VTRA (Violence Threat Risk Assessment) Resources:
Southern Alberta Regional VTRA Protocol – updated March 2022
The protocol document posted publicly provides an overview of the VTRA process and lists the community partners supporting the Southwest protocol. The 2022 document has been updated to reflect changes implemented by the North American Center for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response (NACTATR) in the 5th edition of their Level One Training Guide and 10th edition of the community based VTRA Protocol.
Updated forms templates are provided to each protocol partner directly for the organization to customize and host internally for use by their staff members trained in VTRA.
Upcoming Training Opportunities:
TBD
Schools, post-secondary institutions, and communities react in their own unique way to trauma. Traditional crisis response has typically been a short-term intervention immediately following the incident. VTRA is referred to as the “missing link” in violence prevention. It is the process of deliberately trying to “connect the dots” or data that paints the picture that someone is moving on a pathway towards serious violence before the violent act occurs.
Southwest Alberta school divisions and community partners first signed a regional VTRA protocol in 2012 as a collaborative response to assessing potential violence with an overall goal to making schools and communities safe. In January 2015, the protocol was relaunched with a new name, Southwest Alberta Regional VTRA Protocol and an increased number of supporting partners. All of the partners agreed to intervene as early as possible to all child/youth behaviours that may pose a potential risk for violence to self or others. The regional protocol balances diversity between rural and urban communities and ensures common understanding of the VTRA process and the development of a multidisciplinary response. Collaborative planning among children/youth, families, schools and community agencies is central to reduce violence and to reflect safe, caring, and restorative approaches that promote supportive interventions and the development of prevention plans.
March 2022, minor changes were made to update the protocol. October 2022 all VTRA signatories will meet to review processes/upcoming training etc.
The regional protocol is based on the model developed through the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Training.