- Clinical and Forensic Psychologist
- Senior Advisor, North American Center for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response
- Instructor, University of Southern California Price Center on National Defense and Public Safety
- Consultant, North Los Angeles County Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities
Dr. Beliz is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist who trains and lectures nationally and internationally on Behavioral Threat Assessment, Emerging Trends in Targeted Violence, Interviewing Strategies, and Trauma Event Management.
Dr. Beliz consults to school districts, national, and global corporations on threats, risk management, and special circumstances.
He has been featured on national and local media. He trains educators, mental health providers, law enforcement agencies, first
responders, and threat management teams on violence threat risk assessment.
During his 14 year tenure as Deputy Director Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Emergency Outreach Bureau Dr. Beliz developed and supervised several dedicated field teams.
The School Threat Assessment and Response Team (START) received national recognition as an effective model for the prevention of Targeted School Violence. START operates in Los Angeles County serving elementary schools, colleges, and vocational programs. START provides training and consultation, assessment and intervention, risk management, and long term monitoring of students at risk for school violence.
The Special Prevention Unit (SPU) assessed and monitored persons of concern referred by local or federal law enforcement
agencies. Cases involved high profile persons or high value targets. SPU collaborated with private executive security firms, on cases involving stalkingor harassment of public figures in the entertainment industry and government.
The Mental Health Alert Team (MHAT) provides the mental health response to barricade and hostage situations used by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department SWAT and other police departments in Los Angeles County.
Dr. Beliz oversaw the Psychiatric Mobile Response (PMRT) and Law Enforcement Teams with Los Angeles Police Department (SMART), Los Angeles County Sheriff's, Department (MET), Burbank, Long Beach, and Pasadena Police Departments, and
Homeless Outreach Teams. These co-response teams provided 911 response to persons in psychiatric crisis.
The Mental Health Emergency Response Team (ERT) provided psychological first aid to on-site responders, first responders, survivors and their families, and impacted communities. Dr. Beliz and his team responded to Hurricane Katrina in
new Orelans, LA, the shooting incident at Los Angeles International Airport, and the Chatsworth and Glendale, CA train derailments.
Dr. Beliz was a member of the Los Angeles County multidisciplinary team of disaster experts (ICAD) that traveled to Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan to analyze disaster response and recovery efforts.
WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS AND SEMINAR TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Trauma Event Management: Lessons learned from national/international disasters
This seminar draws on Dr. Beliz' response to Hurricane Katrina and other disasters as an emergency responder as well as his professional visits to Chile, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand to examine their emergency disaster response and in particular the mental health impact and recovery efforts.
Managing the Threat: The Assessment and Prevention of Targeted School Violence
This training session introduces participants to a conceptually sound, operationally relevant, sustainable method of assessing students and others on a pathway to targeted violence. Participants will learn techniques and methodologies designed to improve community safety and establish a collaborative and comprehensive community safety net.
Case examples of successful outcomes achieved through collaboration and partnerships with public and private stakeholders will illustrate the benefits of an informed and integrated community with a common mission.
Emerging Trends in Targeted Violence
This workshop provides an overview of the similarities among foreign, domestic, lone actor, and radicalized perpetrators with a specific focus on common behavioral characteristics critical to identification and management of persons at risk for targeted violence.
START: The Los Angeles County Model for the Prevention of Targeted School Violence
Dr. Beliz established the School Threat Assessment and Response Team (START) in 2008 to prevent targeted school violence (TSV) in Los Angeles County. Since its inception, Los Angeles County has not had an incident of TSV where START was involved. START has received national recognition as a viable model for the country. This seminar provides detailed information on concept, functionality, and sustainability. Participants will learn about the core components of the model
and strategies for creation and implementation.
The G.R.I.D. Guidelines for Response, Intervention, and Documentation in the evaluation of persons at risk for targeted violence.
Dr. Beliz developed The GRID the law enforcement community and campus threat management teams. It provides an objective, data driven method for assessing low-moderate-high risk for TSV. The GRID contains 13 triads that
cover 39 sources of data that in total allow for an informed measure of risk. The GRID is used in Los Angeles and other counties and states by law enforcement and school threat assessment teams as a part of their risk
assessment strategy.
La Evaluación y Prevención de la Violencia Dirigida
Esta presentacion es para la policia y professionales de salud mental sobre la
violencia escolar dirigida y violencia en el trabajo. La presentacion incluye
las tendencias emergentes y los elementos criticos en el proceso de evaluacion
y intervencion.
PAST ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTATIONS, TRAINING AND INTERVIEWS
Federal Bureau of Investigation - Crisis Negotiation Team
and other units - Los Angeles Office
Joint Regional Intelligence Center (Southern California Operational Area)
Los Angeles Police Department (SMART, Threat Management Unit, and other
specialized units)
Association of Threat Assessment Professionals Anaheim Conference
Los Angeles Unified School District and Police Department
University of Southern California
University of California at Los Angeles
Pepperdine University, Malibu Campus
California State Universities: Long Beach and Los Angeles Campus Police and
Threat management Teams
California Association of School Psychologists
Los Angeles County Office of Education Conference
Los Angeles County Terrorism Liaison Officers
San Marino Unified School District and Police Department
California Attorney General's 21st Annual Organized Crime,
Gang, Criminal Intelligence, and Terrorism
California Police Officers Association Conference.
Surgeon's General Joint Task Force Conference. USNORTHCOM
Department of Defense Bethesda, MD
La Evaluacion Y Prevencion de La Violencia Dirigida -
Policia Malaga, Malaga, Espana
California Fire, EMS and Disaster Expo 2009 Conference
4th Annual International Campus and Student Security Conference - Melbourne,
Australia
Pierce, Long Beach, East Los Angeles, Valley, Mission, Harbor and Trade
Tech Community Colleges
City of Riverside Law Enforcement & Other Emergency First Responders,
Riverside, CA
Orange County Sheriff's Regional Training Conference. Tustin, CA
ABC Unified School District
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Mental Evaluation Teams and other
specialized units (SEB; CN)
San Gabriel Valley School Districts and Mental Health Providers
City of Burbank Police Department
Montebello School District Counselor's Academy
Regional Strategizing Forum 2013 - College of the Canyons
The Whole Child Providers, City Managers, Educators & Law Enforcement City
of Whittier
California State University Northridge Counseling Center Staff and Resident
Advisors
Beach Cities School District
Training for Law Enforcement & Mental Health Providers - Spokane, WA
Inglewood Police Department - Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Homeland Security Conference
Inglewood Police Department - Federal Bureau of Investigation
Montclair School District
Baldwin Park Unified School District & School Police
College Violence Prevention & Intervention Training. Cal State University,
Dominguez Hills