Sessions
Behavioral Threat Assessments & Safety Challenges with Active Shooter Threats
9:15 AM - 10:45 AM Tue
Dr. Melissa M. Nelson, RSM K12 School Safety and Security Subject Matter Expert, has spent 30+ years developing a wealth of experience and expertise where education mental health, and legal systems intersect. This is the source of her deep passion for serving educational leaders, teachers, families, and communities who care for children with the most complex emotional, behavioral, and cognitive needs.
Dr. Nelson has served in a variety of roles in urban, suburban, and rural education systems, including as elementary and special education teacher, and elementary and secondary administrator. After transitioning from a leadership role in localized K12 public education to a national level, Dr. Nelson was the Senior Vice President of Educational Services for a multi-state organization with specialized schools for children with significant behavior disorders, mental illness, and cognitive disabilities. In this role, she served as a leader for the organization in the areas of school safety, leadership development and coaching, and special education initiatives.
In addition to teaching aspiring superintendents doctorate coursework focused on crisis prevention, intervention, response, and recovery systems at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Nelson is a sought after state and national trainer and speaker by K12+ leaders. As a seasoned educator who understands the operational realities of working within K12 systems, her ability to relate to school leaders and staff provides the foundation for the collaborative work necessary to develop Emergency Preparedness Plans, Behavior Threat Assessment and Management Teams, and Suicide Screening Systems in K12 settings.
Prior to her work in education, Dr. Nelson spent over a decade as a mental health clinician, teacher-counselor, and advocate in various psychiatric, mental health, and legal settings. These settings in Pittsburgh, PA, included Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic’s Emergency Room, the Allegheny County Emergency Services Mobile Crisis Unit, the Center for Victims of Violent Crime, and the Pressley Ridge School for the Deaf.
Most recently, Dr. Nelson served as the K12 Schools Subject Matter Expert for the Southwestern PA Threat Assessment Hub, a grant-based program supported by the United States Department of Homeland Security, PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Nelson is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP). Additionally, she is a private sector representative for the United States Department of Homeland Security 2024 Public-Private Analytic Exchange Program, where she is serving on a team of subject matter experts who are focused on developing tools to prevent violent extremism.