Ohio
Ohio has many agency programs and contacts that can help your school build a school safety plan. Check out these resources as you develop your plan.
State Programs
Contact Information
State Resources
State Programs
Ohio School Safety Center
The Ohio School Safety Center is responsible for assisting local schools and law enforcement with preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety.
Ohio Department of Education
The Ohio Department of Education oversees the state’s public education system, which includes public school districts, joint vocational school districts and charter schools.
Website: http://education.ohio.gov/
Safer Ohio School Tip Line
The Safer Ohio School Tip Line is a free safety resource available to all Ohio schools. The tip line is an anonymous reporting system that accepts both calls and texts 24 hours a day.
Website: https://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/pre-k-12-schools/safer-ohio-school-tip-line
Ohio Handle With Care
Ohio Handle With Care (HWC) is a trauma-informed, cross-systems, collaborative program aimed at ensuring that children who are exposed to adverse events receive appropriate interventions and have opportunities to build resilience through positive relationships with teachers and first responders.
Threat Assessment Training
Ohio School Threat Assessment Training is a combination of best practices from leading school-safety experts, including the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center. The Ohio guide helps schools team up with other community members, such as police officers and mental-health advocates, to prevent targeted violence and get help for troubled students.
Website: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/threatassessment
Ohio School Facility Design
The Commission manages the planning, development, and construction of public K-12 school renovations and new buildings under the Rebuilding Ohio Schools Program, utilizing funding from various programs. This includes the Ohio School Design Manual which helps schools determine options for layering safety and security options that fit their buildings best.
Website: https://ofcc.ohio.gov/Services-Programs/K-12-Schools/School-Security-Resources
School Safety Grants
The Ohio School Safety Center's school safety grants outlines federal and Ohio-based grant opportunities along with eligibility requirements.
Website: https://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/pre-k-12-schools/school-safety-grants
School Wellness Toolkit
The departments of Education, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Public Safety created a School Wellness Toolkit in response to heightened school mental health needs identified by educators, school administrators, community organizations, behavioral health providers and other stakeholders. The toolkit provides practical resources and tools to assist schools, districts and families in responding to the mental and behavioral health challenges amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The resources are organized by audience to ensure teachers, school and district administrators, and families can access the information most relevant to their own needs.
Website: https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Student-Supports/Supporting-Student-Wellness-Toolkit
Comprehensive School Safety Framework
Collectively, the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) within the Department of Public Safety (ODPS), Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW), and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (Ohio MHAS) have collaborated to develop a statewide comprehensive approach to school safety. Each agency respectively has an inherent interest and role in school safety in Ohio. Together, these agencies provide technical assistance and support for integrating school safety program elements within school wellness initiatives, comprehensive suicide prevention programs, and early intervention strategies.
Website: https://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/about-us/welcome/welcome
School Threat Assessment Training
The OSSC provides a model plan, tabletop toolkits, and approved trainings for behavioral threat assessment.
Website: https://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/pre-k-12-schools/threat-assessment
Armed School Staff Essential Training Program
Legislated under the 134th General Assembly, House Bill 99 permits a school district board or governing body to elect to arm specific staff members as well as the mandated training requirements for those individuals. The OSSCs model curriculum is called, Armed School Staff Essential Training (ASSET).
Contact Information
State and Local
Federal
Other
State Resources
Office of the Ohio Attorney General: Threat Assessment Training Videos
March 2020
This video training series includes 10 segments with guidance from local, state, and national experts in law enforcement and education on incorporating threat assessment in schools.