Our communities, families, staff and students face ongoing and new challenges that impact student success. The purpose of this conference is to congregate leaders in the field of education, public policy, law enforcement, psychology and planning to expand the awareness and implementation of best practices and recommendations in school safety, security, trauma-informed services and mental/behavioral health resources. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to engage their communities in the pursuit of safer, healthier schools and neighborhoods. 

Who should attend?

• Senior school administrators (superintendents, county and district administrators, principals, public information officers, etc.).

• Law Enforcement leaders, command leadership and dedicated staff focusing on school safety measures within their Agency's respective jurisdictions. 

• CEOs/presidents/executive directors and senior staff of education associations, foundations, philanthropic and non-profit organizations focused on K-12 public education.

• Behavioral Health Professionals, School Counselors, and School Psychologists.

• Current and former senior leadership/federal government officials who specialize in active terrorism and school safety.

• State and County elected and appointed officials and policy makers (legislators, school board members, city council members, and others).

• Business leaders with an interest in school security.

• Community and civic leaders and parents with an interest in public education and school security.

This event will focus on

• Developing tools to improve safety and security in our schools

• Understanding mental and behavioral health needs in schools

• Providing proven resources and tools for school safety and trauma prevention and intervention

• Raising awareness regarding policy and advocacy efforts related to school safety and trauma informed practices. 

• Building community awareness on issues surrounding trauma in K12 schools.                                                                                       

Breakout sessions:

Registrants will have the opportunity to attend multiple breakout sessions in the following strands:

Safety and Security
Focus will include physical safety, use of technology, construction and design, school safety plans and site assessment teams, and pre- and post-event planning or response. Strategies will reflect individual school culture, demographics, and location.  Session Topics include: 

Mental and Behavioral Health
Focus will be specific to mental and behavioral health supports as they apply to various school settings such as school counseling, community resources, wrap-around services, early warning indicators, or the psychology of school violence. 

Trauma-informed Educational Supports
Focus will be on specific strategies that schools can use to support students and/or adults in their settings to overcome the effects of trauma. Prevention, intervention, and/or general knowledge strategies, based in research/evidence, are included.  Session Topics include:

​Policy and Advocacy
Facilitated non-partisan discussions on policy interactions happening locally and nationally to support best practices in school safety, security, trauma-informed educational supports, and mental/behavioral health concerns at the K12 level. Information about how to approach policy change at the local, state and national level as well as state, local, federal and private funding mechanisms are included. 

This event is brought to you through the partnership of the Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC), Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, the Arizona School Administrators (ASA), and Grand Canyon University. 

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