Addressing Triage Drift in BIT/CARE Work

During peak periods of the academic year, Behavioral Intervention and CARE teams often experience a surge in referrals related to distress, suicidality, classroom disruption, and community impact. In these high-volume moments, teams may feel pressure to move quickly, abbreviate their review, or forgo a structured triage process altogether, which can create increased risk, inconsistent responses, and gaps in documentation.

This session will examine how “triage drift” occurs and how it can erode the distinction between behavioral threat and clinical risk, compromise equity, and weaken institutional records. Presenters will outline practical, research-informed strategies to preserve the integrity of triage assessments, even under time constraints, including the use of standardized rubrics, clear roles, workflows, and documentation tools that support defensible decision-making. Participants will gain concrete methods to streamline their processes without sacrificing thoroughness, fairness, or alignment with best practices.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify common indicators of triage drift in BIT/CARE operations and describe how rushed or skipped triage assessments increase institutional, legal, and safety risk.
• Utilize structured triage tools, decision-making frameworks, and documentation practices that improve consistency, reduce bias, and distinguish behavioral threat from clinical risk in high-volume contexts.
• Implement sustainable workflow and staffing strategies—such as clear thresholds, scripted questions, roles, and escalation pathways—that maintain triage quality and fidelity throughout peak referral periods.

InterACTT has teamed with DPrep Safety to share these monthly conversations related to threat and violence risk assessment in K-12, college, and workplace cases. Our team and expert guests will discuss topics related to risk and protective factors, interviewing techniques, deception detection, impression management, social media threat, incels, white supremacy, gatekeeping/triage, behavioral intervention teams, cultural competency, report writing, and case management.