Threat Management

In 1994, UCSF established a Threat Management Team to ensure the safety of faculty, staff, trainees and learners. Its focus is on reducing and containing to the extent possible, intimidating or threatening workplace behaviors. TMT members provide consultation and education on violence risk assessment, and threat management. The team was instituted in response to increasing workplace violence nationwide. It reflects UCSF’s commitment to intervention when such incidents may compromise the safety of personnel and students.

The team is committed to providing the highest level of threat management possible, to the UCSF community. For consultation services and additional information, please contact any team unit or department.

For questions regarding TMT please email [email protected] 

• UCSF Police Department: 415-476-1414
• Faculty and Staff Assistance Program: 415-476-8279
• Labor and Employee Relations: 415-353-4012
• Health Risk Management: 415-514-4946
• Risk Advisory and Insurance Services: 415-476-4560
• UCSF Office of Legal Affairs: 415-476-5003
• CARE Advocate: 415-502-8802

1. UCSF Police Department: Investigates possible criminal background and activity; determines weapons ownership; provides security in situations of violence and imminent risk; and contributes its expertise to the risk assessment process. In all cases of actual or imminent violence, call 9-911 immediately.
2. Faculty & Staff Assistance Program: Advises on all relevant psychological and behavioral signs, symptoms and risk factors of actual or potential violence that necessitate threat management. 
3. Labor & Employee Relations: Keeps the team cognizant of, and compliant with, UC labor policy and procedure, collective bargaining, and employment-related legal issues; investigates relevant employment history; and ensures that disciplinary and other recommended actions are handled with appropriate autonomy from the TMT process itself.
4. UCSF Office of Legal Affairs: Ensures that all UC (as well as relevant state and federal) laws and regulations are duly discussed and observed in the course of TMT deliberations, recommendations and interventions; manages liaisons with outside legal counsel.

If you are a Campus employee, click the link to report an incident of workplace violence. Login and UCSF VPN required for access. For additional questions you may email: [email protected]

Technical assistance on how to report an incident though the Risk and Safety Solutions portal can be found at HERE.

To view the Campus Workplace Violence Prevention Plan, sign into Risk and Safety Solutions by using your UCSF credentials HERE.

If you are a Health employee, click the link for more information, including reporting instructions.  

UCSF is committed to maintaining a safe environment, free from bullying, intimidation, threats and/or acts of violence. When faced with such situations, UCSF will take prompt steps to assess, investigate, and/or take remedial actions as appropriate.

UCSF Violence and Bullying Policy

UCOP Abusive Conduct Policy

Any act of intimidation, threat of violence, or act of violence committed against any person on the property of the University of California, San Francisco is prohibited.

• Intimidation: A physical or verbal act toward another person, the result of which causes that person to reasonably fear for his/her safety or the safety of others.
• Threat of violence: A physical or verbal act that threatens bodily harm to another person or damage to the property of another.
• Act of violence: A physical act, whether or not it causes actual bodily harm to another person or damage to the property of another.
• No person shall possess or have control of any firearm, deadly weapon, or prohibited knife, as legally defined, while on the property of the University of California, San Francisco, except as required in the lawful course of business or as authorized by the UCSF Police Department.

Warning signs: Managers and supervisors are urged to respond EVERY time to threats, intimidation and/or actual violence, but to use common sense when assessing potentially violent behavior. This section lists some behaviors that may indicate a potential for violence. However, these characteristics do not necessarily predict violence; conversely, some violent people may display no symptoms at work. Keep in mind that some of these characteristics may apply to otherwise productive employees, most of whom would never commit a violent act.

• Any UCSF faculty member, student or employee who is the subject of, or a witness to, a suspected violation of this policy should report the violation to a supervisor, manager or person in authority who is not involved in the conduct.
• Any UCSF supervisor, manager, or person in authority who receives a report of a suspected violation of this policy shall document the incident, and notify an appropriate UCSF official.
• Any emergency, perceived emergency, or suspected criminal conduct shall be immediately reported to the UCSF Police Department. Sexual violence is also criminal conduct and shall be immediately reported to the UCSF Police Department.
• Any UCSF faculty member, student or employee found to be in violation of this policy may be subject to criminal prosecution as well as discipline up to and including dismissal pursuant to applicable University Personnel Policies or Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Commonly identified behaviors that may signal the potential for violence

1. Might the behavior(s) be potential or actual acts of intimidation or threat?
2. Might other individuals informed of the behavior(s), consider them potential and, or actual acts of intimidation or threat?
3. Has outbursts of rage and anger and may intimidate others.
4. Cooperates poorly with others.
5. Blames others for own problems.
6. Displays changes in work patterns such as tardiness or absenteeism.
7. Demonstrates extreme or bizarre behavior, or deep depression.
8. Is known to abuse alcohol or drugs.
9. Has had a recent loss.
10. Is disgruntled more than usual about work and is fixated on perceived injustices.
11. Exhibits low self-esteem.
12. Engages in sabotage behavior.
13. Has a history of violent behavior.
14. Shows an extreme interest in or obsession with weapons, e.g., paramilitary training, weapons collections, compulsive reading of gun magazines.
15. Discusses weapons excessively at work, carries a concealed weapon, or flashes a weapon to test reactions.
16. Makes either direct or veiled verbal threats of harm (e.g., predicts that bad things are going to happen to a co-worker or supervisor).
17. Intimidates or instills fear in co-workers or supervisors. (This includes verbal as well as physical intimidation.) Examples include harassing phone calls and stalking.
18. Has an obsessive involvement with the job, often with no apparent outside interests. (This trait is usually coupled with failed or strained outside relationships; the workplace becomes the person’s sole source of identity.)
19. Is a loner who has little involvement with co-workers, with the possible exception of a romantic interest in another employee. This interest is frequently so intense that the targeted employee will feel threatened and may want to report the unwanted attention as sexual harassment.
20. Is fascinated with recent incidents of workplace violence and openly approves of the use of violence under similar circumstances.
21. Shows an escalating propensity to push the limits of normal conduct, disregarding the safety of co-workers.
22. Is highly suspicious or paranoid, and often believes that the whole world is against him or her.
23. Handles criticism poorly and has problems with people in authority; holds grudges, especially against a supervisor, and often verbalizes a hope for something to happen to the person against whom the employee has a grudge.
24. Expresses extreme desperation over recent family, financial, or personal problems.

Strategies for reducing risk of violence:

• Do not ignore or downplay direct or indirect threats from any person, as they could escalate into serious incidents later on. To prevent the escalation of such incidents, every member of the campus community should learn to recognize and report behavior that is disruptive, intimidating, or could potentially lead to violence. All managers and supervisors are encouraged to take the Violence in the Workplace training offered periodically by the Threat Management Team. Supervisors should also ensure that employees in one's department are familiarized with the Zero Tolerance Standard, including its procedures for reporting any events covered by it. Supervisors should take immediate steps to address problem behavior and ensure the safety of other employees. In addition to careful documentation of the incident, it is the primary responsibility of the supervisor to immediately notify a member of the TMT.
• Conduct a workplace security survey. The UCSF Police Department is available to assist you. Train staff, students, and faculty to safely respond to hostile individuals. Communicate the UCSF Violence and Bullying Policy to all staff, students and faculty. Establish a departmental procedure for reporting harassment, threats, or acts of violence; train all to report all such incidents rather than retaliate. Where possible, limit access to the workplace by non-employees. 
• Follow the appropriate campus policy for taking disciplinary and discharge/dismissal actions with consultation from appropriate campus resources. Never ignore threats! Consult and document where appropriate. If there is a threat, consider temporarily relocating the threatened employee’s workstation to a more secure area, screening incoming phone calls, providing an escort, and other protective measures. Be aware of potential conflicts between employees and take action to resolve them before they grow. 
• If someone enters your workplace with a weapon:
  • Immediately contact UC Police at 9-911.
  • Leave the area with as many others as possible; if not possible, hide and protect yourself.
  • Do not try to negotiate with the assailant. Plan for responding to staff needs after an incident by using available resources such as FSAP, CARE, OMBUDS, or RJP. Retain evidence: voice mail, email and/or any other written messages perceived to be threatening.
• Planning & Prevention: Managers and supervisors may consider discussing and planning for prevention and response to such issues, including educating staff, students and faculty. Take into account the nature of your work, location, staffing, and other unique features such as whether your unit handles cash or is responsible for hot-button issues.

The cooperation of everyone is a crucial part of keeping our campus and medical center safe. Your full commitment and assistance are required to ensure that the essential University mission can be achieved in a safe and healthy environment.

Violence in the Workplace training: Threat Management Team members provide consultation, violence risk assessment, threat management intervention, and violence in the workplace training. Please contact any TMT unit or department for consultation and additional information about their services.