Category: Safe Environment

World Mental Health Day

October 10 – World Mental Health Day

October 10th is World Mental Health Day.  The USCCB has created a Novena for Mental Health as an opportunity for all of us to join together in prayer for the men and women experiencing or impacted by mental health issues and those who walk that journey with them.   Please consider joining me in praying this novena for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“The entire Church in the United States is especially encouraged to pray this Novena in solidarity with one another from October 10 to October 18 each year. October 10 is a fitting beginning as it is also World Mental Health Day. It is a time when people around the world are seeking to raise awareness and remove the stigma connected to mental health issues. This nationwide annual moment of prayer fittingly concludes on the feast of Saint Luke, patron of health care, on October 18.”

Click here to learn more and to gain access to the Novena.  https://www.usccb.org/mental-health-novena

God bless, 
 

Grace Tibbetts, Safe Environment Coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls

A message from the National Eucharistic Congress

For information purposes:

We look forward to welcoming you to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in a few short months! As we prepare for the Congress, we want to be sure you are aware of the Safe Environment policies that are in place for the safety and security of minors at the event.

All participants must click here to indicate whether or not they will be accompanying minors to the event.

Please read below for important information about our Safe Environment policies and ensure that you and all members of your group are compliant with them.

Safety & Security of Minors

  • Minors (anyone under the age of 18) must be accompanied at all times by either a parent/legal guardian or a Safe Environment cleared chaperone.
  • Minors should not wander the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, or any other event spaces unaccompanied by an adult.
  • Minors must be accompanied by an adult at all sessions (including family and/or youth sessions). The minors and the accompanying adult(s) must be registered to attend sessions together.
  • Minors may attend any session with an adult, not just sessions specifically noted for families or youth.

Safe Environment Requirements

  • Parents and legal guardians attending with just their own child(ren) do not need to have safe environment clearance.
  • Any adult accompanying minors who are not their own children are considered chaperones and must meet the following requirements:
        • All chaperones must be age 21 or older.
        • All chaperones must be safe environment compliant within their (arch)diocese. This compliance must include current safe environment training and a fully cleared background check. Proof of this must be readily available to be shown on site upon request.
        • Older siblings may serve as a chaperone for younger siblings only if they are age 21 or older and are safe environment compliant.
        • Parents may serve as a chaperone for children/youth unrelated to them only if they are age 21 or older and are safe environment compliant.
        • The required chaperone to youth ratio is 1 chaperone for up to every 8 youth.
        • Outside of families, adults with minors must always maintain groups of 3 or more (i.e. a minimum of 1 adult chaperone with 2 youth or 2 adult chaperones with 1 youth). An adult should never be alone with a minor that is not their own child.

Click here to respond!

July – Safe Environment Renewal!

July – Safe Environment Renewal!

On July 1, 2024, all members of the diocese who are required to be compliant with the Safe Environment Policy (all clergy, religious, employees, as well as those whose ministry serves minors or vulnerable adults) are required to renew their compliance.

Click the link below to login to CMG Connect and renew your compliance.

https://siouxfalls.cmgconnect.org/

If you are currently employed or in ministry, your due date for completion is July 31, 2024. 

For all those who periodically minister (like religious education catechists or catholic school staff), they must be compliant BEFORE they are in ministry or are active in their employment capacity.

Special note for pastors: I need a local coordinator designation form from you for ALL locations you are responsible for as pastor. You will receive an email July 9 (Tuesday) with a form to fill out the names of those who have been in the role and notes regarding those who have been fulfilling the role at all locations in your pastorate.

Linked below is a general local coordinator designation form that is always acceptable to be used for this purpose. However, the email July 9 will have a form created especially for pastorate-wide designation.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_X0gZCiwbs0MfLI7AcdoHtSx3Xd8epMU/view?usp=sharing

 All those who have been local coordinators will continue to be able to help employees and volunteers to complete this requirement by having “admin role” capacity to reset passwords, and access custom-made PDF tutorials and videos. If you need help completing your Safe Environment compliance, contact them first to help you. 

I am also available 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, safeenvironment@sfcatholic.org  605-988-3722

Please reach out to me for clarification or questions!

New Safe Environment Coordinator

The Diocese of Sioux Falls is pleased to announce that Grace Tibbetts has accepted the full-time role of Safe Environment coordinator effective Tuesday, May 28. Alison Conemac (current Safe Environment coordinator), has completed her master’s in social work and has accepted a role with The Lourdes Center starting in June.
Grace Tibbetts enters this role with a great background of experience including a theology degree, her long engagement with our diocesan discipleship and evangelization team, and close work with all locations in the diocese. Grace can be reached through her current email safeenvironment@sfcatholic.org and at the same safe environment phone number: 605-988-3722. She will continue to proactively support all locations throughout the diocese to know and understand the Safe Environment Policy and support implementation efforts. 

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Providing a healthy and safe environment in our parishes and schools is a ministry to which we are all called. To foster our common diocesan vision of Lifelong Catholic Missionary Discipleship Through God’s Love, the diocese will be marking Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Please note and share with your parish, school or ministry the following events.

This year, 8.5″ x 11″ full color posters are being mailed to your location in April.  These posters explain how to report abuse and show information on the Catholic Church’s efforts nation wide to protect children and the vulnerable. Please post them and send in a picture of it posted at your location to Alison in the Safe Environment Office: aconemac@sfcatholic.org.

The Rosary for Healing this year is a beautiful video recording of one of our diocesan families (the Hofflander family) leading the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary for Healing. The Rosary video will be posted to our SFDiocese YouTube channel and will be linked on the diocesan website Safe Environment homepage. Please join us in prayer this month!

April 6 (Saturday) 4:00 p.m. – Live-streamed Mass with Bishop DeGrood will be prayed for healing of victims/survivors and all affected by abuse.

Attached is a Rosary for Healing booklet and a novena for healing that can be provided to groups (especially prayer groups) in your parish. See attached Novena for Protection and Healing from Abuse to be used to post or insert into your bulletins.

Diocese of Sioux Falls Novena for Healing 2024

Rosary-for-Healing

Media to post on your website or share on social media, along with a date for a live streamed Rosary for Healing, will be forthcoming.

All parishes are encouraged to include an introduction/announcement in their bulletin in the month of April introducing the local coordinator at your parish, school or ministry.

Please plan to participate with us in prayer for the safety and wellbeing of all children, that they may flourish as healthy, happy and holy Catholics within our communities. Contact Safe Environment Coordinator Alison Conemac (aconemac@sfcatholic.org) with your questions.

July = Safe Environment Renewal!

July = Safe Environment Renewal!

On July 1, 2023, all members of the diocese who are required to be compliant with the Safe Environment Policy (all clergy, religious, employees, as well as those whose ministry serves minors or vulnerable adults) are required to renew their compliance.

Click the link below to login to CMG Connect and renew your compliance!!

https://siouxfalls.cmgconnect.org/

If you are currently employed or in ministry, your due date for completion is July 31, 2023. 

For all those who periodically minister (like religious education catechists or catholic school staff), they must be compliant BEFORE they are in ministry or are active in their employment capacity.

Special note for pastors: I need a local coordinator designation form from you for all locations you are responsible for as pastor. You will receive an email July 10 (Monday) with a form listing all locations in your pastorate, names of those who have been in the role, and notes regarding those who have been fulfilling the role at all locations in your pastorate.

Linked below is a general local coordinator designation form that is always acceptable to be used for this purpose.  However, the email July 10 will have a form created especially for your pastorate.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_X0gZCiwbs0MfLI7AcdoHtSx3Xd8epMU/view?usp=sharing

 All those who have been local coordinators will continue to be able to help employees and volunteers to complete this requirement by having admin role capacity to reset passwords, access custom-made PDF tutorials and videos.  If you need help completing your Safe Environment compliance, contact them first to help you. 

I am also available 8:15 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Monday – Friday, aconemac@sfcatholic.org  605-988-3722

Please reach out to me for clarification or questions!

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Providing a healthy and safe environment in our parishes and schools is a ministry to which we are all called. To foster our common diocesan vision of Lifelong Catholic Missionary Discipleship Through God’s Love, the diocese will be marking Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Saturday, April 15, Bishop DeGrood will celebrate the 4:00 p.m. vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph for the healing of victims/survivors and all affected by abuse. All are welcome to attend and all are asked to keep abuse survivors in their prayers.

All parishes are encouraged to include in the bulletin a special “thank you” message to the local coordinator for Safe Environment at your location.

Resources (printable) 

Social Media Posts

Watch for and share the social media posts called “Remember the Why.” These posts will highlight the importance of our policy, the trainings and background checking we do, and it’s effects in creating safe environments for children and vulnerable adults in our parishes and schools.

  • Please contact the Safe Environment Coordinator, Alison Conemac (aconemac@sfcatholic.org), with your questions.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Providing a healthy and safe environment in our parishes and schools is a ministry to which we are all called. To foster our common diocesan vision of Lifelong Catholic Missionary Discipleship Through God’s Love, the diocese will be marking Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. The weekend of April 30, Bishop DeGrood will celebrate the 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph for the healing of victims/survivors and all affected by abuse.

All parishes are encouraged to include in the bulletin a special “thank you” message to the local coordinator for Safe Environment at your location.

Resources (printable) 

Podcasts and Livestreams (linked)

Please contact the Safe Environment Coordinator, Alison Conemac (aconemac@sfcatholic.org) with your questions.

 

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Providing a healthy and safe environment in our parishes and schools is a ministry to which we are all called. To foster our common diocesan vision of Lifelong Catholic Missionary Discipleship Through God’s Love, the diocese will be marking Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. The weekend of April 30, Bishop DeGrood will celebrate the 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph for the healing of victims/survivors and all affected by abuse.

Attached is a Rosary for Healing handout and a Novena for Healing from Abuse that can be provided to groups (especially prayer groups) in your parish. Media to post on your website or share on social media will be posted on the diocesan website and social medial pages throughout the month.  Please share these posts on your own platforms.

All parishes are encouraged to include in the bulletin a special “thank you” message to the local coordinator for Safe Environment at your location.

Please plan to participate with us in prayer for the safety and wellbeing of all children, that they may flourish as healthy, happy and holy Catholics within our communities.

Please contact the Safe Environment Coordinator, Alison Conemac (aconemac@sfcatholic.org) with your questions.

Rosary for Healing Handout

Novena for Healing from Abuse

Safe Environment

Certified as Compliant with our Safe Environment Policy

Training on CMG Connect is live and ready for all active employees and volunteers with minors or vulnerable adults to take and complete by Friday, July 30, 2021.  Please note the background check and annual awareness training that makes one certified as compliant with our safe environment policy are both completed before an individual employee or volunteer active in their position. The training will remain available on CMG Connect for new and returning users throughout the year as they step back into their roles or join for the first time.

Local Coordinators

August dates for training (both new and returning users) have been emailed out.  Reach out to me if you can’t make those dates and I’m happy to schedule a one-on-one. Please know that I am happy to help; my goal is to help make your role as Local Coordinator as clear and easy as possible!

 

Please always feel free to contact me directly with your questions at 605-988-3722