Safe Environment Program
 

Safe Environment Programs of the Diocese of St. Petersburg

The Diocese of St. Petersburg must ensure that children and youth who worship, study, or participate in activities sponsored by the Diocese can do so in the safest and most secure setting possible. Parents and caretakers must have confidence in the Diocese before they will allow their children to become involved in Diocesan activities.  The Safe Environment Programs of the Diocese of St. Petersburg are designed to instill that confidence and are encouraged by insurance and risk management companies as well.

This same concern applies to our vulnerable adults.  A vulnerable adult is an individual who is 18 years or older whose ability to perform the normal activities of daily living are extremely limited or whose ability to provide for his or her own care or protection is impaired due to a mental, emotional, physical, developmental disability dysfunction, brain damage, or the infirmities of aging.

In accordance with the US Conference of Catholic Bishop's (USCCB) Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Diocese has established safe environment programs under the Diocese of St. Petersburg Policy for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults.  The Diocese cooperates with parents, civil authorities, educators, and community organizations in its effort to provide education and training for children, youth, parents, ministers, educators, and others about ways to make and maintain a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults. The Diocese makes clear to clergy and members of the community the standards of conduct for clergy and other persons in positions of trust with regard to sexual abuse.

In addition, the Diocese evaluates the background of all diocesan and parish personnel who wish to have the care, responsibility, and or supervision of children, youth or access to vulnerable adults. Specifically, the Diocese utilizes the resources of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement  Volunteer, Employee, Criminal History System (VECHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) to perform Level 2 criminal history background checks.

It is important to understand that an individual who wishes unsupervised access to the aforementioned protected classes MUST complete not only the Level 2 background check but must ALSO attend an appropriate three hour Safe Environment Program training workshop depending on the type of access requested. The Diocese has also instituted Minimum Standards of Moral Conduct (see policy list) as part of its background screening process.  If an individual has been convicted of one or more of the 34 crimes listed on the Minimum Standards of Moral Conduct list, he or she cannot volunteer in any capacity, be employed by, or provide services to the Diocese.  There is, however, an appeal process for volunteers and employees that involves a review of submitted cases by the Office of the Tribunal.  The review process is initiated by the pastor through the Executive Director of Human Resources.

The first step for a Covered Volunteer to gain unsupervised access to children, youth, or vulnerable adults through the Diocesan Safe Environment Program (SEP) is to contact your parish or school, obtain and complete a Covered Volunteer Application form. An employee must complete an Employment Application while a contractor or vendor must complete either a contract or license through either the Human Resources Department, the respective parish, or the Diocesan Department of Schools.  After acceptance of the volunteer/employment application, individuals must sign a Code of Conduct for all adults who work with chhildren,youth, or vulnerable adults. The Code of Conduct establishes acceptable behavior that is legal, professional, and responsible and includes standards of conduct with regard to sexual abuse. Written copies of the Code of Conduct are provided to each employee, covered volunteer, contractor, or vendor after receiving his or her SEP training.   Each individual trained acknowledges in writing that he or she understands and will abide by the Code of Conduct.

The Diocesan SEP trains parents, ministers, educators, church personnel, volunteers and others involved with minors and vulnerable as to the issue of abuse, to include sexual abuse. (Note:  contractors and vendors are considered employees/volunteers for the purposes of criminal history background checks per section 943.0542 of the Florida Statutes and the National Child Protection Act)

Training programs for adults who wish unsupervised access to children and youth includes the following:

1. What constitutes child abuse, including sexual abuse?
2. What actions, procedures and policies are used to prevent child abuse in any form?
3. How does an adult identify instances of abuse of a child, including sexual abuse?
   • What signs should an adult look for in a child who may be abused?
   • What signs should an adult look for in a person who may be abusing a child in any way?
4. What actions should an adult take when they believe that child abuse, to include sexual abuse, may be occurring?
5. What are the laws and policies regarding the reporting of abuse, to include sexual abuse, of children?

Training programs for children and young people include age appropriate materials pertaining to personal safety. This includes information about improper touching and relationships. Children are not expected to be fully knowledgeable about child abuse or of the laws governing care of children but they need to know when they should seek assistance from a trusted adult.

The Diocese has a Code of Conduct for Children as well. Children must adhere to standards of behavior that include respect for their fellow classmates, teachers and volunteers. It is important to remind individuals that while child abuse is usually committed by an adult, some children do harm other children.

Training relating to prevention, identification, response and reporting is also provided to ministers, educators, parents, volunteers, church personnel and others who the care, responsibility, and or supervision of children or access to vulnerable adults.

It is difficult to ensure all parents in a parish are adequately informed about the issue of child abuse. To reach as many parents as possible, attempts the Diocese provides various types of instruction. Multiple delivery methods include formal training sessions led by experienced child-safety professionals, independent reading material, videos, and information posted on the diocesan website.

Children in parish religious education programs receive the same basic information as those who attend Catholic schools. SEP programs have been modified for parish religious education programs due to time constraints.

Due to the dynamic nature of parish life and personnel turnover, safe environment programs have been incorporated into the long-term mission of the Diocese.  There are a number of Save Environment Program training workshops of varying participant duration and content designed to provide a safe environment for our children, youth, and vulnerable adults as follows: 

·         Safe Environment Program– For Employees, Volunteers, Other Church Personnel, and vendors/contractors who may have unsupervised access to children and youth(3 hrs) (Available in English and Spanish)

 ·        Safe Environment Program– For Educators and School Employees – In-Service (3 hrs of 2 days)

·      *Safe Environment Program– For Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound and Pastoral Care Providers (2 hrs) (Available in English and Spanish)

·        Safe Environment Program– For Priests and Deacons (3 hrs)

 ·        *Safe Environment Program – For Children and Youth (Catholic School System) (School Year)

 ·       *Safe Environment Program – For Children and Youth (Religious Ed) (Modified School Year)

 ·       *Safe Environment Program – for Parents (1hr)

(*These sessions do not authorize an individual access to children and youth or for their care, responsibility, and or supervision)

The Diocesan Safe Environment Program Office under the aegis of the Office of the Executive Director of Human Resources is responsible for the oversight, operation, maintenance, and enforcement of the Diocesan Safe Environment Program.  This office and its staff are dedicated to the protection of all children and vulnerable adults.  

With kindest regards and blessings,

André Glaudé, MAOM
Safe Environment Program Manager
Diocese of St. Petersburg