Below is the information you ll need to take online misconduct prevention training.

Transcription

1 Dear Friends, Below is the information you ll need to take online misconduct prevention training. Enrolling Please see the guide on the next page for directions on how to self-enroll and take the online classes through Armatus, the online training and education center used by the Episcopal Church. Read the instructions carefully, as some actions like refreshing the page or clicking back on your browser can result in having to start a unit over from the beginning. Which Units to Take For a list of exactly which units you ll need to complete to be certified for your specific ministry, please see the Guide on Who Needs Training, pages 3-5 of this document. Each ministry has specific requirements. You are certainly welcome to go beyond what s outlined in the guide and will likely find the information useful. Printing Certificates and Who Needs Them When you re finished, you can print the certificate yourself using the Print Certificate button on the online training homepage and provide the certificate to whomever might need a copy. You should give a copy of the certificate to the church and keep one for yourself. Only clergy need to submit certificates to the diocesan offices (addressed to the bishop s clerk). Please also record the username and password you re given; that way you can access your account whenever needed to re-print the certificate or take more courses. We also advise that you save an electronic copy of the certificate for your personal records. Reporting Misconduct The Episcopal Church s and the Diocese of Virginia s policies on reporting suspected incidents of misconduct differ somewhat from how they re outlined in some of the online units. Please read the reporting procedures on page 6-7 of this document to familiarize yourself with reporting in the Diocese of Virginia. Thank you in advance for the time you re committing to protecting the Diocese of Virginia s children and churches. Please be in touch if you have any questions. Faithfully, Patrick J. Wingo Canon to the Ordinary Edward G. Keithly Adult Vocation Officer

2 Quick Start Guide Armatus Online Abuse Prevention Training Welcome to Armatus! We have developed some helpful hints to ensure you retain what you learn. Good luck and enjoy your courses. 1. Right Place, Right Time Set the right conditions for learning. Create an environment with no interruptions, no phone calls, and no distractions simple as that. Set aside 30 to 45 minutes for each course so you don t have to hurry. 2. Take your Time Have patience and take your time. Read carefully to make sure you fully understand the content. Instead of rushing through the training, plan to complete only one or two courses each time you login so you can really absorb what you ve learned. Complete each course from beginning to end. If you stop a course before you finish it, you ll have to start over at the beginning of the section where you left off. 3. Follow the Orange Arrows When it s time to move to the next page, an orange arrow will appear. Click the orange arrow to move forward. Do not use your Internet browser s forward and back arrows or refresh buttons, or you ll find yourself back at the beginning of the course! 4. Think about It Lastly, pause and think about what you are learning. Throughout the course, think about how you can apply what you are learning to your own position. We know that with proper concentration you can understand and apply what you learn. When you pass the quiz at the end of the course, you ll earn credit. 5. Enroll and Begin Training To enroll: 1. Go to 2. Enter the registration code: 800diocese. 3. Fill out the form and click the link to enroll. 4. Print the page or write down your user login and password for future reference. 5. To begin training immediately click the first link or follow the instructions below to login later. To begin training: 1. Go to 2. Click the link at the bottom of the page. 3. Enter your user login and password. 4. Click on the title of a course to begin that course. If you have questions along the way, contact your supervisor, your location s Armatus Administrator, or Praesidium technical support at [email protected] or Internet-based Abuse Prevention Training 2

3 Assessing Your Parish Ultimately, it s up to the rector, priest-in-charge, or vicar to assess what s best for the safety of the parish. The requirements below are a baseline for misconduct prevention. Churches should not feel limited by this guide in what they require. If you feel that the baseline is too stringent or have any other concerns, please be in touch with the canon s office to discuss. E- mail [email protected] for Ed Keithly, adult vocation officer; [email protected] for Pat Wingo, canon to the ordinary. Required Training Broken Down by Specific Ministry Important: Every clergyperson, church staff member and volunteer who received training more than 10 years ago are required to renew training by taking online courses or the abbreviated child and adult misconduct prevention workshops. Taking the full in-person workshops is also acceptable if abbreviated courses are unavailable. Online Training One of Bishop Johnston s priorities is that as many people that need training for their ministry receive that training and are aware of the serious issues surrounding misconduct prevention. Thus, to make training more widely available and to honor the time constraints of those participating in ministry, we are now offering an online option for misconduct prevention training. All Clergy Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Safeguarding congregations Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for ministries Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Workers Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Managers & Supervisors (if in supervisory role) All Church Staff Members, whether full or part time, clergy or lay, paid or unpaid: Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Safeguarding congregations Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for ministries Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Workers Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Managers & Supervisors (if in supervisory role) Licensed Lay Leaders Catechists who teach adults o Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for congregations and for ministries Catechists who teach youth Eucharistic Ministers who serve at the altar during regular worship services o No Sexual Misconduct Prevention training is required 3

4 Eucharistic Visitors who take communion to homes, hospitals or other facilities o There is currently no online course that addresses elder abuse prevention. For this reason, all LEVs must complete in-person training. There are opportunities for clergy to be certified to teach this workshop to their parish. If interested, please be in touch with the bishop s clerk ([email protected]). Pastoral Leaders o Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Faith for congregations Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for ministries Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Workers, Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Managers & Supervisors Preachers who are licensed to preach during regular worship services at church o No Sexual Misconduct Prevention training is required Worship Leaders o Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Faith for congregations Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for ministries, Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Workers Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Managers & Supervisors Missioners Missioners, paid or volunteer o Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Faith for congregations Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for ministries Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Workers Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Harassment for Managers & Supervisors Mission Trip Leaders o Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for congregations Safeguarding ministries Mission Trip Participants (If the mission team includes anyone under the age of 18 or if missioners will meet or work with anyone under the age of 18) Nursery Workers Nursery Workers, paid Nursery Workers, volunteer 4

5 Teachers Parochial School Teachers and Staff o Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your School Safe Policies Sunday School Teachers, paid o Those who teach children or youth: Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your School Safe Policies o Those who teach adults: Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for congregations Faith for ministries Sunday School Teachers, volunteer o Those who teach children or youth: (Recommended) Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your School Safe, Policies o Those who teach adults: (Recommended) Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your School Safe, Policies Youth Group Leaders Youth Group Leaders, whether paid or volunteer o Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your School Safe, Policies Youth Group Workers, whether paid or volunteer o Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your School Safe, Policies Vestry Members and Wardens Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your Church Safe Policies Safeguarding congregations Safeguarding God s People: Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith for ministries Vacation Bible School Staff Vacation Bible School Directors o Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your School Safe Policies All Vacation Bible School staff o (Recommended) Meet Sam It Happened to Me Keeping Your School Safe Policies 5

6 How to Report Sexual Misconduct or Suspected Sexual Misconduct All misconduct or suspected misconduct must be reported to the appropriate person (see below) as soon as possible. To report misconduct committed by a clergy person: Notify an intake officer by phone, , or letter. The intake officers are: The Rev. Randall Prior [email protected] Business phone: ext. 240 Cell phone: The Rev. Caroline Parkinson [email protected] Business phone: Cell phone: Required Reporting: All suspected child abuse or sexual misconduct must be reported to Child Protective Services. Call the statewide toll-free hotline to make the initial report. Or call the local Social Services office. In reporting to Child Protective Services, it is helpful for the reporter to provide as much of the following as possible: the name and address of the child and the parent or person responsible for his/her care; the child s age, sex and race; a description of the alleged abuse and neglect, including how long it may have been happening; the name of the school the child attends; the names of other people, especially children, in the home; the reporter s relationship to the child. Do report even if you are unable to provide all of the information. The person reporting abuse to Child Protective Services is not required to give his or her name. If you suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult over age 60, or an incapacitated adult over the age of 18, call the Adult Protective Services hotline of the Virginia Department of Social Services at To report misconduct committed by a lay person: Notify the rector or other clergy person on staff of the layperson s church or of the church of the offended person. The clergy person should then call the office of the bishop or the office of the canon to the ordinary at to plan the appropriate response in the particular context. Appropriate responses to a report may include one or more of the following: 6

7 If the report regards suspected child abuse or child sexual abuse, the lay person will be placed on administrative leave from all ministries involving children or teens, or which bring the lay person into proximity with children or teens until the matter is appropriately resolved. If the report regards suspected abuse or sexual misconduct toward an adult, the lay person will be placed on administrative leave from all ministries in which there is one-on-one contact with adults, including Eucharistic visits and pastoral visits, until the matter is appropriately resolved. If formal charges of sexual misconduct or abuse are brought against a lay person who is in a position of leadership for example, a warden, member of the vestry, diocesan Council delegate, Standing Committee member, Executive Board member or deputy to General Convention, that person will be placed on administrative leave from the leadership position until the investigation or legal proceedings are complete. These actions are not intended to imply guilt, but are intended to create a safe space for all during a difficult time. Decisions about when and how to place a lay person on administrative leave are made on a case by case basis in a conversation between the rector of the church and the bishop or canon. Pastoral care for all involved, including the person reported, the person(s) making the report, the victim(s) and the congregation, is vitally important. A plan for pastoral care for all will be developed in consultation with the bishop or canon. 7