MANDATORY ABUSE PREVENTION TRAININGS

Every Tuesday, mandatory trainings on the Diocesan Abuse Prevention Policies are held in our Main Office in Fall River. These trainings are mandatory for all employees of the Fall River Diocese and its components. This includes all Religious, Catholic School Teachers, and workers in the Diocesan Health Facilities. You will not be allowed to work for the Diocese until you receive this training. All volunteers who work with children are also required to either train at the site for which they are volunteering, or CSS. There is no charge for any Diocesan employee or volunteer to attend the class.

BASIC INFORMATION

Time: Every Tuesday, unless otherwise noted on this site. In August and December, we run fewer training sessions. However, due to vacations or other issues, we may need to cancel a training. In that event, the information will be posted here as far in advance as possible. The training starts at 5:00 p.m. and ends around 7:00 p.m.If you cannot allot the required time, please choose another Tuesday, as no one can be certified as "trained" if they have not completed all of the training activities.

CANCELLATIONS: There will be no training class on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.  There are no other cancellations at this time. 

Location: The CSS Fall River Office. The address is 1600 Bay Street.  Please note that this is not the Catholic Education Center on Highland Avenue.

Registration Process: Please contact the OCP 24 hours in advance to register for the training. The contact number is (508) 674-4681 and the contact person is Debora Jones.  Registration must be by phone and be confirmed by Ms. Jones.  Supervisors may register new employees for the training, but the registration must be completed 24 hours before the class, unless you have an exception from the OCP. Based on class size, we may need to change rooms, which requires advanced notice.

To be registered, we need the following information for each trainee:

• Name
• Site name (school, parish, etc.)
• Designation of either volunteer or employee (if employee, is it teacher, coach, etc.?)
• Phone number in case of a need to reschedule, such as weather, trainer illness, or other emergencies

Late Arrivals: While we do understand unforeseen circumstances and do our best to accommodate individual needs, we cannot admit anyone to the class who is more than 15 minutes late. The time missed at the beginning of the class must be made up for those who are late, and this class is scheduled at the end of our work day. Therefore, anyone who is more than 15 minutes late will need to reschedule to another training date.

Personal Cancellations: If, after registering, you find that you cannot attend the class, please call to cancel your seat in the class.  There are often people who are on a waiting list for the class who would greatly appreciate the ability to attend if you cannot.

Weather Cancellations: In the winter months, we may need to cancel a class dues to an early closing of the agency. If the weather is bad, please call CSS before you start your trip. Also if class is cancelled, do not assume you are automatically registered for next week. Since we have no way of knowing individual schedules, you will need to call again to register. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation.

COURSE CONTENT
The training consists of the following:

• Paperwork, incl. a CORI form for CSS;
• An introduction and explanation of training goals;
• A video;
• Discussion activities;
• A post-test;
• A feedback form; and
• Distribution of certificates of completion

IMPORTANT NOTES

• You MUST bring your government-issued photo ID with you, such as a driver's license or passport. A CORI form cannot be processed without the ID.
• A handout and other information will be provided, so there will be no need to take notes unless you wish to.
• At this time, the training is a once-in-a-lifetime training. However, it is being called Level I training because we do have plans to inplement re-certification at some point in the near future.
• If your are an employee of a Diocesan or Parish school, you will need to fill out a second CORI for at the CSS training. CSS is the Diocesan agent for clearing all employees who work for the Diocese. However, the schools must also show that they have cleared employees, and per MA law, any information that is gained from a CORI cannot be shared between schools and CSS. Therefore, each entity must do its own CORI to ensure compliance with state laws and Diocesan policies
• Volunteers must submit new CORI every 12 months to remain eligible to volunteer in the Diocese. It is a good idea to keep track of y due date and alert your volunteer coordinator to the impending need for an updated CORI.
• Employees must submit a CORI every 3 years to remain eligible to work in the Diocese.