CTV News Edmonton has reported:

School boards in the Leduc area have added suicide and traumatic event responses to a risk assessment commitment that has been in place for more than a decade. The new measures formalize the commitment as a three-part protocol, which Black and Gold School Division student services director Niki Gill said is intended to guide administrators and build public trust.

The area’s Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) and Intervention Protocol was created in 2014 and has been recommitted three times. Gill said the latest step was taken Thursday. “What we did (Thursday) was formalize it into a three-part protocol, which really just holds us accountable and ensures that new folks know what to do and promises the public what we will do,” Gill explained.

The protocol is the third of its kind in Canada. It was first introduced in Strathcona County as a violence, trauma and suicide prevention protocol. “We had protocol envy, so we decided to move in this direction as well because it made good sense,” Gill said.

Gill described a response involving multiple community services when a young person appears to be moving toward violence. “Let’s imagine a young person is showing us that they are moving on a pathway to violence, which is kind of the big question that we’re examining. Mental health is here. RCMP is here. Children’s services are here … You really do need a wraparound family support when a child is having a problem.” CTV News Edmonton’s Noah Rishaug contributed to the report.