as whether a referral is “a big deal,” drives the assessment and intervention phases of the BIT process, teams may overreact, underreact, or miss key risk indicators. Assessing the level of risk for every concern uniformly is critical to identifying threats and deploying appropriate interventions.
Stay tuned for the remaining Tips of the Week in the BIT Standards refresh series. For additional training on using the NABITA Risk Rubric, consider enrolling in the NABITA Risk Rubric Certification Course or the K-12 Risk Rubric Certification Course.