Report It Now BannerSt. Monica Church and School
Safe Environment Program
2008-2009

Administered by Marilyn Hicks, Parish Business Mgr & Safety Officer

If you have any questions or concerns,
please do not hesitate to call or email Marilyn Hicks at
214.366.7144 or mhicks@stmonicaschool.org

St. Monica Church and School both follow the Diocese of Dallas Safe Environment Program . The program is designed to help protect the youth, elderly, and vulnerable adults of our parish as they participate in activities within our community. The process of protecting the vulnerable also serves to provide a layer of protection against the possibility of false accusations for those adults who are involved in our many ministries.

Thank you for all that you contribute to the various ministries at St. Monica Church and School.


Effective August 1, 2008, the procedure for the Safe Environment program at St. Monica is as follows:
I am a NEW Volunteer
(also known as Year 1)
  I HAVE COMPLETED the
New Volunteer process
in a previous year
Screening Form
This form helps us understand who you are, what ministry you wish to be involved in and whether you are known to others in our parish.
  • Complete the online  Safe Environment Screening Form, print the signature page and sign it. Handwritten forms will no longer be accepted.
  • Return the signed signature page to Marilyn Hicks in the Business Office. You may:
    • Drop it off at the Rectory.
    • Mail to 9933 Midway Rd
      Dallas, TX 75220.
    • Fax to 214-351-1887
  

The Screening Form
is only filled out in Year 1.

Reference Check
We will call three people who have known you for at least three years and ask a series of questions designed to get an idea of what your friends think of you and your habits.
  • You provide the references on the screening form.
  Reference Checks
are only conducted in Year 1
Personal Interview
The interview takes about 15-20 minutes and is designed to help us understand your views of interacting with children in particular and also gives us a chance to get to know you a little better on an individual level.
  • Please schedule your interview as soon as possible. Interviews are generally conducted on Sundays between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
  • Call Marilyn Hicks at 214.366.7144 or e-mail mhicks@stmonicaschool.org to schedule an interview.
  The Personal Interview
is only conducted in Year 1.
Criminal History Check
We send your information to a central clearing agency chosen by the Diocese. The central clearing agency returns the information to us and it is kept strictly confidential.		  
Criminal History Re-Check
If you are up to date on your annual training, the re-check will be conducted automatically every two years.
Training - Year 1
You are required to attend a Year 1 training session that includes a live presentation about risk management within the community and a viewing of the Family of Faith video.
  • Training sessions are scheduled throughout the year and will take about 1 ½ hours to complete.
  • The schedules for training classes are shown on the church and school web sites and are updated regularly.
  Continuing Training - 2008/2009
There are 3 options for annual training this year. The classes consist of a 30 minute video followed by a live presentation. They are:
  1. Friend or Foe: How’s an 8 year old to know? This class is designed primarily to help parents, grandparents, and others build safety awareness in children up to age 8.
  2. It's Not Just Jenna is a video about a family who is dealing with the reality of child abuse. This is an emotionally intense presentation.
  3. Internet Danger is offered for all returning employees and volunteers working with anyone over age 9 to help build awareness of the dangers on the internet.
Training sessions are scheduled throughout the year and will last about 1 hour. The schedules for training classes are shown on the church and school web sites and are updated regularly.

Training Classes at Other Parishes
 Schedules for training held at other churches can be located on the Diocese of Dallas web site. You may attend training at other churches if they offer a more convenient schedule – just bring a certificate of attendance back to St. Monica.