Offered Live in 2 Sessions
Part I: 4-6 pm, Monday, June 16
Part II: 4-6 p.m. Monday, July 14
(Attendees purchase all 4 hours at once. Sessions will be available as recordings.)

Educational threat assessment practices have evolved significantly with the implementation of HB 206 (2024). This presentation examines how school psychologists can enhance existing threat and risk assessment protocols to meet new legislative standards. Key topics include exclusionary discipline procedures, comprehensive threat assessment methodologies, HB 206 compliance strategies, lethality assessment protocols, safety planning frameworks, and ethical practice guidelines.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

1. Identify and compare at least three exclusionary discipline practices and articulate the key components of two evidence-based threat assessment approaches currently used in educational and/or clinical settings.
2. Use a desktop aid to easily identify when their duty to protect obligations attach and to document they have appropriately discharged their duties within threat assessment scenarios.
3. Select and justify the use of at least two HB 206-compliant risk assessment tools and demonstrate the ability to develop a comprehensive safety plan that incorporates required legislative elements.
4. Evaluate supervision requirements under HB 206 and identify three specific ethical considerations that must be addressed when conducting risk, threat, and lethality assessments in educational settings.

Presenters:  

• Bob Stinson, Psy.D, J.D., LICDC-CS, ABPP

  Bob Stinson, Psy.D., J.D., LICDC-CS, ABPP, is a board-certified forensic psychologist, an attorney at law, and a licensed independent chemical dependency counselor – clinical supervisor. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP) and a Diplomate in forensic psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Dr. Stinson has experience as a forensic evaluator at a state psychiatric hospital, as an administrator with the Ohio Department of Youth Services, and as a private practitioner in both psychology and law. Dr. Stinson is a past president of the Central Ohio Psychological Association, the Ohio Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. 

• A.J. McConnell, Psy.D., NADD-CC

   A.J. McConnell, Psy.D., NADD-CC is the Director of Research and Clinical Development at Alvis, Inc., where he focuses on the treatment and assessment of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders in both clinical and forensic contexts. He has conducted threat assessments for several school districts in central Ohio. Dr. McConnell is the Chair of the Education Committee for the Ohio Psychological Association and Co-Chair of the Ohio Attorney General Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness, specifically the Best Practices and Mental Health Training for Jails committee. He is a certified clinician through the National Association of the Dually Diagnosed.

• Erich Merkle, Ph.D., Ed.S., NCSP 

  Erich Merkle, PhD, EdS, NCSP serves as Behavioral Health and Section 504 Leads for Akron Public Schools, advancing comprehensive services for students with severe social-emotional and behavioral health needs. With over 25 years of experience and a Ph.D. in School Psychology from Kent State University, he holds Ohio licensure as both an Independent School Psychologist and Educational Administrator. Dr. Merkle has demonstrated exceptional leadership, serving as President of both the Ohio School Psychologists Association (2014-15) and Ohio Psychological Association (2019-20), becoming the first practitioner to lead both statewide organizations. His expertise is widely recognized through numerous honors, including 2022-23 OSPA School Psychologist of the Year and OPA Public Sector Psychologist of the Year awards along with over 75 media appearances.

4 Ethics Hours Earned

This online Professional Development module is $149 for current members and $199 for non-members.

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