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St. Monica Catholic Church
9933 Midway Road
Dallas, Texas 75220

St Monica Safe Environment Program

Administered by Marilyn Hicks, Parish Business Mgr & Safety Officer

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or email Marilyn Hicks at 214.366.7144 or mhicks@stmonicachurch.org

St. Monica Church and School both follow the Diocese of Dallas Safe Environment Program . The program is designed to help protect the youth, elderly, and vulnerable adults of our parish as they participate in activities within our community. The process of protecting the vulnerable also serves to provide a layer of protection against the possibility of false accusations for those adults who are involved in our many ministries.

Thank you for all that you contribute to the various ministries at St. Monica Church and School.

Effective August 1, 2010, the procedure for the Safe Environment program at St. Monica is as follows:

I am a NEW Volunteer		I HAVE COMPLETED the New Volunteer process in a previous year
Screening Form This form helps us understand who you are, what ministry you wish to be involved in and whether you are known to others in our parish. Complete the online Safe Environment Screening Form.		The Screening Form is only filled out in Year 1.
Reference Check We will call three people who have known you for at least three years and ask a series of questions designed to get an idea of what your friends think of you and your habits. You *provide the references* on the screening form.		Reference Checks are only conducted in Year 1
Personal Interview The interview takes about 15-20 minutes and is designed to help us understand your views of interacting with children in particular and also gives us a chance to get to know you a little better on an individual level. Please schedule your interview as soon as possible. Interviews are generally conducted on Sundays between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Call Marilyn Hicks at 214.366.7144 or e-mail mhicks@stmonicachurch.org to schedule an interview.		The Personal Interview is only conducted in Year 1.
Criminal History Check We send your information to a central clearing agency chosen by the Diocese. The central clearing agency returns the information to us and it is kept strictly confidential.		Criminal History Re-Check If you are up to date on your annual training, the re-check will be conducted automatically every two years.
Training - NEW Employees/Volunteers You are required to attend a Year 1 training session that includes a live presentation about risk management within the community and a viewing of the Family of Faith video. Training sessions are scheduled throughout the year and will take about 1 ½ hours to complete. The schedules for training classes are shown on the church and school web sites and are updated regularly. REQUEST A BADGE Click to get to the request form All employees and volunteers are asked to wear this badge any time you are on the St. Monica campus. The purpose of the badge is to let all adults and children know that you have completed the requirements for the safe environment program this year. Thank you for your cooperation in this very important safety issue.		Continuing Training - 2010/2011 There are 4 options for annual training this year. The classes consist of a 30 minute video followed by a live presentation. They are: It's Not Just Jenna is a video about a family who is dealing with the reality of child abuse. This is an emotionally intense presentation. Internet Danger is offered for all returning employees and volunteers working with anyone over age 9 to help build awareness of the dangers on the internet. Keeping the Promise Alive Offered for all returning employees and volunteers. This a a refresher to keep our families aware of the on-going issues involved in child abuse. Bullying Prevention Offered for all returning employees and volunteers. This is an overview of the issue of bullying and will help adults identify what bullying is and offers some ideas that can help stop the behavior. Training sessions are scheduled throughout the year and will last about 1 hour. The schedules for training classes are shown on the church and school web sites and are updated regularly. REQUEST A BADGE Click to get to the request form All employees and volunteers are asked to wear this badge any time you are on the St. Monica campus. The purpose of the badge is to let all adults and children know that you have completed the requirements for the safe environment program this year. Thank you for your cooperation in this very important safety issue.

Training Classes at Other Parishes

Schedules for training held at other churches can be located on the Diocese of Dallas web site. You may attend training at other churches if they offer a more convenient schedule – just bring a certificate of attendance back to St. Monica.