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Canadian VTRA Trained Professionals: Implications from Unrest in America
Tyler Merbler As the predictable escalation in Washington D.C. is currently playing out, we want to remind VTRA-trained professionals and teams that this American experience that we are observing is also an international experience, to which we are also subject.
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Second Wave: Matching Resources to Risk During Remote Learning
The first wave was new to us all and some figured out how to accommodate it but with the second wave, those we are concerned about know how difficult it was and feel they cannot survive a lengthy quarantine again. The best intervention that schools can provide is to be thoughtful and creative about how to stay connected to our students and their families while educating remotely.
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Trauma-Informed Approach to Assessing the Creation, Organization and Utility of School Resource (Liaison) Officer Programs
These guidelines were developed to assist school boards, school district/division leaders, and police leaders in collaboration with the broader school community (students, parents and caregivers), as well as community leaders, to plan for a trauma-informed assessment of School Resource Officer (SRO) Programs. In particular, they were created to openly address the traumatic impact of systemic racism and offer a process that can compassionately foster truth telling and the beginnings of systemic change.
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Police in Schools: Laying the Foundation for a Trauma-Informed Assessment of School Resource Officer (SRO) Programs
A worldwide pandemic combined with the videos of the recorded deaths of George Floyd and other African Americans in the United States and the death of Chantel Moore during a safety check in Canada, has resulted in a powerful and sustained social movement on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Movements demanding changes at the governmental and institutional levels to address systemic racism. A standard in supporting schools and communities impacted by “high-profile trauma” is that “trauma does not generally result in new dynamics in human systems but instead, intensifies already existing dynamics”.
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EXTENDED CRITICAL PERIOD: Racism, Prejudice and A Worldwide Pandemic
Since the pandemic reached the shores of North America we have released several E-Alerts that have combined our understanding of how high-profile trauma influences human systems including how it increases violence potential. In the field of Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA™) we have always said that “no one can engage in a major act of violence unless they feel justified: everyone needs to move on a pathway of justification first.
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Family Dynamics During the Pandemic: Series 1 Closeness-Distance Cycle
The most intense Family Dynamic during the COVID-19 quarantine is the Closeness-Distance Cycle. It is naturally occurring but, when intensified, can contribute to profound symptom development. It is a primary risk enhancer in some of our more vulnerable families. The following overview provides the theory and practice dynamics with pandemic-specific interventions. It is primarily for professionals but many parents and caregivers can gain insights from it as well.
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Nova Scotia Mass Shooting and COVID-19 (VTRA and TES Applications)
We have consistently reminded professionals about the broad use of our Community VTRA™ Protocols for all forms of violence and for all Persons of Concern (POC) whether child or adult. This means that government agencies from mental health, social services, probation and parole as well as police, fire, hospitals, schools and other workplaces need to be attentive to any evidence someone may be moving on a pathway to serious violence. They also need to be consistently giving “Fair Notice” that there are protocols in place and anyone with a concern should never hesitate to call police or other VTRA™ partner agencies.
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Community VTRA™ Protocols: An Essential Part of the COVID-19 Response
High-profile trauma intensifies already existing symptoms in individuals and systems (families, workplaces, communities, etc.). Many individuals whose pre-COVID functioning was already distressed or who already exhibited violence potential or suicidal ideation will experience increased shifts in their baseline behaviour as the quarantine extends. Even in the best of family circumstances, too much time together with the ones we love will naturally result in an increase in anxiety triggering a distance phase where we need time apart until separateness rekindles the desire to be close again. In family therapy we refer to this as the “Closeness-Distance Cycle”.
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Rising to the Challenge: Staying Connected with All of Our Students
This NACTATR resource has been developed for education departments, school district leaders and school administrators to support teachers, social workers, psychologists, counsellors, and other school staff responsible for educational support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our students of concern (SOC) are already struggling emotionally-behaviorally, and some will be at further risk because of intensified family dynamics during the quarantine period. As teachers and other school staff work to stay connected with students, it is essential to apply a trauma-informed approach to guide administrative decisions.
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Trauma-Informed Leadership for Helping Professionals: How to Sustain the Heroes Among Us
For all doctors, nurses, health, mental health, police, fire, paramedics, emergency management and emergency operations centres, education, child and family services workers, government leaders, and all support staff in these systems and others.