Requirements:

Employment & Volunteering

Completion of the new Safe Environment Protecting God’s Children for Adults awareness session must be completed by all Clergy, Religious, Lay Employees and Volunteers by September 2020, regardless of when they may have previously completed their safe environment certification. All School volunteers, even if current in their Safe Environment certification, must attend one of the new Protecting God’s Children for Adults sessions by August 2019. Individual schools have the discretion to impose stricter requirements.

Effective immediately, Safe Environment certification is required to be renewed every 2 years by all Clergy, Religious, Lay Employees and Volunteers.

PRIOR TO THE START OF SERVICE all Clergy, Religious, Lay Employees and Volunteers are required to fulfill all mandatory steps, have an acceptable criminal background check and must successfully complete the required ongoing training as a condition of continued employment or volunteer/ministry service.

Mandatory Safe Environment Steps prior to serving in ministry or other volunteer service:

1. Completion of the Volunteer Ministry Application, including the names and contact information of 3 (non-family member) references, who will be contacted.
2. Signed Authorization for Release of Information form.
3. Completion of the National Criminal Search including Sex Offender background check.
4. Successful completion of the Safe Environment Training.
5. Signed Code of Conduct Agreement form upon review of the Diocesan Code of Conduct & Behavior Standards for All Clergy, Religious and Lay Ministers.

Safe Environment Participation training is also required for participation in or volunteering for activities or events that are not specifically designed to minister to children/youth, but for which it is reasonable to think that they may at times have contact with children outside the sight or hearing of other responsible adults, (e.g. due to the facilities, location, time, or likely presence of children/youth in the proximity of the activities or events).

Even if someone in volunteer ministry is not interacting with children, or likely to interact with children, Safe Environment training is extremely important to inform and protect not only children and vulnerable persons, but also to protect volunteers from unintentionally violating policies.

Safe Environment training also encourages and reinforces a culture of awareness, knowledge and vigilance in protecting all within the parishes, schools and Diocese.

Any questions or need for clarification as to whether a ministry, activity, event or volunteer service may require Safe Environment training should be directed to the Director of Safe Environment.

 

Link Slideshow Training Oct 2019

YouTube Safe Environment Trainings