School Safety and Facilities
Brandon A. Cruz, Supervisor
School Safety & Facilities
(914) 345-8500, Ext. 3167
bcruz@swboces.org
Non-Violent Crisis Intervention®
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® Training provides your educators with the skills to safely recognize and respond to everyday crisis situations. You will learn to:
- Minimize Physical Interventions
- Recognize & Respond to Defensive Behaviors
- Understand What’s Behind the Behavior
- Address the Needs of the Individual
Regional Crisis Response Team
The SWBOCES Regional Crisis Response Team (RCRT) supports school districts after a crisis by providing Consultation, Counseling, Debriefing, and Support. A crisis can be a natural disaster, the passing of an individual within your school community, or a distant event that has a deep effect on students and staff. More information about the becoming an RCRT member or accessing services is available on the RCRT Resources Page
Coronavirus Resources
Southern Westchester BOCES has assembled and shared reliable resources about the COVID-19 outbreak since early in the pandemic. Our Coronavirus Resources Page is a continuously updated repository of information and guidance from medical professionals and public health officials, curated to inform and protect the health and safety of our community.
Events coming up
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SWBOCES Center for Career Services, 65 Grasslands Rd. Valhalla, NY
PE/HE Consortium: Winning the One Goal Game
This workshop will discuss various strength and conditioning concepts, techniques and applications as it relates to coaching and in the classroom. Topics will include physiology of exercise, program design, strength training protocols, plyometric training, speed and agility training, sports nutrition, sports psychology and other advanced training methods.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Trauma Informed Practices: How We Show Up - Relationships that Heal, Support, & Empower (February 2026)
This interactive training introduces school support staff or educators to the foundational principles of trauma-informed care and social-emotional learning (SEL). Grounded in reflection and real-life scenarios, the session equips participants with simple, effective tools to build trust, consistency, and emotional safety with students. Drawing on the Sanctuary Model, ACEs research, and restorative practices, participants will explore the impact of childhood adversity on student behavior and learn how their daily interactions can promote healing, regulation, and resilience. Whether you're a teacher, paraprofessional, hallway monitor, lunchroom staff member, or school aide, this course affirms your power to make a lasting difference - one relationship at a time.
Participants will be able to:• Define trauma-informed care and explain its relevance in school environments.
• Describe the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and unmet needs using the lens of Maslow's Hierarchy.• Identify the five core SEL competencies and how they show up in daily student behavior.
• Apply key trauma-informed strategies such as curiosity-based questions, emotional validation, and consistent routines.• Using Community Building circles and the Sanctuary Model check-in questions to support student regulation and build connections.• Reflect on their own school experiences to build empathy and clarity in how they support students.• Recognize signs of secondary trauma and commit to one self-care practice that sustains their emotional wellness.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
LETRS for Elementary Educators- Volume 1
LETRS is professional learning for elementary educators that invests in teachers' literacy knowledge and professional practice. Teachers gain essential knowledge to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction required to transform student learning. This program is recommended for educators with kindergarten through third- grade students and educators with students working toward proficiency in fourth and fifth grade. LETRS fills gaps in teacher preparation education by covering all layers of language organization (phonology, orthography, morphology, syntax, semantics) and their relevance for teaching reading, spelling, writing, and oral language. All participant materials are included. This course is accredited by the International Dyslexia Association ®
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
Northwell Mental Health PD -Project ECHO - Children of Divorced Parents and Complex Family Dynamics [Virtual]
Using the Project ECHO model these sessions will provide expert guidance and review of cases (deidentified) and focus on facilitating open discussions and fostering collaborative team learning, sharing expertise and a teach all learn all model.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Early Learning (PK-3) Educators Network
Our early learning network has a new look! We will meet in person at the Center for Professional Learning and visit host schools to engage in learning walks focused on Early Learning.
Join us for collaborative learning experiences with colleagues who are dedicated to enhancing the educational experiences of Early Learners (PK-3) across all content areas. Together we will explore best practices, theories, and innovative approaches to early childhood education. Members of the group will engage in activities including sharing resources, analyzing current research, developing curriculum strategies, and reflecting on their teaching methods. We welcome teams of teachers, administrators, instructional coaches, early learning specialists, department chairs, and all who support Early Learning.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Using the Read.Inquire.Write. Framework to Advance Knowledge & Skills in Secondary ELA & Social Studies
How can we support students in building strong reading, writing, and argumentation skills while deepening their understanding of historical and contemporary issues? This session introduces educators to the Read.Inquire.Write. framework from the University of Michigan, a research-based approach designed to help middle and high school students engage in disciplinary thinking through structured inquiry.
Participants will explore how to use the framework's scaffolded investigations to guide students in reading sources critically, analyzing evidence, and constructing written arguments-skills that are essential for success in both ELA and Social Studies. Educators will leave with practical tools and planning strategies to integrate Read.Inquire.Write. into their own classrooms to support literacy, content knowledge, and civic engagement.
The full day session will be followed by optional Zoom sessions in the following months focused on classroom application.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Practical Counseling Approaches for Schools - Included for 563 members
This intensive training is designed to provide school social workers, counselors, and psychologists with immediately usable, evidence-based counseling models that are highly effective and time-efficient within a typical school setting. The course focuses on integrating key techniques from various modalities to maximize student success in academic, behavioral, and social-emotional domains.
Using skill-building exercises, role-play, and concrete examples, participants will:
1. Master Brief, Time-Sensitive Models
2. Integrate Advanced Therapeutic Skills
3. Apply Models in School Contexts
Participants will leave with a diverse counseling toolkit of practical techniques and interventions, enabling them to flexibly and effectively address a wide range of student mental health and behavioral needs.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
Northwell Mental Health PD - Introduction to Stress First Aid
Recognizing that school staff are frequently exposed to high-stress situations, burnout, and secondary trauma, this program introduces the practical, evidence-based framework of Stress First Aid (SFA). Participants will learn to identify the signs of stress in themselves, colleagues, and students, applying core SFA principles such as Covering, Calming, Connecting, Competence, and Confidence to provide immediate support. The course emphasizes proactive intervention, effective communication, and robust self-care strategies, ultimately empowering staff to build personal resilience, prevent acute stress from escalating, and cultivate a more supportive and healthy school community.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® Key Points Refresher Recertification
The Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® Key Points Refresher is designed to help improve your understanding of key program concepts, enhance your skills and provide strategies to apply the information to workplace realities. Only participants who have completed the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training in the last 12-18 months are eligible to participate in the Refresher Training. In addition, we are asking that individuals attend in pairs or trios so that they can perform the physical interventions with a partner. All participants must complete the physical interventions in order to receive certification.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Rethinking Physical Education: The Big 7 Activities for an Active Life PE/HE CONSORTIUM
This session introduces the "Big 7”-seven foundational activity categories that support long-term physical literacy. We'll explore how to align these with standards, plan across the year with purpose, and design curriculum that helps students build confidence, skills, and a lifelong relationship with movement. Leave with a framework that grounds your teaching in what matters most-and tools to help students move with meaning, both now and in the future
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
Mandated Training
The Mandated Training Link above lists School Safety training mandates and Facilities requirements for all NYS schools and districts. Please refer to the link and to our Training and Services listed below.
Regional Facilities News
Southern Westchester BOCES is proud to partner with the Southeastern Chapter of the New York State School Facilities Association (NYSSFA). Please use the links below to find the NYSSFA meeting calendar and training information.
NYSSFA Calendar
NYSSFA Training Opportunities
School Safety Training
- Active Shooter Training
- Building Level Emergency Response Planning
- CPR/AED
- Crisis Response Training
- DASA/Violence Prevention refreshers
- Develop Crisis Plans
- Incident Command Management
- Lockdown Emergency Training
- New Building Emergency Plan Template
- Risk Assessments
- Safety Audits
- Table Top Exercises
Facilities/Compliance
- Asbestos testing and training
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Chemical Hygiene Plan Development
- Chemical and Petroleum Storage
- Cooling Towers Inspections
- CPR/AED
- Fire Inspections
- Indoor Air Quality Testing
- Lockout/Tagout
- Playground and Gymnasium Inspections
- Right to Know
- Underground Storage Tank Programs
- Water Testing
