Region’s Schools Launch Little-Known, Albeit Powerful, School Safety Resource

Tom Sonoff, right, has 30 years experience in law enforcement, including as chief of police in two California cities. He also led Concordia University Irvine’s campus safety department. Spencer Delbridge has a background in education and juvenile justice working with at-risk youth. Their careers uniquely contribute to Clackamas County’s threat assessment program.

This winter, several youth suicides shook Clackamas school communities. The Florida shooting followed, sparking another round of conversations on crisis response.

While educators rehearse responses to possible scenarios, two new Clackamas County hires are working behind the scenes to proactively protect student safety.

Tom Sonoff and Spencer Delbridge, student threat assessment coordinators, train and align mental health professionals, law enforcement and others to collaboratively respond to possible threats of harm to students.

“The threat assessment team is the best defense out there regarding school violence,” says Delbridge.

The Clackamas County program is adapted from the nationally-recognized Salem Keizer School District threat assessment model. The two-tiered model assesses threats as either Level 1 or Level 2.

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“8/10 school attackers tell someone about their plan before the incident occurs.”

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Level 1 threats can be addressed by school-based teams. They are often impulsive or reactive outbursts by students out of fear or frustration. Level 1 teams include the principal or other administrator, school counselor or psychologist, school resource officer (SRO), and any teachers or staff with a connection to the student.

In contrast, Level 2 threats require a response from a team of outside experts, often including juvenile justice, mental health, social services, and law enforcement. These threats could include planned or targeted attacks. The Level 2 team develops a safety plan connecting a student to mental health or other resources. It could also include an investigation into a student’s capacity to carry out the assumed threat.

Sonoff illustrates a Level 1 threat: “Two students get in a fight. One student says, ‘I’m going to get a gun and kill you.’ The school’s team would talk to the students involved in the fight, other students and teachers and look at the relationship the student has with teachers and students.”

The threat moves up to Level 2, if for instance, the investigation determines the student has made prior threats, parents have weapons at home, or the student’s social media accounts indicate research on school shootings. Many threats will never move to Level 1, but students can still benefit by getting attention and resources at the school level. And threat assessment is a powerful tool because research shows that eight in 10 student attackers will tell someone of their plan before it is carried out.

Sonoff and Delbridge train school staff to assess and investigate student threats, and ensure Level 1 threat assessment teams know when to elevate a threat to Level 2. The team works with elementary, middle and high schools in eight of the 10 school districts throughout Clackamas County. They also conduct meetings with Level 2 teams to facilitate cross-agency collaboration.

“The school districts know the county agencies are invested in this program. The agencies are excited about the partnerships with the schools.”

Sonoff and Delbridge were hired by Clackamas County Juvenile Department in the fall, and work out of Clackamas ESD. The positions are funded by a variety of sources, including support from Clackamas ESD, Health, Housing and Human Services and Clackamas County Sheriff.

“That funding mechanism reflects the commitment across those agencies for safety in our schools,” Delbridge said.