SAFEGUARD THE CHILDREN
Mission
To enable parish leaders assure a safe environment for children and youth.
About the Ministry
In this ministry parish and school leaders, with guidance from local law enforcement, meet and work together to provide a safe environment for children and young people at St. Bruno Parish.
Goals of safety are accomplished through on-going assessments of policies, practices, and facilities with revisions implemented as needed to maintain a safe environment.
Goals of safety are accomplished through on-going assessments of policies, practices, and facilities with revisions implemented as needed to maintain a safe environment.
Contact Information
Deacon Mike Freeman at 562-947-5637 x117
Did You Know?
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles publishes weekly Bulletin Inserts titled: "Did You Know." You can find these articles weekly in our St. Bruno weekly bulletin. You can also read all of the "Did You Know" articles on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles website.
Victims Assistance
The first obligation of the Church with regard to victims is for healing and reconciliation. Dioceses continue to reach out to every person who has been a victim of sexual abuse as a minor by anyone in church service, whether that abuse is recent or occurred in the past. The Victims Assistance Ministry serves to help victims/survivors who have been victims of sexual abuse by a priests, deacons, or individuals representing the Catholic Church. The Victim Assistance Coordinator is available to help victims/survivors make a formal complaint of abuse to the diocese, and to obtain support for the needs of the individual and families.
Victims Assistance Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Ms. Suzanne D. Healy
Phone: 213-637-7650
Fax: 213-637-6650
Email: [email protected]
Website: Archdiocese of Los Angeles - Victims Assistance
Victims Assistance Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Ms. Suzanne D. Healy
Phone: 213-637-7650
Fax: 213-637-6650
Email: [email protected]
Website: Archdiocese of Los Angeles - Victims Assistance
VIRTUS Classes
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles mandates this training for all adults working with children. This education component helps prevent child sexual abuse by first making every adult employee and volunteer aware of the issues surrounding child sexual abuse. This includes awareness of the many ways sexual abuse harms its victims, their families, the parish, and the community. The awareness session also helps adults learn to recognize the warning signs of abuse and shows them the appropriate way to respond to suspicious behavior. Finally, the awareness session empowers each person with five steps to help prevent child sexual abuse.
VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children™ Program
VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children Adult Awareness Session is a three-hour training that helps clergy, staff, volunteers and parents to understand the facts and myths about child sexual abuse; how perpetrators operate; and how caring adults can take five important steps to keep children safe. The parent session also stresses monitoring of computers, cell phones and other technology that perpetrators use to gain access to children and young people.
This class certificate is valid for four (4) years.
VIRTUS® Keeping the Promise Alive ™ Refresher Program
Keeping the Promise Alive provides ongoing awareness for the prevention of child sexual abuse. The material covered in Keeping the Promise Alive is designed to identify and reinforce the lessons of the original Protecting God’s Children® for Adults program by clarifying some of the more challenging aspects of the sessions and strengthening the participants’ ability to recognize risky behavior in their environments and take action to intervene in potentially threatening situations. This program answers the questions, “What have been some results of the Protecting God’s Children program, and what else can we do to keep all children safe?”
As this is a “re-certification” class, the volunteer must have completed the VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children class in order to take this class. This class certificate is valid for four (4) years.
FINDING A VIRTUS® CLASS SESSION
A minister/member/volunteer can attend any VIRTUS® class within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA)
(Please note: not all classes offered at other churches are open to parishioners outside of the hosting parish)
Follow these steps to view the VIRTUS® class schedule online:
· Click here to visit their website.
· Select from the drop down menu, any Los Angeles (Archdiocese) Region:
- Los Angeles – San Fernando Region (Archdiocese)
- Los Angeles – San Gabriel Region (Archdiocese)
- Los Angeles – San Pedro Region (Archdiocese)
[St. Bruno is in the San Pedro Region]
- Los Angeles – Santa Barbara Region (Archdiocese)
- Los Angeles – Our Lady of Angels Region (Archdiocese)
· The classes will be listed in chronological order.
· Please pay close attention to the class name:
Protecting God's Children or Keeping the Promise Alive to ensure that you select the correct class.
· Please contact the host parish to register for the class.
· Each minister/member/volunteer will need to turn a copy of their certificate of completion into either the their Parish Ministry Leader or the appropriate office (St. Bruno Catholic Church or St. Bruno Catholic School).
VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children™ Program
VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children Adult Awareness Session is a three-hour training that helps clergy, staff, volunteers and parents to understand the facts and myths about child sexual abuse; how perpetrators operate; and how caring adults can take five important steps to keep children safe. The parent session also stresses monitoring of computers, cell phones and other technology that perpetrators use to gain access to children and young people.
This class certificate is valid for four (4) years.
VIRTUS® Keeping the Promise Alive ™ Refresher Program
Keeping the Promise Alive provides ongoing awareness for the prevention of child sexual abuse. The material covered in Keeping the Promise Alive is designed to identify and reinforce the lessons of the original Protecting God’s Children® for Adults program by clarifying some of the more challenging aspects of the sessions and strengthening the participants’ ability to recognize risky behavior in their environments and take action to intervene in potentially threatening situations. This program answers the questions, “What have been some results of the Protecting God’s Children program, and what else can we do to keep all children safe?”
As this is a “re-certification” class, the volunteer must have completed the VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children class in order to take this class. This class certificate is valid for four (4) years.
FINDING A VIRTUS® CLASS SESSION
A minister/member/volunteer can attend any VIRTUS® class within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA)
(Please note: not all classes offered at other churches are open to parishioners outside of the hosting parish)
Follow these steps to view the VIRTUS® class schedule online:
· Click here to visit their website.
· Select from the drop down menu, any Los Angeles (Archdiocese) Region:
- Los Angeles – San Fernando Region (Archdiocese)
- Los Angeles – San Gabriel Region (Archdiocese)
- Los Angeles – San Pedro Region (Archdiocese)
[St. Bruno is in the San Pedro Region]
- Los Angeles – Santa Barbara Region (Archdiocese)
- Los Angeles – Our Lady of Angels Region (Archdiocese)
· The classes will be listed in chronological order.
· Please pay close attention to the class name:
Protecting God's Children or Keeping the Promise Alive to ensure that you select the correct class.
· Please contact the host parish to register for the class.
· Each minister/member/volunteer will need to turn a copy of their certificate of completion into either the their Parish Ministry Leader or the appropriate office (St. Bruno Catholic Church or St. Bruno Catholic School).