Secretariat for Parish Life
of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Living the Faith
|
Secretariat for Parish Life of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
Living the Faith |
Called to Protect – Multi-media Training Program for Creation of Safe Environments
To enhance the ongoing efforts of the Diocese to provide training for adults and children in matters of protection from abuse and creation of safe environments, we are pleased to announce that Bishop Lennon has approved the implementation of an additional program to protect all children in the Diocese of Cleveland.
Called to Protect™ is a multi-media training program created by Praesidium, a national leader in abuse risk management with more than two decades of experience providing research-based educational programs to organizations. The Called To Protect ™ series presents current abuse prevention information to parents, children, youth and young adults. This is the first-ever program designed specifically for Catholic elementary, middle- and high-school aged youth based on the latest child development research on how children and youth learn best.Called to Protect
™ does NOT replace the Virtus training program. We will continue to implement and track the training of staff and volunteers who work with children through the VIRTUS live training sessions and database. Praesidium will complement these efforts by providing an educational opportunity for parents and reaching into the schools and the religious education programs to teach the children directly, and help inform the parents on issues of safety for their children.We are pleased to add this program to our current safe environment initiatives. At the present time the program is being piloted in some of our parishes and schools. You will be hearing more over the next several months as we prepare for its full-scale launch in the fall of 2010. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to call Sharon Minson, in the Office for the Protection of Children & Youth.
Please join us in praying that this supplemental program will be effective as another measure of our commitment to safeguard the dignity and safety of all children.