Live webinar air date: November 12, 2025, 1 p.m., Eastern time
Date
CE credits
2
Exam items
12
Description
This program will increase awareness and understanding of targeted violence in North America. Content includes definitions, trends, and case examples to enhance the capacity of professionals to understand risk and protective factors, recognize behavioral warning signs, and identify available resources. It will include a review of relevant professional standards, ethics, and laws relevant to decision-making in challenging cases. Resources and opportunities for further training will be shared so participants will know what is available and how to provide better resources and interventions for potential cases of targeted violence. The program is intended for mental health practitioners working in a variety of settings to increase competence and confidence in targeted violence-focused prevention and intervention efforts.
Learning objectives
- Describe targeted violence trends in North America.
- Apply the biopsychosocial model to understanding risk for targeted violence.
- Identify acute, behavioral indicators of targeted violence risk.
- Demonstrate effective use of basic threat assessment in clinical practice.
Presenters
B. Heidi Ellis, PhD
Ellis is an associate professor in psychology and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, and a licensed clinical psychologist. She is also the director of the Trauma and Community Resilience Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. Ellis’ primary focus is on understanding how trauma exposure, violence, and social context impact developmental trajectories. She conducts research and develops programming to advance a public health approach to preventing violent extremism across the ideological spectrum.
Emma L. Cardeli, PhD
Cardeli is the clinical director of the Massachusetts Area Prevention Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. Cardeli is the lead developer of the T-SAM, a risk assessment and management tool that can be used by frontline clinicians to guide therapeutic intervention for individuals at risk of pre-meditated violence. She provides global training and consultation in trauma-informed care and prevention. Her research focuses on understanding multi-systemic factors contributing to violence perpetration and strengthening the capacity of healthcare systems to provide preventative care.
Sara Winegar Budge, PsyD
Winegar Budge is the director of US Programs at Moonshot and a licensed psychologist in Oregon. Her clinical work focuses on individuals who are or have been involved in violent extremism. She has developed and delivered multiple training courses for mental health providers working with individuals involved in violent extremism or at risk of targeted violence. She brings a deep understanding of the research and theory behind terrorism and targeted violence to the practices applied to prevent violence.
