No documented suicide assessment for Cree teen who died in B.C. group home, review finds
A review done after the death of a Cree teen at his Abbotsford, B.C. group home found a failure to document suicide assessments and major delays in writing a treatment plan, a coroner's inquest heard Wednesday.
The review by Child Welfare and Aboriginal Services was done after 17-year-old Traevon Desjarlais took his own life in September 2020. His body was found in the closet of his room four days after he was reported missing.
The review found that while the social worker for the teen was addressing Desjarlais' concerning behaviors around headbanging, and had outlined steps to ensure his safety – there were other missing pieces in his treatment plan.
“We did not find any documentation in the records that outlined what the suicide assessment was, or what the risk plan was, or who that was provided to,” said Tricia Meyers, acting executive director in the provincial office of the Child Welfare and Aboriginal Services branch. Despite this, she said the lack of documentation didn’t necessarily mean the assessment wasn’t done.
Meyers also said that an evidence-based treatment plan provided for the youth was not documented for four months after services began.
She also said there have been several other reviews done involving other children where important documentation also was not found.
Changes have been made since Desjarlais' death, according to Meyers, including ongoing training for workers and the introduction of a more standardized form for suicide risk assessment which is to be rolled out in the coming weeks.
The inquest also heard from James Wale, B.C.’s deputy director of child welfare for the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
He said a new short-term stabilization program is being piloted in B.C. next year.
“Short-term stabilization will be designed for youth with complex needs where the staff have clinical training, where there’s wrap-around support and where there’s a focus on working with the parents or relatives,” he explained.
Youth would stay in these homes for three to nine months, but the goal is to return youth to where they were before if at all possible, he said.
He also said his department is working on a new tier of family care homes for youth with higher needs. These homes will provide extra support and service and it's hoped they may allow a young person to stay in a family care home.
Wale said 70 per of children in care in B.C. are Indigenous.
“It’s a horrible tragedy that happened to Traevon,” he said, adding that his takeaway from the inquest is the importance of a child’s need to belong to their family, community and culture.
“That’s what I heard from the testimony, that Traevon felt alone, despite people being there for him,” Wale said.
He was the last witness at the inquest.
The coroner’s jury can not make findings of fault, but can make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.