The SK Cascade Model: Building Safer Schools Through Community Partnerships
Updated on: October 1, 2025
Published on: October 2, 2025
The SK Cascade Model: Building Safer Schools Through Community Partnerships
School safety extends beyond the classroom. Effective violence prevention requires shared responsibility among educators, law enforcement, local youth-serving agencies, and community leaders. Establishing collaborative, multi-agency, and multidisciplinary community teams is essential for identifying early warning signs, intervening proactively, and fostering safer, more supportive school environments.
Introducing the SK Cascade Model
The SK Cascade Model, formerly known as the Salem-Keizer Cascade Model, is a behavioral threat assessment and management framework that stands apart from other school safety approaches because of its deep integration of community partnerships. While other models, such as the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) and the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC)/Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (VA DCJS) framework, focus primarily on school-based teams, the SK Cascade Model recognizes that more than half of school shootings originate from community-based threats.
At the core of the model is a two-tiered system that ensures collaboration extends beyond the school walls. Level 1 teams operate within schools, gathering information and coordinating immediate supports, while Level 2 teams expand the circle of care to include local law enforcement, mental health agencies, juvenile justice systems, child protective services, and other youth-serving organizations. This design acknowledges that violence prevention is a shared responsibility, requiring educators, community leaders, and service providers to work together to identify risks early and provide proactive interventions
How SK Cascade Differs from Other Models
- Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG):
CSTAG is widely used and research-backed but is primarily designed for school-based teams. It emphasizes decision-making within schools and tends to limit involvement from outside agencies unless necessary. -
NTAC/VA DCJS Model:
This framework, developed by federal and state-level agencies, provides structured guidance for behavioral threat assessment and management but often relies on law enforcement perspectives and district-level implementation, with limited emphasis on broader community participation. -
SK Cascade Model:
Like CSTAG and NTAC/VA DCJS, the SK Cascade Model is evidence-based, research-backed, and built from NTAC framework. Furthermore, like CSTAG and NTAC/VA DCJS, the SK Cascade employs trained, school-site Level 1 teams to conduct initial assessment with intervention strategies that address the identified risk factors. Unlike CSTAG and NTAC/VA DCJS, the SK Cascade Model is explicitly built around community integration. Institutionalizing partnerships with public mental health, juvenile justice, child protective services, and other youth-serving agencies creates a holistic system that addresses not just school-based threats but also those that originate in the community. This collaborative design enhances both short-term crisis response and long-term prevention.
More Than Assessment: A Culture of Care
What truly distinguishes the SK Cascade Model is its philosophy of collaboration. By weaving community partners into the fabric of school-based threat assessment, it creates a unified response system that not only addresses immediate concerns but also strengthens long-term prevention strategies. The model is practitioner-focused, trauma-informed, and equity-conscious, with an emphasis on keeping students in school, reducing exclusions, and fostering safe, supportive learning environments.
This approach acknowledges that threat assessment should not be limited to evaluating risks but should also connect students and families to the supports they need. By embedding checks against bias, aligning with restorative practices, and building positive school climates, the SK Cascade Model helps schools respond to conflict and crisis in ways that prioritize safety, belonging, and opportunity.
For districts and communities striving to enhance violence prevention, the SK Cascade Model offers a proven pathway forward. Its strength lies in its collaborative structure, bringing educators, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and youth-serving agencies to the same table. By investing in multi-agency partnerships and shared training, schools and communities can build stronger safety nets, intervene earlier, and cultivate a culture of shared responsibility that keeps students and communities safe.
Effective school safety isn’t just about setting up a threat assessment model; it’s about doing it right. We partner with districts to build BTAM systems rooted in strong policy, well-trained teams, and equity at every step. Beyond implementation, we ensure long-term success with tools that document care, measure impact, and withstand scrutiny.
