STAR Catholic partners with area agencies to sign VTRA Protocol

Drayton Valley — St. Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic Schools and Wild Rose School Division are among the Drayton Valley partners that have come together to share information and work collaboratively for the protection, safety and betterment of youth and the public.

STAR Catholic, Wild Rose School Division, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Alberta Health Services, and Children and Family Services recently signed a Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) Protocol for the Drayton Valley area. The two school boards met March 22, 2017 to celebrate the signing and discuss the early effectiveness of the protocol.

“For STAR Catholic, this VTRA protocol signed with our partners in Drayton Valley means we now have a VTRA Protocol with our partners in all the communities STAR Catholic serves,” said Thalia Hibbs, Board Chair. “It’s a testament to our collective commitment to students and families and will enable a collaborative response toward keeping our schools and communities safe.”

VTRA Protocol’s give all partners that work with youth — the schools, police, social workers and mental health professionals — the same ‘lens’ in which to examine worrisome behaviour.  The partners share the same terminology and analysis-understanding, as they bring their expertise together to recognize symptoms and signs of a potentially dangerous issue, working together to resolve it.

Based in central Alberta, Saint Thomas Aquinas Roman (STAR) Catholic School Division represents 11 schools that serve the communities of Beaumont, Drayton Valley, Lacombe, Leduc, Ponoka, and Wetaskiwin. The STAR Catholic Schools team of teachers and support staff are committed to giving more than 3,900 students across our division every opportunity to achieve their potential in a caring, safe and Christ-centred environment.

For more information, contact:

Vince Burke
Manager of Communications
STAR Catholic Schools
(780) 986-2500
vince.burke@starcatholic.ab.ca