The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a new blog post spotlighting the vital role of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) teams in preventing acts of violence and supporting individuals in crisis across American communities.
In the post, DHS details how BTAM teams — multidisciplinary groups that include law enforcement, mental health professionals, educators, and community leaders — intervene early when individuals exhibit concerning behavior, often long before a criminal threshold is reached. These teams evaluate the level of risk and connect individuals with resources, helping to resolve issues through nonviolent, constructive means.
A 2021 case from Michigan illustrates this approach. When an individual made troubling statements about a state senator, the Michigan State Police BTAM team assessed the situation and implemented a management plan that included communication alternatives and support for personal challenges. The individual has since exhibited no further concerning behavior, demonstrating the effectiveness of proactive, supportive intervention.
DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) has provided federal funding and technical assistance through its Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program, enabling the creation and expansion of dozens of BTAM teams. Between fiscal years 2020 and 2023, nearly 1,200 interventions were carried out, with 93% managed without requiring law enforcement investigation.
DHS also highlights the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) in Florida, which used TVTP grants to develop a co-response unit pairing officers with mental health clinicians. Since its inception after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, the PBSO team has prevented multiple threats and scaled up community engagement, going from one referral per week to over 1,100 high-risk cases annually.
BTAM has also become central to statewide violence prevention strategies, with six states (Colorado, Florida, Hawai’i, Illinois, New York, and Texas) publishing formal plans and several more in development. DHS encourages state and local leaders to engage with CP3 for guidance, training, and funding opportunities.
“BTAM is a tool that is directly stopping someone before they commit an act of violence,” said CP3 Deputy Director Jenny Presswalla. “Many of our partners want to do this and seek recommendations from us on how to do so. We can connect them to other teams using BTAM, set up trainings with experts for them, walk them through strategy development, and help them find state-level funding to sustain the work over time.”
Read DHS’s full post here.
