By Dc. Tom Cuskey
Editor
The diocesan Office of Safe Environment — the team charged with articulating and implementing practices to protect children and vulnerable adults — has issued a revised and expanded Code of Conduct as well as an updated Initial Recertification Training program.
In 2002, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) established the Charter for Protection of Children and Young people in response to the Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandal. There are many facets to the charter, all focused on the goal of healing the abused and preventing further abuse.
Starting in 2002, mandated training on the topic was implemented for all clergy, members of religious orders, parish and diocesan employees, and adult volunteers whose ministry or role places them in regular contact with children, young people or vulnerable adults.
Any adult interested in learning more about child abuse prevention were welcomed and encouraged to attend.
The recently updated recertification training has already been put into practice according to Jacqueline Bressette.
“We just completed eight facilitator training workshops for all of our facilitators, to get them up to speed,” Bressette said. As director of the Office of Safe Environment she is responsible for properly training the many volunteers who present training classes to those required to attend. “We’ve had five trainings so far, and we’ve received excellent feedback from the participants and from the facilitators,” she added.
There currently are 48 facilitators covering the seven-county diocesan area. All new employees and volunteers must attend the two-hour initial training, and all active employees and volunteers must recertify every five years, including submitting to a background check.
Bressette said the Code of Conduct revision is a result of an ever-changing social environment we live in.
“Unfortunately, because of things that have happened over the last five [or] six years, we’ve had to relook at our code and how we can address those behaviors that have caused us issues.”
She said that the reporting aspect of the code has been a strong focus of the revision process, stressing the importance of reporting anything one feels as suspicious, concerning or unethical behavior.
Bressette pointed out that a code violation doesn’t necessarily imply that a person is a possible predator, but rather are misinformed or unaware.
“But there’s a concern, right?” she says. “Oftentimes people acknowledge their mistake if they were called out on it, like texting. Texting is our worst thing.”
Texting, she says, can be a source of boundary issues, as when an adult texts a young person for example. That becomes “more of a teachable moment.” Multiple code violations in an incident will result in a deeper investigation with the team always working to ensure personal safety.
“We’re not going to risk a chance [of someone] being harmed,” she said. “And we stand by that it is a privilege to work with our kids in this diocese, not a right.”
Julie Moss, safe environment program coordinator, shared a comment that was made by an attendee during one of the recent training sessions.
“I’d rather apologize to an adult for being wrong than apologize to a child who’s become a victim,” Moss reported hearing during the class. “So the more that people have their eyes open and are aware, yes, it just helps to prevent things from moving further, especially if it’s initial stages of a grooming issue, which unfortunately we have seen and had to deal with.”
The office is adopting a new practice this year to help open people’s eyes and raise awareness.
“We’re going to start sharing the code violations that come through every quarter,” Bressette said. “We’re hoping to roll out a newsletter, just a simple ‘Hey, here’s some updates from Safe Environment … here’s what’s going on.”
The task the office has been challenged with through the years has been huge.
“Over 48,000 [people] have attended our initial training over the last 21 years,” Bressette reported. “And we currently follow almost 11,000 people. So that means 11,000 are in ministry.” Those people include clergy, employees and volunteers.
Along with program assistant Tracy Shaughnessy, the trio works tirelessly to implement, protect and monitor the diocesan landscape. And there is improvement.
“I really think the culture has changed for the better,” Bressette said. “And that’s been a collective effort between our facilitators, our site coordinators …our bishops, you know, really.
“And the other thing, too, is people see that we don’t just preach what we’re saying. We do something about it.”
To learn more about the work of the Safe Environment team, visit syracusediocese.org/safe-environment.
