SAFE ENVIRONMENT UPDATE

The Safe Environment process has a few changes this year that we hope will make the process easier for everyone to follow and will make the training more effective.

Starting this year, everyone’s Safe Environment training will expire at the same time every year, July 31st. Having the training at the same time each year should make it easier for everyone to keep track of when they’ll need to renew their training, it will always be in August. New people can still train anytime during the year as needed.

There’s a rotation of five training modules that each person will rotate through, one module per year, always in the same order. You can tell what your training module is for the year by logging onto the Safe Environment website archokc.safeenvironment.org and looking at your training dashboard where your next training module is listed. 

Since different people will have started their Safe Environment training in different years, they will be doing different training modules. For example, people who are training for their first year will use module “Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse”, people training for the second time will use module “Professional Boundaries and Behaviors”, third-year trainees will do “Technology Safety”, fourth-year is “Protecting Vulnerable Populations”, and finally fifth-year is “Human Trafficking”. Keeping the modules in order for each person makes the training more effective.

For any questions, please contact Cathy Dahlquist, SJN SE Facilitator at safeenvironment@sjnok.org.

OUR COMMITMENT IS A "SAFE ENVIRONMENT" FOR ALL!

We, the Catholic faithful of St John Nepomuk Catholic Church and as a parish of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, share responsibility for the life and mission of the Church. Each of us is called to celebrate, promote and when necessary to defend the life and dignity of every person. This responsibility requires that together and individually we treat everyone with respect, do what we can to see that harm is never brought to others, especially minors and vulnerable adults, and seek to bring healing for those who have been harmed. To help achieve this we follow the guidance of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, which has taken the following steps to defend the life and dignity of those most vulnerable: the young and the elderly: 

• Appointed a Victims Assistance Coordinator to offer immediate assistance to victims.
• Adopted a Code of Conduct.
• Adopted and implemented age appropriate safe environment programs for the education of children, youth and adults.
• Established a policy requiring criminal background checks of all clergy and religious, those in formation for the priesthood or permanent diaconate, all church employees and volunteers who have regular contact with minors.

Ensuring a safe environment for all children, young and elderly people is a continuous effort. We as a parish pledge to continue our utmost efforts toward identifying and ensuring respect for all of God's children.

Please visit the Archdiocesean Safe Environment Website at: Archdiocese of OKC Safe Environment

Reporting a Known or Suspected Neglect or Abuse of any individual, regardless of age,is as easy as calling the Department of Human Services Statewide Abuse Hotline: 1-800-522-3511 or if there is immediate danger call 911!