⚠️ HB 268 COMPLIANCE DEADLINE: July 2026 - Your BTAM Teams Must Be Operational
The Deadline Countdown
HB 268 ("Ricky and Alyssa's Law") mandates critical infrastructure by two key dates. Missing these means your district is non-compliant and exposed.
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July 1, 2026
BTAM Teams Must Be Operational
Establish behavioral threat assessment teams. Appoint mental health coordinators. Integrate with statewide S3 system and anonymous reporting. Begin systematic identification and assessment.
January 1, 2027
Safety Plans With BTAM Components Submitted to DBHDD Every school safety plan must include a detailed behavioral health and threat assessment management component. DBHDD will review for compliance. No extensions.
"Behavioral Threat Assessment Management Plans should provide a structured, multidisciplinary process to identify, assess, and mitigate potential threats while supporting the safety and well-being of students and school personnel." — HB 268 / DBHDD Requirements
The Compliance Gap: Why "We Have a Threat Assessment Protocol" Isn't Enough
Many Georgia districts have solid case-level threat assessment systems (like CSTAG/NTAC). That's great. But HB 268 requires something fundamentally different.
Universal Screening for Self-Harm
Most districts wait for students to voluntarily disclose. But research shows students experiencing suicidal thoughts rarely come forward on their own. Without asking, you miss them. HB 268 expects systematic identification.
Behavioral Threat Identification Before Incidents
Your BTAM teams depend on teacher referrals and anonymous tips. What about the quiet student no one reports? The one who hasn't acted yet but shows warning signs? Case-by-case protocols miss the proactive identification HB 268 demands.
Documented Data Pipelines
When DBHDD audits your safety plan, they'll ask: How do you systematically identify at-risk students? Where's the data? What's your response protocol? Incident files alone won't demonstrate a "structured, multidisciplinary process."
Behavioral Health Integration
HB 268 requires safety plans to "address behavioral health needs." Case threat assessment doesn't show a system. You need data on mental health risk, protective factors, and climate—and how they feed into support and intervention.
Defensible Documentation
Can you prove you systematically identified and supported at-risk students? Or do you only have files on students who became incidents? Documentation gaps expose districts to compliance questions and liability.
The Data Reality
22% of students need support but are never identified through teacher referral alone. Without universal screening, BTAM teams operate reactively. You respond to incidents instead of preventing them. That's not what HB 268 asks for.
The Solution: FOCUS as Your HB 268 Compliance Engine
FOCUS is a comprehensive adaptive screening and response system designed to make HB 268 compliance achievable—and functional. It's not a replacement for your threat assessment process. It's the missing front end that feeds your BTAM teams with systematic, defensible data.
1. Universal Identification
- All middle & high school students complete a brief 25-item adaptive screener
- Run 2–3 times per year
- Students with self-harm thoughts, violent ideation, or exposure to threats are automatically identified
- No student missed because they're quiet or no one referred them
2. Immediate Adaptive Routing
- Students meeting safety thresholds automatically routed to targeted assessments
- Self-Harm Risk Assessment (SRA)
- Behavior Threat Assessment – Witnessed (BTA-W)
- Behavior Threat Assessment – Propensity (BTA-P)
- BTAM teams receive prioritized, structured case data—not overwhelming raw referrals
3. Dashboard & Documentation
- Real-time visibility into student risk profiles
- Automated documentation of screening, assessment, and response timelines
- Aggregated climate and protective factor data
- Demonstrate to DBHDD that your BTAM process is systematic and integrated
4. Response Protocols Embedded
- Clear low/moderate/high risk response protocols
- Aligned with NTAC best practices
- Includes timelines, role assignments, safety planning, and parent communication
- Your BTAM teams have a defensible, evidence-based playbook—not guesswork
What Your District Needs: HB 268 vs. Your Current Approach vs. FOCUS
| Requirement | HB 268 Mandate | Typical District Today | FOCUS Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Identification for Self-Harm Risk | Systematic universal screening | Reactive / Referral-based | Universal adaptive screener + SRA routing |
| Behavioral Threat Identification | Structured, multidisciplinary assessment | Case-by-case investigation | BTA-W & BTA-P with standardized protocols |
| Data Pipeline to BTAM Teams | Documented process with clear protocols | Ad hoc / Inconsistent | Automated routing with real-time alerts |
| Behavioral Health Integration | Climate, protective factors, support integration | Separate from safety planning | Composite risk + climate + protective factors in one system |
| Defensible Documentation | Audit-ready BTAM processes | Incident files only | Dashboard, timelines, automated records |
| Safety Plan Compliance Submission | DBHDD approval by January 1, 2027 | Not yet prepared | Built-in compliance documentation |
Common Questions
No. FOCUS doesn't replace your CSTAG/NTAC protocols—it feeds and strengthens them. FOCUS is the universal, proactive layer that systematically identifies which students should enter your existing threat assessment pipeline. Your case-level assessment process remains the backbone; FOCUS adds the systematic identification and documentation that HB 268 requires.
Yes. FOCUS is specifically designed to meet HB 268 BTAM and behavioral health requirements. It integrates with established threat assessment best practices (NTAC, Cornell, etc.) and provides the systematic identification, assessment, and response documentation that DBHDD will expect to see in approved safety plans.
Recommended 2–3 times per school year (e.g., fall, winter, and optionally spring). This provides broad coverage, allows detection of emerging concerns, and aligns with progress monitoring in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Districts determine frequency based on local needs and resources.
Not with FOCUS's adaptive model. All students complete a brief 25-item core screener (~10–15 minutes). Only students meeting specific safety thresholds receive targeted assessments (~5–10 additional minutes). The universal coverage is streamlined; the depth is targeted. Schools identify significantly more at-risk students without overwhelming staff.
No. Research strongly contradicts the myth that asking about self-harm increases risk. In fact, students are more likely to disclose self-harm thoughts on confidential self-report measures than in interviews. Universal screening is an evidence-based prevention strategy. When students disclose concern, they get immediate support—which is exactly the point.
FOCUS data is handled like all student assessment data under FERPA. Results are confidential, accessible only to authorized personnel with legitimate educational interest, stored securely, and shared only with consent or when mandated (imminent safety risk). We work with schools to ensure all protocols comply with state privacy law.
Take the Compliance Audit: Is Your District Ready for DBHDD Review?
Ask yourself these questions. If you answer "no" to any, your district is not yet compliant with HB 268 BTAM requirements.
1.) Do you systematically screen every middle and high school student for self-harm risk 2–3 times per year?
If no: FOCUS fills this gap with a brief, adaptive universal screener that automatically flags self-harm risk and routes students to targeted assessment.
2.) Do you have a documented process for routing screening results to your BTAM teams with clear timelines and response protocols?
If no: FOCUS provides automated data pipelines, real-time alerts, and embedded response protocols aligned with threat assessment best practices.
3.) Can you show DBHDD that your BTAM identification, assessment, and response are systematic, not ad hoc or reactive?
If no: FOCUS generates compliance-ready dashboards, automated timelines, and documentation that demonstrates a structured multidisciplinary process.
4.) Do your safety plans include behavioral health integration (climate, protective factors, support systems)?
If no: FOCUS captures school climate data, protective factors, and internalizing/externalizing risk composites—everything needed to demonstrate behavioral health integration.
5.) Are you prepared to submit a BTAM safety plan to DBHDD by January 1, 2027?
If no: FOCUS provides the systematic identification and documentation infrastructure required for DBHDD approval.
The Data Reality
22% of students need support but are never identified through teacher referral alone. Without universal screening, BTAM teams operate reactively. You respond to incidents instead of preventing them. That's not what HB 268 asks for.
Why This Moment Matters
Districts that implement universal screening now will have:
- Baseline data on student risk by mid-2026
- Operational BTAM protocols tested and refined
- Compliance documentation ready for January 1, 2027 safety plan submission
- Confidence that they're meeting DBHDD expectations
Districts that wait will be playing catch-up, implementing tools while trying to document compliance, and facing audit pressure.
Let's Talk About Your District's Path to Compliance
We help Georgia districts understand their HB 268 obligations and implement FOCUS as the cornerstone of their BTAM systems.
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