The NC State Department of Risk Assessment has received a $655,293 federal grant to support the Wolfpack Behavior Assessment and Threat Management Project, which encompasses a broad range of initiatives to prevent targeted violence.

The department manages and assesses cases of people displaying concerning and threatening behaviors at NC State. The department refers cases to the university’s Behavior Assessment Team, a multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment and threat management group that reviews the cases and develops case management strategies to ensure our university community remains safe.

The Department of Risk Assessment also offers training sessions that teach members of the university community how to identify concerning or threatening behaviors, support one another and share concerns when university community members exhibit concerning or threatening behaviors.

The department plans to use the federal Department of Homeland Security Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant it received to increase its outreach efforts.

The department used the Workplace Violence Instructor Certification — Awareness Training from the Center for Personal Protection and Safety to update its own training, called Understanding Workplace/Campus Violence Prevention and Your Role, which is available to all employees. The grant covered the cost of getting a case manager certified to provide the training to our university community.

The updated training will assist the department in helping people to understand what concerns they should report and why they should report them.

Jennifer Bills, assistant director of the Department of Risk Assessment, said employees should take the approach that no concern is too small to share. Employees can share concerns by calling the department at 919-513-4224 or filling out the Concerning Behavior Referral form.

“I think when people typically think of workplace violence, they’re thinking of the extreme — physical violence and casualties,” Bills said. “A lot of what we do is not at that level. There is a spectrum of behavior that we deal with, and so we want to help people to understand that whenever something doesn’t feel right, they can share that with us.”

Bills said there is a range of concerning behaviors people should watch out for, including changes in people’s moods and behaviors for reasons such as difficulties at home, financial instability, loss of a relationship or substance use.

Tina Nelson-Moss, director of the Department of Risk Assessment, also emphasized the importance of reporting concerns.

“The reality is that we are all one Pack,” said Nelson-Moss, who has a Doctor of Social Work degree and is a certified threat manager. “We want the community to understand we all have a responsibility to take care of one another and be responsible for the safety of our community.”

Nelson-Moss said one of the reasons it’s important to report concerning behaviors is so that the person exhibiting the behavior can get the help they need as soon as possible.

“It’s kind of like if your boss doesn’t say anything to you right now about messing up, and if it continues to go on, then how do you fix it?” Nelson-Moss said. “The best thing to do is get individuals help early so they can receive the feedback, the coaching and the support they need to be successful.”

The Department of Risk Assessment is also using the grant for outreach efforts outside of NC State and to fund the salary of a much-needed staff member.

• Julia Martins de Sa joined the department in May as its marketing manager. She has been working on outreach initiatives, including creating new social media pages, updating branded materials and developing handouts for various university groups.
• The department, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and the UNC System Office plan to host a two-day threat assessment symposium in September 2026 for the higher education community across the state and others.

To meet one of the grant’s goals, the Department of Risk Assessment conducted a special training session in June for mental health providers that focused on violent extremism.

Bills said the grant will give the Department of Risk Assessment the opportunity to be an example for organizations trying to establish threat assessment programs and to improve its own program.

“I think it’s an exciting time to get the grant and strive to do more than what we’ve done in the past,” she said.

Nelson-Moss said she believes the grant will make a significant difference in her department’s outreach efforts. She said focusing on outreach has been a challenge for her team due to the amount of time the team spends evaluating cases the department receives.

She said the grant will also give her department the ability to showcase NC State’s Behavior Assessment Team and how the team operates.

“We had to do an initial assessment of best practices and some of the things it will take to get to the next level,” Nelson-Moss said. “The standard provided us with validation that we are doing an excellent job and going above and beyond. It will be a great opportunity for us as an institution to showcase our work nationally and globally.”