Emily Torok - Streamlining Support for School Safety Initiatives

About the Guest:

Emily Torok is the Director at the Ohio School Safety Center. With a history in Ohio Homeland Security, Emily initially supervised multiple school safety efforts. Her career trajectory evolved with Governor DeWine's administration prioritizing school safety as a standalone focus, allowing her to dedicate her expertise solely to this area. Emily has effectively channeled her initial interest in counterterrorism into creating safer educational environments across Ohio.

Episode Summary:

Join host Amanda Hampton on "School Wellness," presented by the Ohio School-Based Center of Excellence at Miami University, as she dives into the crucial topic of school safety with guest Emily Torok from the Ohio School Safety Center. Amanda and Emily discuss the inception, mission, and the expansive set of resources the Ohio School Safety Center offers to K-12 and higher education institutions across the state. This episode is rich with valuable insights into the pivotal role of safety planning and the Center's initiative to streamline communication and support for schools.

The Ohio School Safety Center, established under the direction of Governor DeWine, has created a centralized "one-stop shop" for school safety measures. By offering resources such as the Safer Ohio School Tip Line, behavioral threat assessments, and the annual School Safety Summit, the Center aims to prevent, prepare for, and respond to acts of violence and self-harm. Emily explains the importance of both physical and emotional safety in schools and illustrates how her team collaborates with various stakeholders to enhance student security.

Key Takeaways:

• The Ohio School Safety Center was created to centralize safety initiatives, providing schools with streamlined access to resources such as threat assessments, grants, and training.
• Behavioral threat assessment teams play a crucial role in identifying potential threats and offering preventive solutions, encompassing both intent and capability evaluation of students.
• The Center actively involves students in safety discussions through initiatives like the State Student Safety Advisory Council, emphasizing the importance of student voices in decision-making.
• October is designated as School Safety Month, presenting an opportunity for schools to engage in various awareness activities and remind the community of available safety resources and measures.
• A strong emphasis is placed on building trusted relationships within schools, as they form the foundation of effective safety and violence prevention strategies.

Notable Quotes:

1. "Just because you're not the school resource officer doesn't mean that you don't have a role to play—it's those relationships with your students."
2. "Our mission here is to help both schools and first responders prevent, prepare for, and respond to acts of violence through a holistic solutions-based approach."
3. "The Ohio School Safety Center is, in essence, a one-stop shop for all things school safety."
4. "When students report bullying, suspicious activity, or self-harm, it's important they feel their concerns will be acted upon without retaliation."
5. "Safety is everyone's priority… It's about having information that can be helpful."

Resources:

• Ohio School Safety Center: safer school tip line
• Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
• Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
• Behavioral Threat Assessment Training: Available on the Ohio School Safety Center's website

Listen to the full episode for comprehensive insights into enhancing school safety and learn how these initiatives can benefit and safeguard educational communities across Ohio. Be sure to stay tuned for more episodes from "School Wellness" for in-depth discussions on crucial educational topics.

Discover more resources from the Ohio School-Based Center of Excellence for Prevention & Early Intervention at OhioSBCOE.