Risk Assessment Team
There is increasing pressure on all workplaces to assess certain behaviors, language, attitudes, and gestures that may appear intimidating, harassing, threatening, or unsafe to others. These situations can be complex and difficult to understand. Because the university and hospital and healthcare system are committed to providing a safe, healthy, and secure environment for all faculty, staff, employees, students, patients, and visitors, the Risk Assessment Team (RATeam) is available upon request from management to assist in understanding certain types of conduct at work.
Each division or entity of Johns Hopkins has a RATeam comprised of a multidisciplinary group of representatives from human resources/labor relations and/or the dean’s office, Security, JHU or JHH/S Legal, and the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP).
Human Resources/Labor Relations or Dean's Office
As the primary liaison between management and the RATeam, human resources and/or the appropriate dean’s office participate as members of the team by providing policy interpretation and assisting management in implementing recommended actions.
Security
Security, upon notification, may be dispatched to the location of concern or requested to secure the area, determine the potential threat level, and separate individuals.
Legal
JHU or JHH/S Legal provides counsel to the RATeams and advises management about legal risks posed by the situation under review, including safety of employees, students, patients, and visitors, risk to property, applicable state and federal laws and regulations, other regulatory requirements, and university or health system policies.
Faculty, Staff, and Student Assistance Programs
The Faculty, Staff, and Student Assistance Programs (FASAP and JHSAP) participate in RATeam triage and offer additional expertise through risk assessment evaluations that look at the person in the workplace or academic environment with regard to human behavior and mental health.
The RATeam assists management in determining if certain behaviors indicate that someone is “at risk” for:
- Violating policies that address violence in the workplace
- Becoming violent
- Behaving in ways that interfere with a safe, healthy, and secure work environment
Typically, conducting a comprehensive, multidisciplinary assessment of risk is the best way to assist management in protecting everyone’s safety.
Awareness means understanding that behaviors left unchecked can escalate into violence. If there is a behavior that makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t ignore it. Take action well before the point at which violence might occur. If you or someone you know is concerned about any of these behaviors, you may contact your supervisor or academic advisor, human resources/labor relations, Security, the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, or the Workplace Risk Assessment program manager at .
