Compliance Resources

Safe Environment Office

WHAT WE DO

The Safe Environment Office educates clergy, employees and volunteers of the Archdiocese of Chicago on how to prevent sexual abuse, recognize grooming behaviors and create safe environments for children and young people in our parishes, schools and community. In addition, the Safe Environment Office is responsible for tracking the screening of clergy, employees and volunteers.
 

TRAINING

Adult training is completed through the Virtus Online System at www.virtusonline.org. 

The following are required trainings for clergy, employees and adults who volunteer of the Archdiocese of Chicago:

Protecting God’s Children for Adults™/Virtus Training
Protecting God's Children for Adults is a training on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The training educates participants on the signs of child sexual abuse, the methods and means by which offenders commit abuse, and how to prevent it. Training is completed online through your Virtus account. If you would prefer to register for an in-person training, click here to view upcoming sessions.

Mandated Reporter Training
Provides adults mandated by state law and Archdiocesan policy to report suspected child abuse and neglect with information on how to recognize and report child abuse and neglect. This requirement includes school personnel, clergy, DREs/CREs, catechists, youth ministers and coaches.

Child/Youth Training
As part of the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children & Young People, the Archdiocese of Chicago requires its parishes and schools to provide valuable training to children and youth in schools and programs annually.

CHILD/YOUTH TRAINING

As part of the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children & Young People, the Archdiocese of Chicago requires its parishes and schools to provide valuable training in sexual abuse prevention to children and youth in schools and programs annually.

This important training is designed to educate children and youth on how to recognize and report abuse, and are age-appropriate, research-based and straightforward. It’s important to note that the below programs are not sex education courses, rather sexual abuse prevention training that encourages children/youth to disclose abuse, neglect or any troubling information to a safe adult, particularly their parent(s).

Current Programs

Praesidium’s Called to Protect
K–12

A comprehensive safe environment program for K-12th grade exclusively for Catholic parents, youth and children.


RCL Benziger’s Family Life Program
K–8

A K-8 religious education program that develops better communication skills and healthy family relationships.

Loyola Press Growing with God Program – Safe & Sacred
K–8

Available by contacting Loyola Press Customer Service 800.621.1008 or contacting Maureen Burriesci, Educational Consultant at [email protected].

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Kids Smartz
K–5

A child safety program that educates families on preventing abduction and empowers kids in grades K-5 to practice safer behaviors. Information and materials can be downloaded for free here.

VIRTUS Empowering God's Children
K–12

A program through which parents, teachers, catechists, youth ministers and other educators give children and young people the tools they need to protect themselves.

More information about the student training requirement is available here: Child/Youth Training.

ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Site Administrator Training
Every parish and school is required to hire a Site Administrator, an onsite employee designated by a pastor or principal at their parish or school, whose qualifications and duties include, but are not limited to, the management of compliance data for their site’s employees and volunteers. Site Administrator Training provides administrators with an understanding of responsibilities and expectations to ensure that every employee and volunteer has complied with requirements.

Registration is required for training. Please register at least five business days prior to the scheduled training.

Please contact Maricela Gonzalez at [email protected] or call 312.534.5388 if you have any questions. Classes may be canceled due to low enrollment.

The Safe Environment Office abides by the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The charter requires that all dioceses/eparchies have clear and well-publicized standards of behaviors and boundaries, maintain safe environment programs for all children and adults and evaluate the background of all lay employees, clergy, and all volunteers who have contact with children.