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 - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
PE/HE Consortium: Navigating Health Disparities Through a Cultural Lens in Education
This workshop will equip physical education and health education educators with the knowledge and tools to understand the complex ways health disparities impact students and communities. Using a cultural lens, participants will be able to explore how student and community experiences shape health behavior outcomes. Educators will be able to expand their thought process on how culturally responsive teaching can create inclusive and impactful health education for all learners. Participants will be able to engage in interactive discussions, case studies and reflective activities throughout this full day workshop.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
SLS- Digital Library Advisory Board
The SWBOCES Digital Library Program is a collaborative online service that provides access to over 16,000 digital ebooks and audio books, to students and staff. This service is an extension of the print collection in school libraries; however, it is online with 24/7 access. It is convenient for students to check out titles anywhere, anytime in multiple formats. The SLS is restarting our Digital Library Advisory Board to help curate our SWBOCES collection on Overdrive/Sora and discuss other pertinent topics regarding digital collections. We welcome anyone who is interested in supporting our digital collection and helping it to thrive to better support all of our students/staff.
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
2025-26 RECOVS MTSSI Lab: Understanding, Designing, and Implementing MTSS-I systems and structures
District MTSSi teams from SWBOCES's RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium will meet to discuss and collaborate around grant implementation through the lens of MTSS. Together, we will collaboratively explore the components of MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports). Guided by the NYSED MTSS-I Pilot, we will investigate and design systems and structures. Our focus will be on exploring effective implementation strategies and utilizing data to enhance school and district practices. This group aims to share experiences, best practices, and develop tools to empower faculty and staff in meeting the unique needs of every student through the structures and guidelines provided by the RECOVS Mental Health Grant.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Integrating Social Studies into ELA for Grade Level Teams
As we understand the importance of knowledge-building to improve students' reading development - and we struggle to find time for Social Studies in our elementary schedules - let's improve the integration of Social Studies within our ELA units.
In this workshop, we will unpack our existing ELA/literacy and Social Studies standards and practices, identify opportunities to bridge the subjects, and begin revising units to integrate ELA/literacy and Social Studies.
Participants are encouraged to come as teams to support collaboration around curriculum updates to implement in the new school year and will receive a 10% credit for attending with at least two other district colleagues.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
Northwell Mental Health PD - Overview of Child Mental Health [Virtual]
This introductory session will provide school staff with a foundational understanding of common mental health challenges faced by students. Participants will learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health concerns, explore practical strategies to support students' well-being, and gain resources to foster a positive and inclusive school environment.
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 - LGBTQ+ [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
SLS- Librarians as Catalysts: Bringing NYS's Portrait of a Graduate to Life
New York State's Portrait of a Graduate outlines the essential skills and dispositions students need to thrive in college, career, and civic life-including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, cultural competence, and lifelong learning. This session explores how school librarians are uniquely positioned to foster these competencies through inquiry-based instruction, media literacy, equitable access to resources, and instructional partnerships. Participants will examine each element of the Portrait through the lens of library programming and reflect on how their current practices already support the vision. We'll share practical strategies for aligning library instruction, collection development, and collaboration with teachers to the Portrait of a Graduate-and highlight how libraries serve as essential spaces for cultivating future-ready learners.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
The Leadership Studio: A Strategic & Proactive Professional Learning Experience for School Leaders
Effective school leadership requires more than managing day-to-day operations-it calls for vision, courage, and a proactive approach to navigating the evolving needs of students, staff, and communities. The Leadership Studio is a dynamic professional learning series designed to inspire, empower, and support principals and assistant principals in leading with purpose, clarity, and impact.
Grounded in research and real-world practice, this series blends structured learning with responsive coaching and peer collaboration. Participants will engage in a sequence of high-leverage sessions focused on the most pressing topics in education today: MTSS implementation, culturally responsive leadership, social-emotional learning, instructional excellence, discipline reform, and authentic community engagement.
Each session is designed to not only build knowledge but also strengthen capacity-equipping leaders with practical tools, strategic frameworks, and a supportive network to foster innovation, equity, and sustainable school improvement. Whether you're building foundational systems or driving next-level growth, The Leadership Studio offers a space to think boldly, lead collaboratively, and create meaningful, lasting change.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
