ATAP: THE CERTIFIED
THREAT MANAGER
PROGRAM
ATAP Certification Program Overview
CERTIFICATION
PROGRAM
Mission statement
To serve the public’s interest in preventing targeted violence by
establishing a standard of professional competence in the field of
threat assessment and management and certifying professionals
who meet that standard
Beta test feedback
“To say that studying for the certification
exam has made me a better threat assessor
and manager is an understatement. The
materials selected by the committee are
wide-ranging and of very high quality. In turn,
my diligence in preparing those materials has
translated into much better and more
comprehensive assessments and
recommendations. This was a very
worthwhile experience.” – Molly Amman
“In all candor and without reservation, I
honestly can say: Preparing for the ATAP
Threat Management Certification Exam was
the most academically rigorous challenge I’ve
undertaken since my professional licensing
exam. It was very rewarding to immerse
myself so completely in the Violence Risk and
Threat Assessment literature and to assure
that my knowledge is aligned with current
best practices.” – Lynn Van Male
Beta test feedback
"Studying for and taking the exam forced me
out of my comfort zone: the areas of threat
management that I connect to on a daily
basis. Looking at the discipline from the
viewpoint of a researcher, human resource
professional and risk assessor forced me to
look at different approaches to this field and
how much there is to know. Although the
testing process was humbling, I emerged
with much more confidence with what I do in
the threat management world.“ - Joe Wright
“Taking the certification exam was one of the
most challenging experiences I’ve taken on in
a long time. However, the time invested was
well worth it. Knowing that you will be
expanding your knowledge base in the field
of threat assessment is invaluable.” -
Christina Holbrook
ELIGIBILITY TO
BECOME A CTM
Eligibility
■ Open to all: ATAP membership is not required
■ Must agree to abide by the ATAP Code of Ethics, regardless of
membership status.
■ Must proactively disclose past or present civil, criminal or
regulatory actions with yourself as a defendant or subject. This
is a permanently continuing obligation for as long as you are a
CTM or applicant.
Eligibility
■ Professional experience in TAM. Must have one of the
following:
– Two years’ experience plus two years’ TAP* membership
■ Two years = 24 full months
■ Experience and membership need not be concurrent
– Five years’ experience with no membership requirement
■ Five years = 60 full months
* ATAP, CATAP, AETAP, APATAP, and AfATAP
Eligibility
■ Must demonstrate professional experience in the field via:
– an exhaustive resume or CV,
– additional documentation as needed to substantiate
personal involvement in TAM,
– estimated numbers of cases worked, differentiating
between triage and full assessments
■ A common mistake is submitting insufficient information to
substantiate experience. Resumes that are vague or contain
few details do not constitute acceptable evidence. You are
asking ATAP to certify that you are an experienced TAM
professional, so this is not a “rubber stamp” step.
Professional experience must
include substantial, robust and
ongoing practice of TAM
■ TA is defined as the use of a fact-based method of
assessment/investigation that focuses on an individual's
patterns of thinking and behavior to determine whether, and to
what extent, he or she is moving toward an attack on an
identifiable target.
■ TM is defined as managing a subject's behavior through
interventions and strategies designed to disrupt or prevent an
act of targeted violence.
■ It is a deliberative, thoughtful process of collecting and
evaluating relevant behavioral cues.
Eligibility
■ Final step: Passing the Certified Threat Manager Exam.
■ The exam is very rigorous. An intensive study period of at least
several months is appropriate. Consistent with many other
professional certification exams, questions test both applied
and academic knowledge.
■ Questions are drawn from the ATAP Body of Knowledge.
The Exam
■ 100 Multiple Choice questions, one point each
■ 2 hours to take the exam
■ Delivered via web on secure platform and in the presence of
on-site proctor
■ Passing score = 75
■ Three choices per question. Choose the most correct.
■ No penalty for guessing.
■ Questions are detailed; they are not broad brush strokes.
BODY OF
KNOWLEDGE
The Body of Knowledge (BOK)
■ Resources selected by subject matter
experts and the Certification Committee
as comprising that knowledge which is
essential to attain expert-level mastery of
the academics involved in behavioral
threat assessment and management.
■ Mastery of the Body of Knowledge
academics is one key aspect of
certification.
BOK: ATAP Website →
Education Tab → Certification
Breakdown of BOK
■ Required readings (these form the basis for questions):
– Books
– Free, online sources
– Scholarly article summaries (these are provided)
■ Recommended readings (these do not form the basis for
questions but are considered essential works):
– Books and other “for fee” sources
– Scholarly articles, free and “for fee”
CORE
COMPETENCIES
Core Competencies
Know the core competencies
& sub competencies—this is
how questions are selected.
■ Information Gathering
■ Interpretation of Information
■ TAM Principles and Practices
■ Legal Issues
■ Ethics
■ Literacy Across Disciplines
■ Consultation and Communication
CORE COMPETENCIES
AND CORRESPONDING
(FICTIONAL) SAMPLE
QUESTIONS
1. Information gathering
■ Detail the initial complaint
■ Interviewing
■ Understand how legal issues relate to
the case
■ Able to conduct a background
investigation
■ Understand how ethics relate to
information gathering
■ Documentation & record keeping
■ Information sharing
■ Identify & access relevant records
■ Conduct research to inform the case
■ Possess interpersonal skills needed to
access sources of information
■ Know how and when to use
assessment instruments
■ Understand basic forensic evidence
concepts
Sample
Question
According to authors Smith and Brown, an
effective nonverbal technique for
establishing rapport during an interview is:
a) Smiling
b) Mirroring
c) Calibrating
2.
Interpretation of Information
■ Understand the
ATAP model of
violence risk
assessment
guidelines (RAGE-V)
■ Able to link
information to
behaviors and risk
■ Evaluate credibility
of information
Sample
Question
Turner et al (2013) studied the motivations
and mental state of subjects who engaged
in violence toward US and Canadian
corporate leaders. When controlling for
motive, they found that one group was
overrepresented among the successful
approachers. The data suggest that threat
managers should direct particular attention
and resources targeting towards those
driven by:
a) Pursuing justice
b) Delusional beliefs
c) Seeking assistance
■ Understand terminology &
models
■ Apply threat assessment
strategies
■ Use relevant tools &
methodologies
■ Apply knowledge of relevant
mental health risk factors &
management
■ Summarize key literature in
field of TA/TM
3. TAM principles & practices
Sample
Question
According to Green and White (2008), the
three key functions of an insider threat
program are:
A) Identification, Assessment, and Case
Management.
B) Identification, Assessment, and Asset
Protection.
C) Identification, Assessment, and
Tracking.
4. Legal issues
■ Employment Law
■ Regulatory Law
■ Criminal Law
■ Civil Law
■ Ethics
■ Liability &
Management
Sample
Question
According to Trumbull (2020), which of the
following is a basis for premises liability in
threat assessment cases:
a) An employer negligently hired an
employee who posed a known or
knowable risk of violence.
b) An employer failed to offer a voluntary
fitness for duty evaluation to an
employee experiencing crisis.
c) An employee rejected a mandatory
reasonable accommodation and was
permitted to return to work.
5. Ethical issues
■ ATAP Code of Ethical
Conduct
■ Knowledge of
relevant
professional codes
of conduct
■ Application of codes
to practical
exercises
■ Knowledge of
process limitations
Sample
Question
According to the ATAP Code of Ethical
Conduct, if you believe a member may have
violated the Code, you should: attempt to
resolve the issue by:
a) attempt to resolve the issue by
discussing informally with the member
as a first step in all situations.
b) attempt to resolve the issue by
discussing informally with the member if
informal resolution appears appropriate.
c) attempt to resolve the issue by
discussing informally with the member
only if no one else is involved.
6. Literacy across
disciplines
■ Understand the roles, responsibilities and
limitations of the major disciplines- “stay in lane”
accountability
■ Understand the basic functioning and when to
utilize other disciplines
■ Understand the roles & capabilities within teams
■ Appropriate referrals
■ Team player skills
■ Understand communication across disciplines
Sample
Question
Dormond’s chapter “Domestic Violence Threat
Assessment” (Meloy & Hoffmann, International
Handbook of Threat Assessment (2014)),
emphasized:
a) Interagency information sharing,
coordination, and collaboration in domestic
violence cases.
b) Educating police on early detection and
intervention in domestic violence cases.
c) Using a community-based intervention
program to alert law enforcement to
domestic violence cases.
7. Consultation &
communication
Awareness in
interviewing &
gathering information
Ability to
communicate risk
appropriately, ability
to share for effective
consulting
Report
documentation and
report writing
Knowing the culture
and connecting with
individual
experiences
Information sharing
(what, when, how to
whom)
Victim management
(what and how much
information to share)
Manage Internal
Communications (co-
workers, collaterals)
Sample
Question
In Preventing and Managing Violence (Martin,
2008), authors address the importance of
comprehensive report-writing. They assert which
of the following should be prioritized:
a) Strategies to identify similarly situated
employees of concern.
b) Opinions of prior threat assessment
professionals who have reviewed the case.
c) Comprehensive overview of the facts
underlying the situation.
APPLICATION
PROCESS
Application Process
Apply online
Be detailed in describing
TAM experience to
substantiate your
qualification
Upload letters or
statements from
references meeting the
criteria specified
Respond to requests for
additional info by
Committee, if asked
Application Subcommittee
reviews application and
votes regarding eligibility
Candidate notified of
decision.
Apply through ATAP website
Common application errors:
■ Failing to describe actual experience in behavioral
threat assessment and management with enough
detail for the subcommittee to determine eligibility.
– Conclusory statements about working in threat
assessment are not sufficient.
– Physical security, intelligence, investigations, intake and
other work functions are not, in and of themselves, TAM
as it is understood by ATAP.
■ Reference statements don’t confirm TAM experience.
Cost of Certification
(Subject to change)
■ Non-member application fee- $500
■ Member application fee- $375
■ For application denials, or withdrawals
once review has begun, full fee less
$100 for processing is refunded.
SCHEDULING
Scheduling
■ Upon approval to take the examination, it is the
candidate’s responsibility to notify ATAPHQ at
certification@atapworldwide.org of the desired testing
location and date. Staff will send confirmation of the
date and time the candidate has been approved to sit
for the exam. Failure to follow this procedure will result
in denial to sit for a particular exam despite being
determined to be an eligible candidate.
RE-EXAMINATION
Taking the exam again
■ Each application to take the CTM examination is valid for two
years. During that period, a candidate need not submit
additional applications for retakes. After the elapse of two
calendar years from date of approval, a new application must
be submitted.
■ You must wait 180 days between attempts with the sole
exception of ATAP national conferences. If the exam is
attempted at Winter Conference, it can be retaken at Threat
Management Conference, or vice versa, even if less than 180
days have elapsed. No other exceptions exist.
■ The full fee is payable for each attempt.
RECERTIFICATION
RE-
CERTIFICATION
Re-certify every 2 years
to maintain certification
Professional
development &
continued involvement
in TAM
Membership
Activity
Volunteer
Leadership
Publications
Education
Instruction
Must comply with
Code of Ethics
Recertification Point Values
■ You need 50 activity points every two years to maintain
certification.
Re-certification: Apply online
■ You’ll be issued an invitation to the Certification program’s
online management platform.
■ Need help understanding it? Video tutorial:
LOSS OF CREDENTIAL
Expiration of certification
■ A CTM credential is valid for two years. Without action to
renew it, it will expire.
■ Expiration will result in loss of the credential.
Removal of Certification
■ CTMs agree to abide by the ATAP Code of Ethical
Conduct. Certification can be revoked or
suspended, or other disciplinary actions taken, for
violation of the ethics code or other reasons such
as failing to meet recertification criteria.
CTMS by discipline as of
2018:
