The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal Tuesday to continue to expand and strengthen the School Threat Assessment Response Team (START) which assists in preventing shootings and violence at schools in Los Angeles County.

The START program was established under the Department of Mental Health and is made up of mental health professionals who respond to principals, counselors, school security officers or parents who are worried about students who have talked about suicide, exhibited concerning behavior or made threats, according to county officials.  

After receiving a credible threat, START members visit the school, evaluate the student and go to the student’s home.  In most cases, START can recommend counseling. In more serious cases the student might be put on a 72-hour hold, or arrested if a crime has been committed, according to officials.

The START program is currently made up of 10 staff members. However, Supervisor Janice Hahn and Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who co-authored Tuesday’s motion, suggested examining new ways the team could expand in response to the increase in school shootings across the country.

“I have no doubt that the START program has saved lives,” Hahn said. “But this team’s resources are stretched thin. In a county of over 10 million, we need more than a team of 10 people working on this issue.”

Since an initial motion to begin minor expansions of the program was passed in February, the START team has received 133 calls of possible threats, prompting the creation of Tuesday’s motion to continue with larger-scale changes, according to county officials.

“In partnership with law enforcement and our schools, the START program is an important tool that can work to prevent tragedies by responding to clear warning signs and cries for help by those who may be a danger to themselves or others,” Barger said. “We must ensure that our schools, parents, teachers and students help us gather information so that mental health professionals can effectively assess and address concerning behavior.”

With Tuesday’s motion, the Department of Mental Health has been instructed to expand the START program by developing an education outreach program to train students, teachers and community members to recognize and report threats, as well as developing a countywide communications awareness campaign, and hiring an expert consultant to develop the best way to expand the START program to best meet the needs of schools in Los Angeles County, according to county officials.

The passing of Tuesday’s motion comes several months after a series of threats were made to many of the schools in Santa Clarita. SCVi, West Ranch High, Saugus High, Golden Valley High, Arroyo Seco Junior High, Canyon High and Valencia High all received threats of violence against their campuses during the spring semester of 2018.

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