Posted by Johann Nacario — October 15, 2024 — In response to the growing need for effective threat management in healthcare settings, the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) 
recently announced the release of the updated Threat Management Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities. These comprehensive guidelines aim to empower healthcare organizations with the tools and strategies needed to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate threats of violence or behaviors of concern within their facilities.
The new guidelines emphasize the importance of creating a multidisciplinary Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) Team within healthcare facilities. This team, comprising experts from various departments including human resources, legal, security, clinical services, mental health, and law enforcement, will be responsible for receiving, investigating, and managing threats in a systematic and evidence-based manner.
Key components of the Threat Management Guidelines include:
- Threat assessment: A fact-based method for assessing potential risks, focusing on a person’s behavior patterns to determine whether they pose a credible threat
- Team structure: The establishment of a multidisciplinary TAM Team, with a clear charter outlining roles, responsibilities, and reporting procedures
- Threat awareness training: Comprehensive training for all employees, including early identification of behaviors of concern, reporting protocols, and emergency response activation
- Policy development: Guidance for healthcare facilities to establish a written policy and workflow for managing threats, including documentation and record-keeping processes
- Victim advocacy: Provision of support and counseling for victims and those affected by potential threats
Mark Reed, Council on Guidelines member, stated:
IAHSS is committed to ensuring that healthcare facilities are equipped with the knowledge and resources needed to protect their employees, patients, and visitors from potential threats. Our new guidelines are based on the latest research and best practices in threat management and are designed to foster a safer and more secure healthcare environment.
The updated Threat Management Guidelines [PDF file] encourage healthcare facilities to take a proactive approach to threat mitigation. This includes ongoing training, reviewing threat management trends, and conducting after-action debriefings to continually improve processes.
