Safe Church Updates (September 2022)

As some of you may already know, sexual exploitation and harassment training supported by The Episcopal Church has been in the midst of transition for several years: new policies have been approved, a new curriculum has been developed, and a new online training platform has launched. For the formation leaders and school and parish administrators most closely engaged in training and reporting processes, it’s been a little challenging to keep up! To all of you, and to the volunteers diligently completing their training in order to be involved in their ministries and schools, thank you for your flexibility and patience as these developments release.

1. That page 7 of the current Safeguarding God’s People Training Policy Manual be amended to require that Certification must be renewed every 3 years;
2. That the supervision ratios on pages fifteen and sixteen of the current Safeguarding God’s People Training Policy Manual be amended as follows:

• 5 years & younger — 1 adult for each 5 overnight-participants and 1 adult for each 6 day-participants
• 6–8 years — 1:6 for overnight, and 1:8 for day
• 9–14 years — 1:8 for overnight and 1:10 for day
• 15–18 years — 1:10 for overnight and 1:12 for day

• 9–14 years — 1:5
• 15–18 years — 1:7

GUIDANCE REGARDING SAFE CHURCH TRAINING

• Instructor-led trainings WILL resume, but not exactly as we’ve done it in the past. I know how critical it is to be able to offer in-person training, and the diocese intends to make this an option again. The General Convention Task Force to Develop Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policies & Safe Church Training is actively developing a workbook to train trainers on the new content and how to apply the practices locally, but the expectation will be that trainers will lead sessions for groups of people that have already taken the online training. In other words, training online is the primary source for training. The hope is that this workbook will become available before the end of the year, but the bottom line is instructor-led training WILL resume once we have an adequate number of trainers prepared to contextualize the Safe Church, Safe Communities curriculum.
  • If you’re interested in serving as a diocesan Safe Church training, please contact me so we can be in touch.
  • In the meantime, administrators are welcome and encouraged to contact me to learn more about the opportunity to manage their own parishioners and volunteers in Praesidium Academy.
• If you trained prior to September 10, 2022 with the understanding that your training would be valid for five years, you will need to renew your training by the date that is three years from your last training in order to remain current. I understand this impacts many of you who would now no longer be certified under the 3-year update. Obviously, the ideal would be to renew your certification as soon as possible, but the diocese is allowing for a grace period to renew your training until November 1 for clergy and January 1 for lay people.
  • If you are already a learner in Praesidium Academy, you received an email regarding an updated list of required courses. In case you missed it, the list will be shared below. I am trusting you will take this time to complete any modules you may still need.
  • If your last training included modules from the old Safeguarding curriculum, it may be time to renew your training altogether. If you trained within the last year when the new content was being released, see what gaps need to be filled.

• Safe Church, Safe Communities: Introduction & Theological Background
• Safe Church, Safe Communities: Organizational Rules & Policies
• Safe Church, Safe Communities: Inclusion
• Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries
• Duty to Report: Mandated Reporter (required for school staff and other mandated reporters; recommended for paid employees)
• any of the following units that are relevant to your ministry/context or included in the Specialized Training* required for your role:
  • Safe Church, Safe Communities: Power & Relationships
  • Safe Church, Safe Communities: Pastoral Relationships
  • Safe Church, Safe Communities: Abuse & Neglect
  • Safe Church, Safe Communities: Bullying
  • Keeping Your School Safe (required for school staff and volunteers)
  • Keeping Your Camp Safe (recommended for overnight and day camp leaders)
  • Safeguarding God’s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Workers
  • Safeguarding God’s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Managers & Supervisors
  • Recognizing Abuse and Exploitation in Elder Serving Programs (recommended for Lay Eucharistic Visitors)