WELLINGTON COUNTY – The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) and the Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) are among 16 community partners to sign the fourth Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) Community Protocol.
Representatives from the protocol member organizations completed the signing at a ceremony at the Monora Park Pavillion in Mono on April 20.
The other signing organizations include:
– Canadian Mental Health Association of Waterloo Wellington, Children;
– Community and Social Services Youth Justice Division;
– Choices Youth Shelter;
– Compass Community Services;
– Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir;
– Conseil Scolaire Viamonde;
– Dufferin Child and Family Services;
– Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County;
– Family Transition Place Dufferin;
– Guelph Police Services;
– Guelph Wellington Women in Crisis;
– John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington;
– OPP Dufferin and Wellington; and
– Wyndham House Guelph.
“We are fortunate to have a supportive community of agencies and partners with a collective focus on the safety and wellbeing of students and families,” WCDSB director of education Michael Glazier stated in a press release.
“Today is an opportunity to renew our commitment to this shared cause and support safe communities in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph.”
UGDSB director of education Peter Sovran echoed that sentiment.
“It is through our supportive partnerships and collaborations that we work together to create safety in our communities,” he said.
The Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin VTRA Community Protocol was initially made possible by an Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant, based on Kevin Cameron’s work at the Centre for Trauma Informed Practice (CTIP), and is a collaborative response to assessing violence potential.
Cameron, executive director of the North American Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response, is known locally as the subject expert who was called to give a seminar to parents after a student at Centre Wellington District High School assaulted another student in 2021.
The VTRA Protocol is intended to be used by multi-disciplinary teams trained in the theory and practice of trauma informed threat-risk assessment.
The collaborative goal is to reduce violence, manage threats of violence and promote individual, school and community safety by proactively gathering information, understanding needs and mitigating risk with a caring wrap-around approach.
“We are so grateful for the collaborative relationships we have with each of the community partners that are signatories to the VTRA Protocol,” said UDGSB executive superintendent of school operations and student support services Brent McDonald.
“Seeing everyone all together in the same room with the common focus of keeping our communities safe was a clear demonstration of the strength of this proven, multi-disciplinary and trauma-informed approach.”
As partners in the Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin VTRA Community Protocol, each signing member has committed to working together for the benefit of the youth and their caregivers.
They will:
– build working relationships based on mutual respect and trust;
– promote safe, caring and restorative school environments;
– involve youth and families in planning services and supports;
– recognize that each child and youth has unique strengths and needs that should be considered when developing an appropriate plan; and
– realize that working together successfully is a process of learning, listening and understanding one another.
