School Community Councils (SCCs) in the Prince Albert Catholic School Division will have a chance to hear from Executive Director North American Center for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response Kevin Cameron in the New Year.
After completing a poll of the SCCs in the division, Cameron agreed to make a virtual presentation at the board’s annual Professional Development Networking Session. The next session is scheduled for Jan. 17.
Cameron will speak on managing the social and emotional impact of COVID-19. PACSD education director Lorel Trumier said they look forward for to having Cameron engage the board and SCCs.
“He’s a critical friend to our school division,” she said. “We work with him frequently and we know that we have been well served by the people that are in his domain of work.”
Trumier said they know that the pandemic has had a negative emotional impact on some staff and students. She said the presentation will help the board identify and understand those impacts.
She added that the division values the relationship that they have developed with Cameron, which has grown over the past decade. It began with a collaboration on a violent risk assessment protocol almost a decade ago.
“It has been almost 10 years with both police services, mental health services and people from the SHA, ourselves, other school divisions, so that there is a strong partnership of assessing risks,” Trumier said.
“We continue to do the violent threat assessment training, Level 1 training, Level 2 training for administrators, as well as our senior administration.”
In addition to risk assessment, Trumier said Cameron has also supported their traumatic events procedures, which helps how they deal with trauma.
“Kevin has been a critical friend to the school division as it pertains to this and we seek his advice and support,” Trumier explained. “He has been gracious enough to work with our families and our parents and our staff over the last couple of years and so we are looking forward to that night for sure.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
