Saskatchewan Polytechnic joins community safety protocol

Image credit: Saskatoon Public School Division
Image credit: Saskatoon Public School Division

January 13, 2016 - The Saskatoon and Area Community Threat Assessment and Support Protocol (CTASP) is welcoming a new partner committed to building safer communities. Saskatchewan Polytechnic joined the previous 18 partners in signing the protocol at an event today. 

"Our common goal is to promote individual and community safety," said CTASP co-chair Heather Miller, Ministry of Social Services.  "This means working together to reduce acts of violence, developing staff in violence threat risk assessment and interventions and using a multi-disciplinary approach that capitalizes on our varied areas of expertise to respond to any clear, plausible and direct threats of violence."

"At Saskatchewan Polytechnic the health, safety and security of our students, employees and visitors is a top priority," said Dr. Larry Rosia, president and CEO at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. "We recognize we can create safer communities for everyone by working together. By collaborating with partners of the Saskatoon and Area Community Threat Assessment and Support Protocol we can continue to work towards safer environments free of violence."

This unique, multi-agency protocol, first signed in August 2011, is guided by the principle that violence prevention in schools and neighbourhoods is a community responsibility.  The document enables community partners to proactively share information and advice and to use their broad range of expertise to provide the appropriate supports to youth and their families.

"It has been a privilege to play a role in the evolution of the Saskatoon Community Threat Assessment and Support Protocol," said CTASP co-chair Coralee Pringle-Nelson, co-ordinator of Counselling Services for Saskatoon Public Schools. "The growth and development of our CTASP partnership is a testament to collaborative leadership in our city and a commitment to pursue best practice when it comes to preventing and intervening around threats of violence."

Kevin Cameron, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response and an internationally recognized expert, played an important role in the development and ongoing support of the protocol. Cameron was in attendance at today's re-signing and is leading training with staff members from the CTASP's partners this week in Saskatoon. 

"The field of Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) continues to evolve with the necessity of multi-agency collaboration becoming more evident," Cameron said. "Online threats, relational violence and gang-related behaviour has required us at the school and community level to take a more formal lead in all aspects of violence prevention. Saskatoon and region have become both the provincial standard and national leaders as schools, post-secondary institutions, police and other helping agencies prove that true collaboration is not only possible but essential in these complex times. "

Other CTASP partners who renewed their commitment to the protocol are: Conseil des écoles fransaskoises, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools; MD Ambulance Care; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Justice, Corrections and Policing's Community Corrections and Kilburn Hall Youth Centre; Ministry of Social Services, Child and Family Program, Saskatoon Centre Service Region; Prairie Spirit School Division; Restorative Action Program; Royal Canadian Mounted Police Saskatoon and Warman detachments; Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service; Saskatoon Fire Department; Saskatoon Health Region, Mental Health and Addiction Services; Saskatoon Open Door Society; Saskatoon Police Service; Saskatoon Public Schools; and the University of Saskatchewan.  

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