2006
JANUARY
Shifting Gears
Something significant is happening with the Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Tucson, a change that I have been sensing these last few months and that I have been praying about.
When there is a significant change in process in any aspect of life, it is helpful not only to recognize it, but also to name it correctly.
Recognized and named, change is much easier to move with.
One way to recognize and to name a significant change is to look back at what has been, and I have done some of that, as have all of our parishes and schools, in conjunction with this year's audit of our Safe Environment Program by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Looking back over these last three years, much time has been given to the uncovering and repair of harm that had been done.
We began with the commitment to collaborate with law enforcement when they could investigate allegations, to vigorously investigate ourselves when law enforcement could not and to respond with respect and what assistance we could offer to those who brought allegations.
In these last three years, much effort also has been devoted to establishing a personnel system that will make it more difficult for abuse to occur in our midst.
We made a commitment that all those who minister to minors or vulnerable adults in the Diocese would participate in a common process of background checks.
The overwhelming majority of our people collaborated in that process. Even persons well known and highly visible in their parishes submitted to the process. They understood and proclaimed by their example that the system would make everyone safer.
We made a commitment that all persons who minister or serve in the diocese, no matter the role, would inaugurate an educational process. They attended basic education in the Code of Conduct, Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct, and the mandated reporting law of the State.
Many have already gone beyond the basic education, learning more about how to recognize and report abuse, no matter where it may occur or by whom it is perpetrated.
The numbers tell the story.
All priests, deacons, seminarians and deacon candidates -- more than 350 persons -- have gone through screening and education.
More than 1,200 employees and 5,500 volunteers have done the same.
More than 10,000 students -- all our school children and a good start on our religious education and youth groups, have received education in personal safety, and more than 7,000 parents of these children and youth have discussed factors in maintaining a safe environment in the home.
These numbers are something we can be proud of. They tell an awesome and inspiring story.
So then, what is happening now? What is this change that I have been sensing?
I can only share what I sense as I call and visit our priests and deacons, compliance representatives and other employees and volunteers.
As we emerge from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as we complete the incorporation process for parishes, I have noticed three subtle but powerful shifts in attitude emerging.
First, there seems to be a deeper realization that we are in this for the long term.
Of course, when we really thought about it, it was clear that the great effort of these last three years was not just to get out of the crisis. In fact, we made a public commitment to set out on a journey that would transform us as a Church.
On the other hand, it is only human nature that part of us would cling to the hope of "getting past" all of this. Now, in light of our common and accumulated experience, it is more clear at every level that this is "for better or worse" a commitment to a new way of operating.
Second, it is clear that no one in ministry or service in the Diocese of Tucson is just along for the ride.
It is clear that each person in this local Church plays a role in making the Safe Environment Program a reality. In some areas you may play a small role, perhaps just that of cooperating. In other areas, you may take leadership, even teaching others.
Whatever the role, it is now more clear that for each person who gives himself or herself unselfishly to the work, we as Church are the stronger for it.
Third, and especially in the wake of the various steps associated with the incorporation process, there is a change in perspective with respect to the Safe Environment Program.
More often I experience pastors, compliance representatives and other leaders in the parish coming to Richard Serrano, director of diocesan Human Resources, and me for assistance in accomplishing their goal of preventing abuse and violence against our children and in our families and their goal of mitigating risk in the parish and school.
There is a sense that this program is a remedy that, while it does not always taste good, is good for us.
It is beginning to sink in that the safe environment we are talking about is a safe environment for every member of the parish and for the parish as a corporate whole.
With that realization, the desire to implement and improve the plan has been enhanced. There is a greater desire not only to comply with "directives from headquarters," but also to do what is right and necessary for the health of the community -- the children and parents, clerics and laity, employees and volunteers who make up the parish and school.
All of the shifts in attitudes that I have identified here are, I think, markers of the significant change I have sensed, change that will lead to renewed and creative energies for the work.
What are the implications of all this?
That will be the focus of my next several columns and of the educational programs to be conducted for all personnel in 2006.
So, how shall we name the significant change that has taken place in our Safe Environment Program?
Let's say we are "shifting gears."
We have momentum. The car is moving, and we are shifting gears. First gear has served its purpose. Second gear will carry us farther.
In the next few months, I will write more about how I see the particular changes unfolding in all the dimensions of the program.
In the meantime, we are in gear and moving along together. Roll down the windows and enjoy the breeze.
2006
FEBRUARY
Diocese Is in Compliance; Local Plans for Compliance
I wrote in last month's column about the beginning of Phase II of the Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Tucson.
The completion of Phase I was punctuated by the third audit of the Diocese for compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The audit was conducted by an independent audit agency.
In December, the Diocese was given notice, consistent with the results of the first two audits, that it was found to be in compliance with the Charter.
The form of the third audit was that of a structured, detailed self-report. The audit instrument guided the audit team in a review of each aspect of the Safe Environment Program mandated by the Charter -- response to those harmed, response to allegations of abuse and policies to prevent abuse.
A major focus of the third audit was an assessment of the success of our efforts to implement policies to prevent abuse. There was a particular emphasis on our screening and education processes for all priests and deacons, employees and volunteers.
This focus meant that each of our parishes and schools had hard work to do. Each one had to review and report on its success in implementing its Plan for Compliance.
In the end, although with some effort, we all pulled together.
All employees and volunteers either are in compliance or they have been placed on inactive status until they are.
This marks the completion of Phase I. We do not forget the past, but we can, with some well-earned confidence, look forward to our future.
In this month's column and over the next several months, I will be considering with you the practical implications of this shift in emphasis.
This month, I will discuss the changes you will see in the parish Plan for Compliance, changes that reflect the shift in emphasis that marks Phase II.
First, let's review briefly the thinking that led to the idea of allowing local parish plans in the context of the overall diocesan Guidelines.
I have written before about the interaction of centralized and decentralized elements in the Diocese of Tucson Safe Environment Program.
The Diocese provides standards to be met, resources to meet those standards, and audits to insure that they are met. These are the centralized elements.
Each parish and school develops a plan to meet the standards in a manner that is right for the local community. This is the decentralized element that builds on the strength, works around the weakness, and therefore respects the unique identity of each community that makes up this diverse diocese.
One of the resources that the Diocese provides is a template or outline for the local plan for compliance. Recognizing the shift into Phase II, I have been working with my colleagues at the pastoral center on a new outline for the local plan.
Now, as the time comes for the annual review of the local plan, your pastor will be working with his safe environment program team to revise it according to the new template.
The changes are important markers of the different emphasis inherent in Phase II.
In the revised plan, the focus will be on screening new candidates for ministry or service.
New volunteers and employees alike will continue to be welcomed, of course. We very much need the dedicated persons who feel called to help in the work of our parishes and schools.
But the difference between being grateful and careless has never been so clearly delineated in our Church.
We want to integrate careful review and orientation of new employees and volunteers so deeply in our parishes and schools that it no longer feels awkward or even offensive.
The education plan will move from the basic education on mandated reporting to more sophisticated material for both new and experienced employees and volunteers.
In addition, all employees and volunteers will have the opportunity to discuss questions that have arisen in trying to follow the mandated reporting law and diocesan policy over the preceding year.
Screening and education are two of the three most important aspects of an effective plan. I will devote an entire column to each. But we cannot forget the third element, supervision.
Supervisory practices will become much more prominent a part of the Safe Environment Program in Phase II. Exactly what comprises effective supervision in a prevention program will be a question for another column.
The fourth area I will be discussing is record keeping.
Record keeping systems are like infrastructure in a city. When all is well, you don't even notice them. When they break down or don't operate efficiently, there are problems.
In these three years, we have learned a great deal from each other about what kind of records are needed to support the reports that we are required to make.
Recording that information and reporting it will be more standardized in Phase II.
So, here we are on the threshold of Phase II. We have not finished the project, but we have laid a good foundation.
Three years ago, the Diocese of Tucson committed itself to look deeply at how abuse of children in our Church had happened and how our Church failed to respond effectively. We committed ourselves to change things.
This is a commitment to transformation. Transformation is a journey of faith and trust, because the end of transformation is not clear at the beginning.
What will yet happen is not clear. What has happened is a marvel. What is happening now is where we can most profitably focus our attention.
If you have not yet learned about the Plan for Compliance at your parish or school, ask about it. Ask how it will be changing. Ask about how you can play your part in making it work.
Your involvement, especially if you are working as an employee or volunteer, is critical in the integration of a living and effective Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Tucson.
2006
MAY
Phase II: Being Pastoral Without Being Naive
"Phase II" it is the title of a concept that is becoming part of our vocabulary in the Diocese of Tucson when we speak of our Safe Environment Program.
As part of the series of columns to explore what we mean by "Phase II," this month I write about screening.
We have given a great deal of attention to the screening process in the first phase of the Safe Environment Program. What have we learned?
First of all, we have learned how important the screening process is.
In the beginning, I heard many objections.
Very few persons would question me about the plan to intensively screen candidates for priesthood or to insure that any clergy or lay ministers coming into the diocese from another diocese are in good standing.
But it was not unusual that I would be challenged as to why lay persons in service to the Church were required to undergo screening.
"Why me?" was the general tone of those objections; "I (lay persons) didn't cause this problem."
Now, as we enter Phase II, the number of persons who raise that objection is so small that I seldom have to dust off my explanation.
The rationale for screening all personnel, not just priests, is clear and straightforward.
It takes only some reading and a little thought to see that abuse of children is not limited to priests. We as a Church have suffered from the actions of lay persons as well as clergy. In our experience over these last several years, it has become clear that much of the potential abuse reported has to do with the home or extended family.
It is for this reason that many institutions -- other religious bodies and service agencies included -- now screen their personnel in various ways. In the last year, I have read articles on the subject in outlets as diverse as the Wall Street Journal and The Chronicles of Higher Education.
In the same way, it becomes clear that if all personnel are subject to screening, then we had to begin by screening all current personnel, even if some of them are well known, veterans with many years of service. In fact, the most well known had the opportunity to lead by example.
I can't tell you how many times I was asked, "Has the Bishop been fingerprinted."
I was glad to be able to answer, "Yes!" It is one of the forms of leadership that only those who are known and respected can exert.
I am very grateful to all those trusted leaders in our parishes and schools who showed the way in this powerful manner.
Now, in Phase II, when new persons come to the parish community and seek to serve, we have in place a system for reviewing the background and suitability of that person.
So, what does screening look like in Phase II?
First, it is important to understand that screening is a broader process than a criminal history check.
Screening is a process of learning and reviewing the history of a person in a systematic way.
It begins with a simple question: "Does anyone know this person?"
We recommend the "six-month rule." If a potential volunteer has just arrived in the parish, give him or her six months to settle in, to know and become known by the parish community.
It continues with an application. An application is simply a structured way of asking about basic facts of the individual's history. And, the process goes on to checking those facts.
How do we check the facts of an application?
-- We look first at the information in the application. Does it raise any questions?
-- We interview the person.
-- We check important facts against other records. If a person says he has a particular degree from a particular university, he usually does; but, not always! If that degree is critical to the work to be done, you will surely want to know.
-- We call references. If the person has been in the parish for a long time, that might consist of simply speaking with others on the team. If the person is new to the parish, more diligence is required. You might be surprised to know how often this important step is neglected, not just by us, but in all settings. The consequences of not checking can be very unpleasant.
This is the background check: talking with references and verifying key facts.
Only then, if it seems that the individual will be right for the role, do we get to the criminal history check.
Any individual seeking to minister or serve in any capacity as an employee or who volunteers to minister or serve in any role that carries with it high responsibility for others will undergo a criminal history check.
The phrase we use to define high responsibility for other persons is "independent access to or influence over minors or vulnerable adults."
But high responsibility can involve other dimensions as well. It is important to consider criminal history checks for those entrusted with private information about others, those whose work might affect the physical safety of others, and those who are entrusted with money given to support the work of the parish or school.
Only then, after all this information has been sifted, can we make a thoughtful decision about whether the individual can be entrusted with the responsibility, great or small, associated with the position in question.
Does it all seem like too much? Of course, it does, especially as you think of positions with low responsibility for the care of others.
Consider the situation of a parish in another diocese that made the news last year.
They hired a 60-year-old man. Initially, they did not conduct a criminal history check. They liked him. When they did get round to doing the criminal history check, they found that he had a history of sexually molesting a minor.
By that time, they felt they knew him, and, in any case, he was doing "only" maintenance work. They kept him on despite the record.
Two years later, he was arrested for sexual misconduct with a minor.
Most of the time, of course, these are not the facts that surround our personnel. Most of the time, things work out. But, when they don't, the downside is steep.
Does it still seem like too much? Maybe not.
These are the critical features of screening in Phase II.
-- Now, no person should be placed into service as an employee or volunteer until all the materials necessary for the level of screening required have been turned in.
-- The basic element of screening for all volunteers, regardless of the role, is the review of a completed application, so that there is thoughtful consideration as to the suitability of the individual for the ministry or service he or she would like to provide.
-- All employees and all volunteers in a position of high responsibility for minors or vulnerable adults undergo a criminal history check in addition.
Even then, the process of the Safe Environment Program is not finished.
Just as an individual is given training in how to do their ministry, so are they given education in how to help maintain a safe environment in the parish or school.
Just as a person is given continuing education with regard to their ministry or service, so are they given annual updates with regard to maintaining a safe environment.
Nevertheless, if we can make routine the steps of screening outlined above, we will have made a good start in protecting our children while they are under our watch.
Serial abusers in particular, and others who are driven to offend, look for "soft targets," to borrow a current phrase. Historically, churches have provided environments in which it was easy to enter, easy to be trusted and, therefore, in which it was easy to do harm.
No more.
We can be pastoral without being naïve.
"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves."
Good counsel then, good counsel now.
2006
JUNE
Education: Ongoing and Expanding
We have been talking a lot about education in these first three years of the Diocese of Tucson's Safe Environment Program, and for good reason.
Education is one of the main components of an effective program of child abuse awareness and prevention, so we have placed great emphasis on educating priests and deacons, consecrated religious, employees and volunteers, children and parents.
Now, in Phase II of the Safe Environment Program, we continue to rely on annual education as one of the primary elements of prevention, but the type of education has changed to reflect our progress.
Here is how those changes have affected the education we offer to clergy, employees and volunteers.
In Phase I, the educational program was designed to create a common base of knowledge and practice. We studied the Code of Conduct, the Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct and the mandated reporting law of the State.
This education is ongoing. We must continue to offer the foundational education to all clergy, employees and volunteers new to the Diocese and we must continue to remind ourselves of the importance of conducting ourselves – as individuals and as parishes –with integrity and according to the systems we have established.
In particular, each parish and school will continue to reiterate and emphasize the importance of making reports to law enforcement whenever there is reasonable suspicion that a child may have been abused, may be being abused or may be in danger of being abused.
It is essential that we continue to emphasize the importance of making the report whenever there is reasonable suspicion of abuse of a minor, allowing law enforcement to sort out the facts.
It is equally important that we review past experiences to keep uppermost in our minds the factors that can prevent our following through with a report and the consequences that may ensue when we fail to act.
You, no matter what your role at your parish or school, can also be part of the solution to child abuse, wherever it occurs, by knowing and respecting in practice the mandated reporting law.
In Phase II, the education program is expanding its focus to include making clear not only that there is a local plan for compliance in your parish or school, but what that plan contains and what the implications are for those who serve.
This plan is designed to address the particular situation of your local community for the purpose of protecting those served, those who serve and the parish as a whole.
Also in Phase II, there is emphasis on education for those who serve in positions of high responsibility in a parish or school, persons who, in the language of the Safe Environment Program, have "independent access to or influence over minors or vulnerable adults."
Persons in high responsibility positions are persons in whom we place great trust.
High responsibility positions include priests and deacons, of course, and all employees are by our definition in high responsibility positions. But many volunteers also occupy such important positions.
Phase II of the Safe Environment Program emphasizes how important it is for persons in high responsibility positions to learn more about how to respect boundaries and how to protect themselves from situations of risk while they provide their essential ministry or service.
To keep all of us informed about the points of emphasis in Phase II and to review and reemphasize the major points of Phase I, my office has produced a 2006-2007 Safe Environment Program Annual Report on video that is available now for parishes and schools.
I hope that it will generate many fruitful discussions among parish and school staff members who see the video as part of their required educational update. I hope that they will discuss their local compliance plan and be reminded that each member of the staff has an important role in keeping children safe from abuse.
2006
August
In my last column, in June before the summer break, I wrote about the new direction in the safe environment education of employees and volunteers.
I wrote about the change in content that reflects the growing sophistication of the prevention program. And I emphasized that education is an ongoing process: we can continue to learn; we must continue to learn.
This month, as our Catholic schools are set to begin the new academic year and our parishes are ready to launch their religious education programs for children, I have a safe environment "pep talk" and an update on the diocesan personal safety curriculum for children and youth.
First, the pep talk:
No complex enterprise can be undertaken successfully without a commitment to ongoing education.
Learning from experience makes us better. Nothing of our experience, success or failure, is wasted when we reflect on it and change.
Learning keeps us vigilant. Without review and reflection we lose our focus.
Ongoing education is no less important for our minds than is good nutrition for our body. Without it, we wither.
Learning, therefore, must become just as integrated in the rhythm of our lives as are the meals we schedule every day. When learning does not seem like something extra that must be fit in on top of everything else, when learning is no longer a hassle, we are beginning to "get it."
I encourage all of you in leadership in our parishes and schools to remember this simple mantra: whenever you teach your team to do their work effectively, teach them at the same time to do it safely.
The way you teach is also important. Make it relevant. Don't only present concepts. Talk about recent experiences.
Was there an incident or observation that made someone wonder, "Should I make a report to law enforcement?"
Did questions arise about proper boundaries? Did the behavior of a co-worker seem risky? Did I know what to do?
Is the process for introducing new members in any parish ministry or service clear? Is it being followed?
Do we get it?
This way of thinking about ongoing education will take us to the next level.
Now, to a different but related subject: the education of children and youth in personal safety.
Last fall I wrote several articles about the nature and importance of this education. I tried to work out for you the rationale for including our children themselves in the work of weaving a web of safety.
Then, in the first part of 2006, I asked a group of professional educators from our schools and parishes to help me review what we had done so far, consider the experience of other dioceses, and develop a new Diocese of Tucson personal safety curriculum for children and youth.
They took on this task in earnest.
They told me that most of the most successful parish and school programs had integrated the teaching of personal safety in the religious education curriculum.
This meant that personal safety education was being taught in the context of our Faith and during already scheduled class times.
Importantly, parents were involved. Parents learned what their children were being taught so they could reinforce it at home. Parents leaned what they could do to create a safe environment for their family.
Building, with permission, on a fine program from the Diocese of Tulsa and additional materials from the National Catholic Education Association, our team set out to put together a program specifically designed for the Diocese of Tucson.
I am very happy to say that the curriculum is now complete. It has been reviewed by a group of parents; their comments were very helpful. It has been reviewed by Bishop Kicanas, and given his approval for the upcoming year.
The basic message of this curriculum remains the same. Children can play a role in their own safety. Even very young children can learn to say "No!" when they feel unsafe or uncomfortable with the actions of another person. They can learn to get away from threatening situations. They certainly can learn to bring their concern to an adult they trust, a person with whom they can sort things out.
This basic strategy, taught at a level appropriate to the age and maturity of the child, does work in almost all situations.
We cannot always be there for our children, but we can give them skills that they take with them.
The skills we give them cannot help in the most extreme situations, but those situations are rare. In all the rest, these basic skills do make a difference.
I depend upon the good will of so many people in making the Safe Environment Program work in the Diocese of Tucson, and the development of the new curriculum is no different.
I thank the creative team that developed the curriculum: Jean McKenzie, Mike Berger, Sister Elise Calmus, C.PP.S., Mary Ann Hendrickson and Laura Stehle. I thank the parents who gave their time to review it.
I thank all of you who continue to support the work to restore trust and make us a leader in helping to prevent abuse of children in the communities of our Diocese.
2006
September
I have been writing in the past few columns about various aspects of the education requirements of the Diocese of Tucson Safe Environment Program.
This month, I want to tell you about the education of volunteers who fill what we call "low responsibility" roles.
Exactly what does "low responsibility" mean? Frankly, it doesn't sound all that appealing right off!
In our diocesan Safe Environment Program, we define "low responsibility" as not having "independent access" to minors, vulnerable adults, money or confidential information.
"Low responsibility" volunteers would include lectors or hospitality ministers whose primary responsibilities would not ordinarily put them into situations involving "independent access."
The need to educate and re-educate persons in "high responsibility" roles (employees and those volunteers with independent access to minors, vulnerable adults, money or information) is not hard to explain to most people.
However, the value and necessity of educating and re-educating "low responsibility" volunteers is sometimes harder to explain.
Pastors, for instance, might well question the effort involved and worry about the potential loss of volunteers because of the "burden" of an ongoing education requirement.
Volunteers themselves might ask, "Why me? I am not a danger to others."
So, why does our Safe Environment Program require education for volunteers in "low responsibility" roles?
The first answer – and, in my mind, the most important answer – is that the education of all persons ministering to or otherwise serving people our the parishes and schools represents our commitment to the safety of children and vulnerable adults and our determination that the mistakes and failures of the past that resulted in so much harm to children will never happen again.
The basic education for all employees and volunteers is the child abuse mandated reporting law of the State of Arizona and the expectation of the Diocese that all (employees and volunteers) who minister in any capacity must follow that law and the guidelines for prudent behavior (behavior that reduces risk for all involved) for all those who minister.
This basic education reflects the reality of lessons learned very painfully from the past and from the experiences of others.
Not long ago, I read an article published online by Susan Campbell who wrote about the abuse of an 11-year-old girl by the pastor of a storefront church.
Her main point, not to minimize the many other painful aspects of such an event, was this: "people knew."
She cited the comments by church members and nearby residents regarding what they had seen, the clues that something was wrong, prior to the allegation and the arrest of the pastor.
All of them knew something was wrong, but none of them reported their concerns.
The title of this very poignant essay: "It Takes a Village of Vigilant People to Help Prevent Child Sex Abuse."
It seemed to me that she illustrated very well the reason we seek to educate every one in ministry, even those who in their particular roles carry very little potential for risk to others.
We all can be part of the solution. We can be the eyes that see, the ears that hear, the hearts that respond in compassion.
We can take steps to prevent abuse of our children by learning what to look for and what to do, and then acting on what we learn.
To all of you in any kind of ministry or service in our parishes and schools, I ask you to look for opportunities to receive this education in the mandated reporting law, to learn about signs of problems in our children or in those who minister, and to strengthen each other in the commitment to respond.
A general rule that keeps this uppermost in our minds is this. Every time you gather to learn more about how to fulfill your role effectively, consider also what you might learn and teach about how to fulfill your responsibility faithfully and safely.
Finally, remember how thick our skulls are! An old adage tells us that a human being must hear something seven times before it begins to really sink in.
My own experience tells me that this adage is born of hard-won wisdom. That is why we require at least an annual educational update and a signed attestation that you understand and agree.
None of this, I hope, will feel like an undue burden or an obstacle to your desire to serve. In fact, I hope that you will see it as an aid in serving even better.
I am confident it will keep us on the right track.
Thank you for your collaboration. Encourage others in the same way. Let your pastor and other parish and school leaders know of your support for education that protects our children, our institutions and you.
2006
October
One of the "more frequently asked questions" as I speak around the Diocese about our Safe Environment Program for the protection of children is this: "What are the signs that a child is being abused?"
I like to reframe that question before I answer. In my view, it's better to ask, "What are the signs that a child is in trouble?" Framing the question that way expands our view of a child: there may be abuse; there may be other causes; but the key observation is that the child is in some kind of trouble and needs help.
Generally, we are most often looking for indicators of trouble in four areas.
• Are the child's basic needs being seen to?
• Does the child show a sense of being cared about?
• Are there indicators of physical harm?
• Are there indicators of sexual harm?
More specific indicators are too many to list, but an excellent resource with much other information can be found at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/signs.cfm.
What do you do if you see signs of trouble?
Remember, if you have a reasonable suspicion that a child is being harmed or is in danger of being harmed you should immediately call 911 and 1-888-SOS-CHILD.
What is a reasonable suspicion?
Worry is a key word. If you are worried about the child, call. If you delay making the call and wake up worried about the child, call.
In my talks, I emphasize that our responsibility does not end with that call. To be a caring Church requires going beyond the letter of the law.
We recognize that law enforcement and CPS direct the initial response. We take a back seat until those processes have run their course. Then, we can we reach out as Church in loving ways to child and family.
Offering practical assistance, especially in cases of neglect or when the harm is triggered by poverty and associated stress, and directing the family to sources of spiritual counsel and support are acts of kindness that are part of the storehouse of good that our tradition of faith has built over thousands of years.
2006
November
Educating parents to be the best that they can be in protecting their children from abuse of any type is an essential component of the Diocese of Tucson's Safe Environment Program.
There are five very good reasons why we place such a priority on educating parents about child abuse awareness and prevention and about the Personal Safety Curriculum that is being taught to their children.
First, parents who know what is being taught to their children about personal safety are much more able to reinforce at home what their children are learning in school or in their religious education class.
Second, we want parents to have the essential tools for maintaining a safe environment in the home. That involves keeping up with the emerging dangers that their children face, dangers that we grandparents never had to deal with.
Third, we want parents to know that the most important factor that will empower their children to seek help from them should abuse be taking place is an overall good relationship that includes the parents' ability to listen calmly and openly.
Fourth, because parents are morally and legally responsible for the care of their children, it is critical that they know what Arizona's mandated reporting law on child abuse requires of them and of the institutions that serve their children.
Fifth, we want parents to understand that if they keep open the door for discussion and make perfectly obvious their love, the chances are much better that their child will be able to cope successfully with any abuse that might take place.
Important as these reasons are for educating parents, getting parents to attend the education sessions is a challenge that our Diocese and dioceses across the country face.
If you are a pastor, principal, catechist or youth minister, I ask you to look for creative ways to encourage parents' participation.
If you are a parent or grandparent, I ask you to make your own education the same high priority that we have made it.
After all, this education may turn out to be the very thing that keeps your child safe from abuse.
You can access the Personal Safety Curriculum, including the sections on parent education at diocesetucson.org/SEP.html.
2006
December
Let's say (I hope we could really say it!) that a pastor or principal reads last month's column on the importance of educating parents about their children's personal safety and decides to hold a session.
He or she visits the Diocese's Web site and sees some excellent resources under "Protecting Our Children."
Then, he is she is not quite sure how to proceed, asking, "Do I really know what I am doing?"
Sometimes, the best referral in answering that question is not more information, but a person.
Let me introduce you to Michael Ponce, who just may be the person you are looking for.
Michael is clinical director of the counseling program of Catholic Social Services. He has a great deal of experience in counseling and in teaching, a combination that makes him so capable of delivering a quality educational program.
Michael has developed a program of Catholic education to help parishes and schools offer parents education in personal safety. The results have been very impressive. Responding anonymously to a questionnaire after attending one of Michael's sessions, literally every one of the parents said they found the session helped to prepare them to teach their children how to better protect themselves.
What makes Michael's sessions work so well? They help parents consider for themselves both psychological and moral aspects of what they might want to say to their child and how they might best say it. The parents are given time to practice by saying out loud to each other their desired message.
This program, offered in English or Spanish through Catholic Social Services, is proving to be a real gift to our parishes and schools. It is an effective option for pastors or principals to choose to fulfill our commitment to educate parents so that they can play their primary role in educating and protecting their children.
Speaking of primary roles, one of the most difficult aspects of any effort to reach parents has proven to be getting them to show up. The parishes and schools at which pastors and principals demonstrate commitment to this education and where parents lead by example in asking for this type of education are the ones that get the best attendance.
If you would like to arrange a session by Michael, you can call him at 520-623-0344, extension 1006.
"Protecting Our Children" Resources at www.diocesetucson.org/SEP.html.
2007
January
Most of our work in the Diocese of Tucson's Safe Environment Program focuses on protection of children and youth and those who work with them. But there is another special constituency whose safety is of great concern: "vulnerable adults." This concern is reflected in the name of my office: Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection.
"Vulnerable adults" can include any adult to whom individual or intensive ministry or parish service is provided. However, most often when we use this term, we rightly think of those among our elders who are physically or mentally impaired.
These precious members of our community are vulnerable to all the various forms of abuse, exploitation or neglect. In addition, they are vulnerable to neglect. Not surprisingly, self-neglect involving a person in his or her own home is the most common problem encountered by agencies whose mission it is to help elders in trouble.
Although these types of problems are not uncommon, they are not easy to spot. For shame or fear, many elders tend to hide their problems. As people who minister to them, we must be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of abuse, exploitation or neglect.
The signs and symptoms are too many to review here, but there's an excellent resource at www.helpguide.org/mental/elder_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm.
What should you do if you think that an elder may be the victim of abuse or exploitation or if you think an elder might be suffering from neglect?
First, build a relationship with the person. Be reassuring. Don't charge in like the cavalry unless there truly is an emergency.
Second, ask questions. Make them open-ended questions. Allow the elder to respond with a story or two; this is often the most comfortable way for them to express what they want to share.
Third, be aware of family disputes. This is one of the most common sources of false reports of abuse. Try to be sure that the elder has the opportunity to speak for himself or herself, if possible.
Finally, seek expert help in any situation involving a "vulnerable adult" that makes you uncomfortable or gives you reasonable cause to believe abuse is taking place.
Adult Protective Services (www.azdes.gov/aaa/apsciu/default.asp) is available for consultation and intervention. You can seek this expert help or make a report at 877-767-2385.
2007
February
My heart aches each time I am asked for reassurance or guidance by parents of a child who has suffered some kind of trauma. I can see the concern written on their faces and hear it in their voices as they ask, "Will my child get over this? Is my child's life ruined?"
I struggle for an answer, knowing there is no simple or certain reply to their deeply felt questions.
On the other hand, with sensitivity and by acknowledging that I cannot predict the future, I do try to find a way to share the good news that trauma in childhood does not inevitably mean a life of unending trouble.
In the first place, trauma of one type or another is the norm. All people experience some kind of trauma in the course of their lives and many do so as children.
It is also true that trauma causes suffering. Each experience varies in intensity, but just as trauma is the norm, suffering from trauma is not optional. It never makes sense to tell another person to "get over it" or "forget about it."
But, the idea that we will never be able to work through the trauma or integrate it in a healthy way is simply not true. The long term impact of trauma varies widely. Scientists have observed that some persons, some even without professional help, can cope effectively.
Why should that be? Why are some children more "resilient" in the face of trauma? Can parents do anything to help a child become more resilient?
The answers to these questions remain elusive, but let me borrow from a recent article in Harvard Mental Health Letter that explored the subject.
In part, the differences among children may be biological in nature. This information is "cold comfort" for most, since one cannot control the biological predisposition; one has or does not have the protective biological qualities.
Fortunately, psychological and social factors also play a role. The characteristics that seem to be protective include: caring and competent adults to support the child; ability and confidence to talk about feelings; healthy self-esteem; and a sense of personal competence.
As parents and grandparents, we can do a great deal to insure that our children have social support from the family and, although children vary significantly in personality, we can also influence their confidence and foster an ability to talk about feelings.
What do I advise parents to do when children experience trauma?
Respond as calmly as you are able. If the trauma involves criminal behavior, make the report to law enforcement promptly. Then, turn to your child, putting aside your own emotions and opinions as much as possible, and invite him or her to talk to you. Listen well, and in the listening give concrete evidence of how much your love over-reaches whatever has happened. Encourage the child in healthy coping and arrange for professional assistance for the family.
There is one truth we all must live with: we cannot prevent all harm to our children and grandchildren, even as we seek to create safe environments for them.
That said, we can always help them deal with trauma so that the chances of long-term harm are much less.
2007
March
Something very innovative and commendable is taking place in our efforts to create and maintain safe environments for children at all our parishes and schools.
This innovation that I think deserves commendation has to do with the "compliance representative" – the person in each of our parishes and schools who is the primary liaison with my office for the purpose of helping our pastors or principals maintain a safe environment for children.
The innovation is a shift from a single compliance representative to a group of persons who are concerned with all the tasks necessary to maintain a safe environment.
How did this innovation come about?
First, in our trainings, we began to make the point that no compliance representative could accomplish everything in respect to our Safe Environment Program alone.
The compliance representative always serves as a consultant to the pastor or principal, who is ultimately responsible for the well being of all. In addition, and especially when the compliance representative is a volunteer, we recognized that office staff are critical in maintaining records and facilitating communication between parish and school, on the one hand, and my office on the other.
Second, as compliance officers gained experience and confidence, it became a matter of course in larger parishes that some of the day-to-day work of keeping track of screening, providing education and monitoring supervision could be delegated productively to ministry leaders.
Perhaps it was only to be expected that the next development would be the formation of safe environment committees or work groups.
While the initial motivation to form these groups clearly was to share the work, other benefits can result.
A committee, team or work group insures that when one person leaves the parish or takes time away from this work there will be others who already know the work intimately. A new person can be integrated into the team with minimal difficulty. This is the essence of continuity in an organization.
In the committee, team or work group model, several persons are aware of and involved in all aspects of the plan and procedures. Looking over each other's shoulders, so to speak, they help each other to avoid oversights, to think through problems and to eliminate gaps in coverage due to planned or unplanned absences. Ordinary people can accomplish even a very difficult task when they watch out for each other.
Over time, the involvement of several persons in maintaining the safe environment program makes it more likely that the plan will be maintained and enhanced, even as key people leave the parish or school. Continuity is built into a communal effort.
And, when a group works together well, creative ideas are more likely to emerge and the gifts of each member are more likely to be seen, appreciated and implemented.
For instance, some people have insights and talents in carrying out the screening process. Others are educators, whether of adults, children or teenagers. Still others have particular talents in arranging supervision systems, record keeping or reporting.
This innovation of a team approach prompts me to issue an invitation: Join the team!
Make sure you know who is your parish or school compliance officer. Get to know the parish or school safe environment plan. Offer your support in whatever way will be most helpful in terms of the needs of the parish or school and the gifts you have been given.
2007
April
It seems there are special months for everything. Given the large number of competing good causes, you may wonder about the usefulness of dedicating a month even to an important one.
Yet, for anyone who holds a person or a cause to be important, a regular time for remembering is most valuable. It is exactly the same when we honor birthdays or anniversaries of persons we love or admire. It is somewhat the same when we pray through the recurring seasons of the liturgical calendar.
In our country, this month of April is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. For our Diocese, it is a fitting time to review the progress we have made in keeping children safe from abuse in our parishes and schools and to rededicate ourselves to what we first called "our common commitment" when began our child abuse awareness and prevention efforts in 2003.
We have made great strides in these four years.
In the Diocese of Tucson, all personnel are called on to actively collaborate with law enforcement agencies and Child Protective Services to protect our children. When there is a reasonable suspicion that a child may be harmed, all personnel are expected and required to make a report.
We are committed to annual education as a means to increase empathy with those who have been harmed and to help us become ever more aware, knowledgeable and courageous when circumstances call for a response.
We are careful in delegating authority. All personnel are to go through a process of review prior to being given an assignment and any person who is given responsibility that involves a high level of trust goes through a criminal history check.
We organize activities and supervise personnel thoughtfully. Because no screening process is foolproof and because imprudent behavior can subject even an innocent person to false allegations, we strive continually to develop ways of carrying out important ministry that minimize risks.
All of this is good news. We have taken a bad situation and learned from it. We have responded not only to the immediate problem, but we have gone beyond the minimum to allow ourselves to be transformed.
We are part of the solution in our communities.
One of the important contributions the Diocese has made to the community at large is its support of the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center.
The Center protects and supports children throughout Southern Arizona. Working in collaboration with law enforcement and other governmental agencies, the Center assists in carrying out investigations without further trauma to the child, provides support to families in crisis and educates to prevent harm to children.
In their own communities, the parishes and schools of the Diocese have forged positive and collaborative relationships with law enforcement and social service agencies to augment and support efforts for child abuse prevention and awareness.
These are achievements for which we gladly give God thanks and praise in this Child Abuse Prevention Month.
But, as we look back, we also look forward.
April is the perfect time to remember and reflect the bottom line of why we do what we do: to protect children from harm.
It is a good month for renewing our commitment and for bolstering the resolve of those who may be forgetting how things were.
Protecting Our Children
Columns in the newspaper of the Diocese of Tucson by Dr. Paul Duckro, Ph.D.,
director of the Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection for the Diocese of Tucson.
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