Growing and strengthening the Catholic faith in the Community we serve.

Safe Environment Training

The goal of the Safeguarding All of God's Family program is to protect our children and all in the church family from sexual abuse and related dangers. All adults (18+) that work with or around youth are required to have completed this training, a background check, and an electronically signed code of ethics. Per archdiocesan standards, background checks are required every 5 years. Safeguarding All of God's Family (SEE Training) is only required once. 

Youth (high school seniors) that are in a leadership position but are not yet 18 are also required to complete a background check, code of ethics, and Safe Environment Training. Those in this category are still encouraged to help but will need someone over the age of 18 to partner with them in leading. 

In an effort to provide accountability throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the Safe Environment Office in Milwaukee has switched to an electronic system. In the past, volunteers would fill out a background check on paper and the parish would send in the information. The information from individual Safe Environment Training Sessions would be kept with the parish that held the session and a copy sent into the archdiocese. At times this was problematic because it required coordinators from other parishes to try and track down the location and date in which a volunteer (not from their parish) was originally trained. 

An electronic system has been implemented so that Safe Environment Coordinators from each parish are able to know all who have been SEE Trained within the archdiocese. The individual users within the system can only see their own personal information, training date, and other pertinent documents (such as the required code of ethics and background consent form). When initially registering, please be sure to check 'yes' when the site asks if your parish requires you to complete a background check. 

Background Check

Background checks are required every 5 years. To complete a background check after initially creating your account and logging out. 1. Log back into your account. 2. In the upper right hand corner click 'update my account' 4. Enter your information 5. Click 'Yes' at the bottom where it asks if a background check is required. The parish Safe Environment Coordinator will then approve the request (much like if you were to hand them your sheet of paper for a background check) and send in the information to Catholic Mutual for it to be processed. Complete a Background Check

Code of Ethics

On the website, one of the required documents will be the Code of Ethics. Please read through it or print out a copy for your records. You will be asked to both electronically sign the document (saying that you read it) as well as be instructed to print  out the last page of the document and sign it by hand. Please send the signed last page to the parish office for our records. The goal of the move to an electronic system is to cut down on the amount of paperwork individual parishes will need to record in regards to Safe Environment. By the end of the next 5 years (because volunteers need updated background checks and code of ethics every 5 years), the only documentation needed will be the updated, signed last page of the Code of Ethics. 

Safe Guarding All of God's Children

Safe Guarding All of God's Children or Safe Environment (SEE Training) as it is commonly referred to, is a live training session on ways to recognize and help prevent opportunities for child sexual abuse. Parishes are required to host a training session at least once a year for new volunteers. Commonly this occurs in the Fall as part of preparation for the upcoming school year. Volunteers are not required to attend their own parish's training session (though the location does make it convenient), but all volunteers are required to attend training at least once somewhere within the archdiocese. Training sessions occur year round and all throughout the archdiocese. If you have been Safe Environment trained within an outside diocese, please locate a copy of your training certificate and send it to the parish for our records. If you are unable to locate the certificate, please contact the parish you were originally trained at for more information.

Instructions

Catholic Mutual Website (Background Checks & Registration for Sessions)

Upcoming Training Sessions *

Safe Guarding General Information

*Please be aware that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee requires participants to sign up for an account when registering for a training session. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee REQUIRES a background check – Make sure you have the following documents accessible: social security number, address and telephone number.

If you have an account and forgot the password, are having technical difficulties, or have additional questions please contact Katie Boehm at kboehm@sothparish.org or (920) 960-1550