Threat Assessment & Management with a Healthcare Focus™ 2023 Seminar

Nov. 8-10 | Kohler, WI

Registration for the 2023 Threat Seminar is now open!

The “all inclusive” registration fee of $1,195 includes conference attendance, hotel Wednesday & Thursday nights, hosted meals and breaks, and seminar materials.

COVID-19 information
Please note: COVID-19 vaccination is required for attendance (meaning full vaccination at some point since the pandemic began; the new bivalent booster is not required). Due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, the possibility of cancellation still exists (if that occurs, registration fees will be refunded). Accordingly, we recommend if purchasing airline tickets to attend, to be sure your purchase is refundable. Assuming we can proceed with the seminar, there may be some dining or session room changes to accommodate social distancing requirements that exist at the time. Anyone who has developed a cough or illness will not be permitted to attend and their registration fee will be refunded (or can be transferred to someone else).

View 2023 Threat Seminar brochure (PDF)
View past seminar agendas (PDF)
Read testimonials from past seminar attendees (PDF)

Meet Our 2023 Seminar Speakers

Sheridan Ryan, JD, CTM

Author of "'Zero Tolerance' for Violence and Violent Patients: Sound Policy or Sound Bite?" and "Healthcare Threat Management: Patients & Guns"

Read "Zero Tolerance" (PDF)

Read "Healthcare Threat Management" (PDF)

Lynn Van Male, PhD, CTM

Past 2nd VP on the national Board of Directors of ATAP; Assistant Professor of Psychology at Oregon Health and Sciences University; Provided SME to Joint Commission; FBI symposium invited faculty member on targeted attack prevention; Consulted with the Performance Advisory Committee (Naval Yard shootings); National Director of the VHA’s WVP Program

Jon Wertz, JD, RN

Director, MCW Risk Management; Authored the MCW Risk Management Department's Threat Assessment and Response Protocol

William Zimmerman, CTM

US Capitol Police (retired), and co-author of "Then and Now: Tracking a Federal Agency’s Threat Assessment activity Through Two Decades with an Eye Toward the Future" (2015)

Tony Thrasher, DO

Medical director for the Crisis Services branch of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division; Board-certified psychiatrist; President of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry; Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; President Elect – WI Psychiatric Association; President-Elect WI Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons; Board of Directors-NAMI (WI); Psychiatric Times “Mental Health Minute” webinars speaker

If a speaker is unexpectedly unable to be present (e.g., due to sickness or family emergency), other speaker(s) will fill in for the missing speaker.

I have attended the MCW Threat Assessment and Management training and have sent several of my department leaders. Sheridan and Jonathan’s work on this educational program effectively combines the processes and reasoning from threat assessment experts in the field and the application of this work to the unique healthcare conditions we work within. This training was well worth our time and has effectively driven our work in resolving threats and being able to effectively explain our rationale for each action.

Healthcare Safety & Security Director, 2015 & 2017 attendee

Frequently Asked Questions

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What does this seminar address, and who should attend?

This seminar addresses targeted (a/k/a predatory or intentional) violence in healthcare, especially targeted violence directed at healthcare providers and staff. Targeted violence is to be distinguished from affective (sometimes referred to as reactive) violence, the most common type of healthcare workplace violence, and general violence.

Healthcare security professionals (and/or police) are usually the primary resource for dealing with incidents of general violence, and may have a significant role, ideally alongside behavioral health team members, in addressing incidents involving affective or reactive violence. By comparison, acts of serious targeted violence are rare, but are the most feared among clinicians and staff and can have devastating consequences. Thus, ensuring everything reasonably possible is being done to prevent such acts is a hugely worthwhile albeit time-consuming endeavor that requires a team approach. Accordingly, the study of threat assessment and management for the prevention of targeted violence in healthcare is well suited for collaboration among a hospital or healthcare organization’s security professionals, risk managers, clinic managers, providers, human resources, legal support, and administrators.

Do I need to make my own hotel reservations?

No. Hotel reservations at Kohler’s Inn on Woodlake (IOW) are made by seminar staff on behalf of all paid registrants. 2 nights (Wednesday night and Thursday night) at IOW hotel are included in the registration fee.

If you have any questions about your hotel reservation, please contact seminar staff, not IOW or Kohler staff. Hotel reservation numbers are emailed to attendees in October. Upon arrival to IOW, hotel staff can look up your room with either your reservation number or your name. You will need a credit card to check in to your room.

Can my gluten-free diet be accommodated?

Yes.

Upon registration, please note your dietary need. At the seminar, for restaurant meals, after being seated, please let your server know (chefs will prepare separate dishes as needed and waitstaff need to know who to bring those to).

What should I pack?

Only the Thursday evening dinner at Wisconsin Room has a more formal (business casual) dress code; otherwise, attire can be casual and jeans are fine.

We recommend comfortable shoes or boots, and you may want to bring walking or running shoes if you plan to explore Kohler Village’s walking routes. If you think you might swim at the Sports Core Pool (IOW guests are welcome to use the Sports Core), bring a swimsuit. If you plan to visit the Kohler WaterSpa (at your own expense), you may also want to pack a swimsuit. Hotel rooms have hair dryers.

I registered but am now unable to attend. Can I transfer my registration to someone else?

Yes.

Just let us know so that we can update the hotel reservation to be under that person’s name.

Can a seminar attendee bring a guest to dinner?

No, included meals and receptions are for attendees only; the reason is to allow maximum opportunity for conversation among attendees and speakers during the short time we have together. Another reason is because the registration fee per person takes into consideration only the cost per attendee, not additional guests. We encourage attendees who will be bringing a spouse/guest along to consider arriving early or extending their stay to have time to explore Kohler’s many offerings. Seminar attendees can request to extend their stay at IOW an additional night (at their own expense) at the seminar rate before and/or after the seminar. (See seminar brochure for details.)

If I don’t attend a dinner, can I have a discount on my registration fee?

No. The registration fee is “all inclusive” and reflects the fact that this seminar is purposefully designed to facilitate opportunities for conversation among attendees and speakers during the short time we have together. Accordingly, all seminar activities (see agenda for details) are considered part of the overall seminar experience that the registration fee includes. The seminar registration fee includes Wednesday and Thursday nights at Inn on Woodlake hotel (seminar staff make hotel reservations for all paid registrants) as well as included meals, hosted breaks/receptions (see agenda for details) and seminar materials.

Articles & Resources

Healthcare Threat Management - What's Different & Why (PDF)

Zero Tolerance for Violence & Violent Patients: Sound Policy or Sound Bite? (PDF)

Restraining Orders in Healthcare (PDF)

Addressing (Not Tolerating or Ignoring) Verbal Abuse (PDF)

Understanding Violence - A Prerequisite to Prevention (PDF)

Guns Education Flyer (PDF)

Logistics

Kohler is located two-thirds mile west of Interstate 43 in east central Wisconsin, just one hour north of Milwaukee (60 miles), one hour south of Green Bay (60 miles) and two hours north of Chicago (140 miles). If you need to arrange transportation between the Milwaukee airport and Kohler’s Inn on Woodlake hotel, Go Riteway provides such a service and can be contacted at 1 (800) 236-5452.

You do NOT need a car at Kohler resort. Kohler provides free on-demand shuttle transportation to guests, and the seminar has reserved shuttles as well.