RRC names investigator hired to review internships after student's attack

Red River College has selected an third party investigator to look into an physical assault on a student in May.

Jackie Healey was on the last day of her three-week workplace practicum in May when two youth clients attacked her. She was left with head injuries and is permanently blindin one eye.

OnTuesday,Healey said she was angry both with the institutionwhere she did her practicum, Selkirk BehaviouralHealth Foundation (BHF), and Red River College.

She said she was not trained by either her school or BHF on how to respond to violent behaviour during her work placement.

• Jackie Healey angry with college, Selkirk centre after attack

The school announced Wednesday it had hired Dr. Linda Burnside to conduct a third-party investigation into Healey's assaultas well as a review into the school's current policies related to work placements at Red River's child and youth care diploma program.

Burnside is a social worker in private practice in Winnipeg, said a Red River College news release.

"She has extensive experience in the social services field in a variety of direct service delivery, managerial, and administrative roles in both non-profit and government sectors, with a particular emphasis on practice in the child and family services system," the release said.

"Additionally, she is well versed in post-secondary practices, working as a sessional instructor with students studying social work and counselling at the University of Manitoba since 1995."

Burnside has previously conductedsystemic and case-specific reviews regarding serious incident involving children in care, added Red River College.

Her investigationwill involve looking at Red River'sselection process for appropriate work placement sites and how prepared faculty and students are for the placements.

Paul Vogt, president and CEO, Red River College, said Burnside's investigation has to be "thorough" and "timely."

Burnside's investigation is set to be completed before the start of the next school year.

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