Local Report on the Implementation of Ethics and Integrity in Ministry
Keeping Children Safe
By Helen Osman
Catholic Spirit Staff
The Diocese of Austin’s strategy to keep children safe from abuse includes two major components: a criminal record check and training in recognizing sexual abuse. Each person who is involved in any kind of ongoing activity with children in any parish, school or other diocesan organization is required to complete both of these components. This policy has been in place since Jan. 1, 2002 as part of the diocese’s Policies on Ethics and Integrity in Ministry.
Criminal record
Although experts surmise that only 3 percent of child molesters have a criminal record, the diocese recognizes that other behavior that may be harmful to children can be uncovered by reviewing criminal records. The diocese uses Texas’ Department of Public Safety records of arrests and convictions, as well as a national database for individuals who have lived outside of the state within the past five years. Legislation passed in the last state session now allows churches to receive state criminal records at the rate of $1 per record for any volunteer who works with minors. Rapsheets.com, which provides access to a national database of criminal records, charges $16 per record.
Volunteers and employees are asked to complete an application with the diocese through a Secure Online Application provided by Austin Computing Solutions, an Austin-based company owned by St. John Neumann parishioners Bill and Teresa Klepac that developed the system for the Austin Diocese in 2001. It is now being used by nine dioceses and archdioceses throughout the country, since the U.S. bishops in June 2002 charged all dioceses and archdioceses to "evaluate the background of all diocesan/eparchial and parish personnel who have regular contact with minors" by utilizing "the resources of law enforcement and other community agencies." (Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, Article 13).
Individuals who do not have access to the Internet can submit a printed application to their parish, school or the diocese. A Spanish language application is also available in print format. The information is then entered into eAppsDB by either parish or diocesan staff. Using the Web-based system allows for confidential information, such as date of birth and Social Security number, to be "locked" and stored in encrypted files that are not accessible except to be sent electronically to DPS for review. Parish personnel do not have access to the confidential information once it is entered into eAppsDB.
Diocesan officials review the criminal records. While some other dioceses place the responsibility of reviewing criminal records (and paying for them) on the parish level, Austin officials realized that a consistency in considering which criminal behavior was of concern would be better realized with the same officials reviewing all records. The application of any individual whose record causes concern is marked "restricted" in eAppsDB and the parish is made aware of the restriction. The parish pastor, or someone he delegates (or the superintendent in the case of schools), then contacts the individual to verify the accuracy of the information and to better understand the incident or incidents. Sometimes additional information from other sources is also gathered. Based on that information, the individual’s restriction may be cleared. In other situations, the restriction may be defined; for example, an individual charged with driving while intoxicated may be allowed to serve in ministry with minors, but will not be allowed to transport minors.
"Each case is reviewed individually because each situation is unique," explained Bishop Gregory Aymond. "How long ago the incident happened, how well the pastor or parish staff knows the individual, if the person has undergone a spiritual conversion and other factors are taken into account. We are sensitive to the fact that everyone makes mistakes and we are all capable of conversion. But always paramount is our concern that our children be safe and carefully protected."
Authorized parish personnel have access to lists of "approved," "restricted" and "rejected" individuals through eAppsDB. The system allows personnel with the appropriate password to see an individual’s name, address and status ("approved," "restricted" or "rejected") and is accessible via the Internet at any time.
As of Dec. 15, 2003, 14,578 applications have been entered into eAppsDB. There are 122 individuals who are restricted in their ministry to minors or vulnerable adults in some way. In addition, 14 individuals are unable to participate in ministry with minors or vulnerable adults, some because they are known sex offenders and others because of other serious criminal behavior.
The system is also used to record an individual’s attendance at a Protecting God’s Children workshop, which is the second diocesan requirement.
Protecting God’s Children
Sexual abuse often leaves a person traumatized for years. Education is a critical component of the diocese’s efforts to prevent abuse. Soon after Bishop Aymond’s arrival in the diocese in 2000, several diocesan staff began discussing ways to strengthen the diocese’s efforts in protecting children. Out of those discussions, the diocese’s policies on Ethics and Integrity in Ministry and a video-based workshop on preventing sexual abuse were developed.
The workshop, Protecting God’s Children, is now being used in approximately 100 dioceses and archdioceses throughout the country. It was developed in collaboration with Praesidium, Inc., a risk-management company based in Fort Worth. Through the efforts of Dr. Monica Applewhite, who serves as vice president of religious services for Praesidium and is a parishioner at St. Austin in Austin, Catholic parishes in
the Austin area are featured in the two videos, "A Time to Protect God’s Children" and "A Plan to Protect God’s Children." The three to four hour workshop provides participants with information on how perpetrators of sexual abuse gain access to children and how they can prevent perpetrators from having access to children.
More than 18,000 volunteers and employees have attended the workshop in the Austin Diocese. Workshops are available in parishes and schools, in English and Spanish, and are presented by trained volunteers.
Each workshop participant is asked to complete an evaluation at the end of the workshop. "More than 95 percent of the surveys are extremely positive," said Bishop Aymond. "Comments are often something like ‘This should be presented to all parents,’ or ‘I wish I had this information a long time ago.’ Although some people are initially reluctant to attend a workshop, sometimes because they think that they are being ‘punished’ because of priest pedophiles, almost always they leave the workshop appreciative that they attended."
Follow these links for more information on diocesan Polices on Ethics and Integrity in Ministry, a schedule of Protecting God’s Children workshops and the Secure Online Application provided by Austin Computing Solutions.