Safe Church

Training, Policies, & Procedures

In our Baptismal Covenant, we promise to respect the dignity of every human being. One way we live out that value is through the implementation of our Safe Church Policies. Our Safe Church Policies establish and maintain standards intended to ensure our faith communities are safe places where all of God’s people are loved and encouraged to grow into the people God calls us to be. These policies provide specific requirements, recommendations, best practices, and guidelines that seek to respond in proactive and intentional ways to care for, be responsible to, and create safe and transformational spaces for everyone.

What do I take if I’m a….

Items listed in bold are required by the State of California, and the Diocesan minimum requirements. We encourage the additional courses that are listed after the minimum requirements. Lay ministry licenses will be held until proof of all requirements are met.

As a reminder, in addition to employees/vestry members, any volunteer who’s working with children more than 32 hours a year or 16 hours per month, must complete the mandatory state requirements (Mandated Reporter Training, LiveScan Fingerprinting Background Check, Promoting a Safe Environment)

Clergy

CANRA Mandated Reporter Training
LiveScan Fingerprinting
Oxford Background check
Credit check
Promoting a Safe Environment: Supervisor Sexual Harassment Training-California*
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Organizational Rules & Policies

As well as racial reconciliation training: Sacred Ground

Lay Employee

CANRA Mandated Reporter Training
LiveScan Fingerprinting Background Check
Credit check
Promoting a Safe Environment: Supervisor or Employee Sexual Harassment Training – California (depending on role)*
If driving DMV records check

As well as racial reconciliation training (Sacred Ground or, I Will with God’s Help)

Vestry Member

Mandated Reporter Training
LiveScan Fingerprinting Background Check
Promoting a Safe Environment: Employee Sexual Harassment Training – California
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries
If check signer credit check
If driving DMV records check

As well as racial reconciliation training (Sacred Ground or, I Will with God’s Help)

Sunday School/Nursery Workers

Mandated Reporter Training
LiveScan Fingerprinting Background Check
Promoting a Safe Environment: Supervisor or Employee Sexual Harassment Training (depending on role)
Credit Check
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Abuse & Neglect
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Inclusion
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Pastoral Relationships

As well as racial reconciliation training: Sacred Ground or I Will with God’s Help.

Eucharistic Visitor

CANRA Mandated Reporter Training
LiveScan Fingerprinting Background Check
Promoting a Safe Environment: Employee Sexual Harassment Training-California
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Abuse & Neglect

As well as racial reconciliation training (Sacred Ground or, I Will with God’s Help)

Eucharistic Minister

CANRA Mandated Reporter Training
LiveScan Fingerprinting Background Check
Promoting a Safe Environment: Employee Sexual Harassment Training-California
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Abuse & Neglect

As well as racial reconciliation training (Sacred Ground or, I Will with God’s Help)

Worship Leader/Lay Preacher

CANRA Mandated Reporter Training
LiveScan Fingerprinting Background Check
Promoting a Safe Environment: Supervisor or Employee Sexual Harassment Training (depending on role)
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Abuse & Neglect
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Inclusion
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Pastoral Relationships

As well as racial reconciliation training: Sacred Ground or I Will with God’s Help

Volunteer

CANRA Mandated Reporter Training
LiveScan Fingerprinting Background Check
Promoting a Safe Environment: Employee Sexual Harassment Training-California
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Abuse & Neglect
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Inclusion
Safe Church, Safe Communities: Pastoral Relationships

As well as racial reconciliation training: Sacred Ground or I Will with God’s Help

Safe Church

EDNC Safe Church Training Requirements

(Download Chart)
(Download Complete Guide)

Click the tabs to the left to view details for each requirement.

Questions? Contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepiscopal.org or (916) 442-6918 ext 215

Mandated Reporter Training

California Mandated Reporter Training
(Required by California AB506)

Per California law, all administrators (paid or unpaid) and employees (clergy & lay) must complete this training
Volunteers 18 years of age or older that have direct contact with, or supervision of, children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year must also complete this training
Must be renewed every 2 years
To take this free training through Praesidium:
- Click HERE to sign into your Praesidium account
- Scroll down to navigate to the list of available trainings. You will see many trainings which you are welcome to take at no cost, however you are not required to take any trainings not mentioned on our website here.
- Select the “CANRA Mandated Reporter” training, and click “Start Course”
If you do not have a Praesidium account, please contact your church’s Safe Church Administrator. Each church is assigned an administrator to manage Praesidium accounts. If you do not know who your Safe Church Administrator is, please contact the Clergy in charge, Senior Warden, or Parish Administrator at your church. If your church does not have a Safe Church Administrator, please contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepiscopal.org.

Background Checks

Background Checks

(Required by California AB506)

Per California law, all administrators (paid or unpaid) and employees (clergy & lay) must complete a fingerprint based state and federal-level LiveScan background check
Volunteers 18 years of age or older that have direct contact with, or supervision of, children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year must also complete a LiveScan
New clergy must complete a full background check through Oxford Documents in addition to completing a LiveScan. Please contact jacqi@norcalepiscopal.org for assistance with this.
Background checks must be renewed for both clergy and lay every five years through Praesidium. Renewals cost $20 on average, depending on the number of recent counties of residence of the person being checked. The congregation is invoiced after the background check is complete.
Administrators – Click HERE for instructions on how to run a background check renewal through Praesidium (pg.9)
If you do not know who your Safe Church Administrator is, please contact the Clergy in charge, Senior Warden, or Parish Administrator at your church. If your church does not have a Safe Church Administrator, please contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepiscopal.org.

Completing a LiveScan Background Check:

Download, complete and send the BCIA 9018 – CalVECHS Waiver Agreement to michelle@norcalepiscopal.org
Download, complete and print the BCIA 8016VECHS – Request for LiveScan Service: Employee| Volunteer (you will submit this to the LiveScan location)
Go to: https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations
Scroll down and select your county from the list
Visit the nearest LiveScan location to you
Submit your BCIA 8016VECHS form to the LiveScan operator
Pay the fee to the operator (please let us know ahead of time if you need a scholarship to cover the cost)
Get fingerprinted
Please note: LiveScan background check results cannot be used for multiple purposes. Each LiveScan submission is tied to a specific request or agency and is processed for a particular background check purpose. Therefore, even if you have had a LiveScan completed anywhere other than the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, you will still need to complete a new one with our application form. For example: a teacher had a LiveScan completed as part of their job as a Sunday School teacher meeting the volunteer requirements, the state law states they must still complete another LiveScan.
When an individual is no longer an employee, volunteer, or affiliated with your church in the capacity in which they were when the LiveScan was completed, you MUST inform our office via an email to michelle@norcalepiscopal.org stating so, as we are required by law to notify the state via the LiveScan portal, in order to have them removed from their notifications list.

Renewing a Background Check (every 5 years):

Reach out to your church’s Safe Church Administrator as they will need to initiate the request before you can complete the form
Once the Administrator places the request, you can log into your Praesidium account, scroll through the list of trainings, and click on “Background Check“
From there you simply complete and submit the form online

Questions? Please contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepiscopal.org, or (916) 442-6918.

DMV Records Checks

DMV Records Checks

If you are authorized to drive for any church related activity, you must complete a DMV records check through Praesidium
Clergy undergo a thorough background check through Oxford Documents and therefore do not need a DMV Records check through Praesidium
Administrators – Click HERE for instructions on how to run a DMV Records check renewal through Praesidium (pg.9)
If you do not know who your Safe Church Administrator is, please contact the Clergy in charge, Senior Warden, or Parish Administrator at your church. If your church does not have a Safe Church Administrator, please contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepiscopal.org.

Running a DMV Records Check:

Reach out to your church’s Safe Church Administrator as they will need to initiate the request before you can complete the form
Once the Administrator places the request, you can log into your Praesidium account, scroll through the list of trainings, and click on “Background Check-Premium-with-MVR” (MVR = Motor Vehicle Records)
From there you simply complete and submit the form online

Questions? Please contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepiscopal.org, or (916) 442-6918.

Credit Checks

Credit Checks

Required for all Treasurers and check signers
Are completed through Oxford Documents, cost $15 per report, and must be initiated by the Office of the Bishop

Running a Credit Check:

- Administrators must email the following information to michelle@norcalepiscopal.org to initiate the credit check process:
  - Full legal names of individuals in need of credit check
  - Their email addresses

Sexual Harassment Training

Promoting a Safe Environment:
Employee/Supervisor Sexual Harassment Training – CA

Per California law, employers with five or more employees are required to provide sexual harassment prevention training to all clergy, lay employees, and volunteers.
This mandatory training (30 minutes) for supervisors and non-supervisory employees must also take place within six months of hire or promotion and every two years thereafter. Taking these individual learner courses in a group setting will not satisfy the requirements.
Must be renewed every 2 years
In determining whether an employer meets the threshold and is subject to the sexual harassment prevention training requirement, independent contractors, volunteers, and unpaid interns are also counted in addition to employees.
For example, if an employer has 2 part-time employees and 6 volunteers, the employer would meet the threshold requirement and would need to ensure the 2 part-time employees complete the training. The 6 volunteers would not be required to do so but are welcome to.
While volunteers, independent contractors, and unpaid interns are not required to take this training, employers might consider encouraging it as a best practice.

To take this training:
- Click HERE to sign into your Praesidium account
- Scroll down to navigate to the list of available trainings. You will see many trainings which you are welcome to take at no cost, however you are not required to take any trainings not mentioned on our website here.
- If you are a supervisor, select the “Promoting a Safe Environment: Supervisor Sexual Harassment Training – CA” and click “Start Course”
- If you are not a supervisor, select the “Promoting a Safe Environment: Employee Sexual Harassment Training – CA” and click “Start Course”
- As the diocese has access to view completed trainings, you do not need to send us your certificate of completion; however you should discuss this with your church as they may want a copy for their records.
If you do not have a Praesidium account, please contact your church’s Safe Church Administrator. Each church is assigned an administrator to manage Praesidium accounts. If you do not know who your Safe Church Administrator is, please contact the Clergy in charge, Senior Warden, or Parish Administrator at your church. If your church does not have a Safe Church Administrator, please contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepiscopal.org.

Resoures, Policies & Forms

Resources, Policies & Forms

Child Abuse Prevention

Exploitation Prevention

Harassment Prevention

Safe Church FAQs

Safe Church FAQs

Safe Church FAQs for Users Safe Church FAQs for Administrators
(Download) (Download)

Questions or need assistance?

Please contact Michelle Karimi at michelle@norcalepiscopal.org, or (916) 442-6918

Additional Recommended Trainings

Additional Recommended Trainings

While the free trainings listed below are not required, they are recommended for those that are interested.

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Introduction & Theological Background

An introduction that discusses the model policies of The Episcopal Church, set forth expectations for its leaders in their relationships with children, youth and adults. Our hope is to foster the highest standards of behavior in ministry setting across The Episcopal Church. In living into these policies and practices, we are living into our love for each other and our love for the world.

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Organizational Rules & Policies

An overview of our model policies, best practices, and screening, monitoring, and supervision standards.

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries

A review of how to respond to unhealthy boundary violations (physical, emotional, external, etc.) and the benefits of managing healthy boundaries.

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Power and Relationships

Define healthy relationships within hierarchies and how to respond to unhealthy expressions of power.

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Abuse & Neglect

Learn the warning signs of abuse and neglect as well as how to respond and report instances of abuse or neglect.

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Inclusion

An overview of what it means to be an inclusive community, including requirements of commitment and how to recognize and respond to discriminatory language and behaviors.

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Pastoral Relationships

This course will help you learn about: the impact of abuse, pastoral power dynamics, navigating pastoral relationships and self-care.

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Bullying

An overview of types of bullying and how to identify, respond to, and report instances of bullying.

Contacting an Intake Officer

Contacting an Intake Officer

Anyone may contact the diocesan intake officer to report concerns about the behavior of a member of a clergy person. This initiates a process, when appropriate, to hold clergy accountable for their behavior.

The Rev. Nancy Streufert, is the intake officer for the diocese.
E-mail: revnancysstreufert@gmail.com
Phone: 707-840-6016

The intake officer will:

Listen with respect
Offer pastoral care and response
Create a written report regarding the concern(s) presented
Answer questions about the process

Please note: Clergy members are REQUIRED to report to the intake officer anything that may constitute an offense and to cooperate with the clergy disciplinary process.

Safe Church

Training, Policies, & Procedures

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Introduction & Theological Background

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Organizational Rules & Policies

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Healthy Boundaries

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Power and Relationships

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Abuse & Neglect

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Inclusion

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Pastoral Relationships

Safe Church, Safe Communities: Bullying

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