Monday with MASP

USM Student Presentations

April 28th, 2025

4:00PM

Please join us in celebrating the USM Students

and the completion of the research projects.

RSVP

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86994217079?pwd=MtT0lRwySNcbaRBoOdpDLEHf0iEaPH.1

School-Based Behavioral Threat Assessment in Maine:

Past, Present, and Future

Presenter:  Jim Babcock, Psy.D., NCSP
Jim Babcock is the Threat Assessment/Mental Health Coordinator at the Maine Department of Education’s School Safety Center. With over 30 years of experience in public schools, he has been supporting schools in implementing best practices in behavioral threat assessment since the early 2000s.

Description:

This session will provide an overview of the Maine School Safety Center’s Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) initiative, including its history, current status, and future direction. Participants will gain insight into the Comprehensive Threat Assessment Guidelines (CTAG), explore recent research findings, and discuss best practices for implementation.

The workshop is designed for school psychologists with all levels of experience in threat assessment—whether new to BTAM or already familiar with the process. Time will be provided for discussion and Q&A. Additionally, opportunities for advanced training and specialization will be outlined, including plans to develop a network of trained threat assessment coaches to support schools across Maine.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will:

• Understand the history and evolution of the Maine School Safety Center’s BTAM initiative.
• Gain an overview of the Comprehensive Threat Assessment Guidelines (CTAG) and their application in schools.
• Learn about the current state of BTAM implementation in Maine.
• Explore the vision for developing a network of trained threat assessment coaches to enhance statewide training and implementation.

Eligible for 1 NASP Approved credit after completion of evaluation.

RSVP

How prepared are you to evaluate preschool children?

If you are currently a practitioner in Maine, please consider completing this survey from one of the students from the School Psychology Program about evaluating preschool children.  The information provided will help provide an understanding of School psychologists' training and competence in conducting psycho-educational evaluations of preschool children.

https://usouthmaine.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8bQt5DW09zhWUCO

School Psychologist Shortage highlighted by Channel 13 I Team

Recently Stephanie Grindley interviewed Erin Frazier, Lisa Backman, and Mary MacLennan about the shortage in Maine. Her report was shown on Fox 23 on Tuesday during the 10:00 PM news.

Here is a link to the report and the presentation:

https://wgme.com/news/i-team/barely-coping-northern-maine-faces-worst-school-psychologist-shortage-in-the-northeast