Using an Organisational Behaviour Review and Risk Group to Build Resilience and

Manage Risks

Adam Byrne,

Director of Campus Safety & Security,

&

Gill Murphy,

Mental Health Coordinator

Introduction

• Background literature & current research

• UWS Behaviour Review & Risk Group (BRRG)

• Establishing an organisational BRRG

Introduction

• Background in high risk incident management involving staff / students

• Number of incidents globally seared into the minds of those whose job it is to manage large groups of people

• Identifying risk in people before flashpoint

Introduction

WHO Principles

• WHO Safe Community Approach

– Injury prevention

– Enhancing safety

– Reduction in injuries

All human beings have an equal right to

health and safety

WHO Principles

• Safety the responsibility of all

• Safety is a dynamic state

• Emphasis on collaboration, partnerships, community capacity building (Spinks, Turner, Nixon & McClure, 2009 )

Principles

• Violence is a dynamic process (Deisinger, Randazzo,

O’Neill & Savage, 2008)

• Changing a potential outcome of aggression and violence is possible:

professional positioning

• Engagement, engagement, engagement

• Support for all

Threat assessment

• Principles: 1. Targeted violence can be avoided

2. Violence as a dynamic process

3. Functions of targeted violence

4. Corroboration is critical

5. Focus on behaviour, cooperating systems

6. Does a person POSE a risk

7. Victims in mind

Threat assessment

• Principles: 8. Early identification & interventions helps everyone

9. Multiple reporting mechanisms enhance early identification

10. Multi – faceted resources

11. Safety is a primary focus

Know Your Community

• Staff profiling

• Number / ages of staff

• Key departments: roles & personnel

• Policies & procedures

• Staff communications systems: formal & informal

• Users, customers or service recipients

• Months of service usage

• Times of service

• Ages

• Cultural background:

– Understanding of risks, threat, violence, trauma

– Mental health & support

• Languages

Know your Organisation

1. Purpose of organisation

2. Strategic vision

3. Organisational future changes can help future risk assessment and management

Community Profile

• Community:

– Geographical area

– Group of people with common interests

– Individuals who provide services to a specific location

(Australian Safe Communities Foundation, 2012, p3)

Workplace Mental Health

• Concern for World Health Organisation

• Concerns for disclosure within the workplace (De Lorenzo, 2013)

• Stigmas: Generating fear in the workplace and concerns for high profile academic staff

• Absent from workplace, performance, behaviours, no support

• Behavioural impact on others in workplace

Workplace Mental Health

• Networking and education with Office of People & Culture

• Early identification, support and interventions

• Consultation role

• EAP

• Working group

• Workplace mental health promotion: MHA

Mental health Common mental health issues that students face at university:

• Depression, anxiety, eating disorders and harmful drinking (Said, Kypri & Bowman, 2012)

• Australian study: 30% of the 6,044 students surveyed had at least one of these disorders (Said, Kypri & Bowman, 2012)

• Most mental health disorders have their peak prevalence among young people (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008)

Mental health

• The 12-month prevalence of any mental disorder was 26% among 16-24 year old and 25% among 25-34 year olds (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008; Eisenberg, Golberstein

& Gollust, 2007)

• One quarter of young people, 15-24 years old have

mental health concerns in any 12 month period(University of Melbourne, 2011)

• Most of students with probable mental health concerns do not receive treatment (Zivin, Eisenberg, Gollust

& Golberstein, 2009; Cranford, Eisenberg & Serras, 2009)

UWS Community Resilience • Promotion of vibrant community

• Promotion of wellbeing & positive health (Tucker & Irwin, 2011)

• Promotion of safety

• Positive community cultural diversity

• Belonging and inclusivity

• Positive relationships

• Protecting oneself

• Protection & support of others

Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy

• Promote positive mental health & wellbeing

• Improve mental health / ill health literacy

• Support people who are experiencing mental health concerns

• Provide organisational responses

• Research and evaluation

Mental Health Teams

• Scoping of community mental health assessment teams

• 16 identified

• Management and practitioner level

• Networking and links

Resilience

Resilience is defined as an organisations ability to adapt to significant disruption that may come from an event such as a financial, organisational or reputational catastrophy.

Organisations demonstrate resilience in their ability to adapt and recover from the novelty in an event.

Resilience should be considered a process rather than an organisational trait.

Resilience

• Mental health & wellbeing events

• Population health partnership

• Publications

• Websites

• Cultural events

• Security presence & promotions

• Crisis management groups

• Targeted staff education

• Orientation events

• Student Support Services

• UWS Connect

• EAP

• Training for RA’s & student groups

• Regular staff training

UWS BRRG Strategy Group • BRRG meets quarterly

• Representation from all main areas of the university / organisation:

– Student Support Services: Counselling, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Disability Services

– International Office

– Office of People and Culture

– Office of University Legal Counsel

– Campus Safety & Security

– Work Health & Safety

– IT Security & Risk

– Governance Services

– Others

UWS BRRG Strategy Group

Purposes:

• Provide a coordinated, organisational strategic approach to the risk assessment and management

• Identify opportunities for development

• The Group is informed by the Operational group and members of the BRRSG providing strategic directions and support to the Operational group (and the University community)

Benefits of Coordination

• Individuals

• Families

• Organisations and businesses

• Wider community

• Improve safety and prevention of injury / violence to others

• Improve perceptions of safety (Australian Safe Communities Foundation, 2012, p13)

Risk

• Actual

• Perception of

– Panic

– Increasing risks

– Risks to reporters and staff involved in risk assessment / management

• Red Flags before targeted violence

(Deisinger, Randazzo, O’Neill & Savage, 2008; Meloy, Hoffmann, Guldimann & James, 2011)

BRRG Operational Group

Purposes:

• Strengthen and consolidate the University’s capacity to identify high-risk situations or individuals

• Intervention is intended to mitigate the likelihood of escalation to violence or harm to self or others

• Support the successful completion of studies or continuation of productive employment within the University community

BRRG Operational Group Principles & Philosophies

• Engagement, support and education

‒ Promote early interventions and recovery

‒ Humanistic positioning

‒ Assessment and management consistent with current research and best practice

• Responsible sharing of accurate and timely information between key stakeholders

BRRG Operational Group Principles & Philosophies

– Clear communication and documentation within good practice guidelines

– Maintenance of professional boundaries and integrity of decisions

– Respect for the privacy of personal information shared as part of the risk assessment and management strategies

– Full compliance with University statutes, policies and procedures and the law

Development

• Core group and meeting of stakeholders

• Mapping of initiatives / programmes

• Identify community needs and priority areas(Australian Safe Communities Foundation, 2012)

Processes

• Identify the current risk assessment & management approaches

• Is there evidence of a coordinated approach?

• Who is involved?

• How are they involved?

• What skills do you need within your team

• Level of management i.e. Director

• Map communications and processes of risks

Operational Group • Referrals to the group: Who? How? Why?

• Definition of Violence & harm

• Alerting your community of group & referrals

• Capacity

• Triage processes

– When?

– Who?

– How?

– Next actions?

• Documentations

Operational Group

• Group discussions

• Expertise

• Nature of discussions

• Engagement?

• Risk assessment?

• Risk management strategies?

• Documentation

• Coordination

BRRG

• Concerning behaviours in classroom

• Behaviour in university residences

• Alcohol

• Phone calls / emails / social media

• Stalking

• Interpersonal, family aggression

• Student to student concerns, student to staff concerns, work place relations

Individual of Concern

Internal University Services

– Student Support Services (Counselling, Mental Health, Disability Services & Welfare)

– University residential services

– University School / Head of School

– Campus Safety & Security

– UWS Complaints

– Governance

– Legal Services

– University Media Services

– Student Central

External

• Family

• Police

• Local Mental Health Team

• Private psychologist

• GP

• Psychiatrist

• NSW Police Mental Health Intervention Team

Alleged victim

Internal

• Counselling

• Welfare services

• School

• University residential services

• Campus Safety & Security

External

• Police

• Courts

• General Practitioners

• Links to external support services

Summary

• BRRG foundation philosophy of safety for all

• Dynamic construct & proactive approach

• Governance

• Managing perceptions & stigma

• Early identification & management

• Know your organisation & resources available

• Engagement & input

• Executive support & endorsement

Contributors

Our thanks to:

• Ms Ellen Brackenreg, Director, Student Support Services

• Ms Jenny Baines, Head of Counselling Services

• Mr Matt Dakin, Associate Director, Campus Safety & Security

References

• Australian Safe Communities Foundation, (2012), Pacific / Australian Safe Community Designation. Indicators and Process Guidebook. www.safecommunities.net.au/

• Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2008). National survey of mental health and wellbeing: Summary of results, 2007. ABS. 4326.0. Canberra.

• Cranford, J., Eisenberg, D. & Seraas, A. (2009). Substance use behaviours, mental health problems, and use of mental health services in a probability sample of college students. Addictive Behaviours, 34, 134-145.

• De Lorenzo, M.S. (2013). Employee mental illness: Managing the hidden epidemic. Employ Response Rights Journal. 25, 219 – 238.

• Deisinger, Randazzo, O’Neill & Savage, (2008). The handbook for campus threat assessment & management teams. Applied Risk Management. LLC

• Eisenberg, Golberstein & Gollust, (2007)

• Meloy, Hoffmann, Guldimann & James, (2011). The role of warning behaviours in threat assessment: An exploration and suggested typology. Behavioral Sciences and the Law. On line library. Doi: 10.1002/bsl.999

• Said, D., Kypri, K. and Bowman, J. (2012). Risk factors for mental disorder among university students in Australia: findings from a web-based cross-sectional survey. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 48 (6), 935-944.

References

• Spinks, A., Turner, C., Nixon, J. & McClure, RJ. (2009). The ‘WHO Safe Communities’ model foe the prevention of injury in whole populations. The Cochrane Library. 3, John Wiley & Sons LTD.

• UWS Strategy. Making the Difference 2014 – 2016. University of Western Sydney. Sydney.

• University of Melbourne, Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, (2011). The guidelines for tertiary education institutions to facilitate improved educational outcomes for students with a mental illness. University of Melbourne. Melbourne.

• Zivin, K., Eisenberg, D., Gollust, S.E., & Golberstenin, E. (2009). Persistence of mental health problems and needs in a college student population. Journal of Affective Disorders. 117, 180-185.