New Oneida County Team Strengthens Threat Assessment Efforts Through National Training & Best Practices

A new threat assessment management team comprised of the Department of Mental Health and Sheriff’s Office is strengthening Oneida County’s approach to violence prevention and public safety through nationally-recognized best practices and training.

“Violence prevention is most effective when public safety and mental health work side by side,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “This collaboration between our Department of Mental Health and the Sheriff’s Office reflects Oneida County’s commitment to proactive, prevention-focused strategies that protect our communities while supporting individuals before a crisis escalates.”

The Oneida County Threat Assessment Management (OCTAM) team utilizes a multidisciplinary framework to help schools, businesses and community partners identify concerning behaviors early, assess potential risk and connect individuals to appropriate supports before violence occurs.

The team’s operations are aligned with nationally- recognized best practices and supported by training and technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This prevention-focused approach reflects national standards emphasizing early intervention, information sharing and collaborative problem-solving. Oneida County’s threat assessment operations align with New York State Executive Order 18 and related guidance requiring schools to incorporate threat assessment and management protocols into comprehensive emergency response and safety plans as a best-practice approach to violence prevention.

"Threat assessment and management is a task that no agency can complete alone,” said Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol. “We are protecting our community by bringing together law enforcement, the Department of Mental Health and our community partners, emphasizing early intervention, information sharing and collaboration, preventing and responding to concerns before they escalate."    

As part of this effort, Oneida County promotes access to DHS-sponsored training and resources, including evidence-based threat evaluation and reporting programs available at no cost to eligible organizations and school districts. These resources are designed to help institutions build internal capacity while remaining consistent with legal, ethical and privacy protections.

The County is taking a deliberate, multi-phase approach, beginning with schools and youth-focused environments, where early prevention efforts can have the greatest impact, before scaling to the public and business sectors. Oneida County encourages schools, employers, faith-based organizations and other community entities interested in implementing or strengthening threat assessment practices to contact its Department of Mental Health for guidance, recommendations and referrals to available federal training opportunities.

For more information, or to request guidance on threat assessment implementation, please contact the Oneida County Department of Mental Health at OCTAM@oneidacountyny.gov or 315-786-3660.