St. Helen CYO Sports: Virtus

 Virtus is a program that educates and trains adults in recognition and awareness of sexual abuse ofchildren, and proper procedures to implement to prevent occurrences.

The Virtus program is administered by The Office for Safe Environment, located at the Immaculate Conception Campus at 7200 Douglaston Parkway under the direction of Maryellen Quinn.

Virtus training and certification is required of all diocesan employees and volunteers who are incontact with children. This includes all referees and other sports officials, PAR’s, AD’s, coaches, and other CYO volunteers.

Virtus training is offered regularly at Douglaston and in Brooklyn at 310 Prospect Park West. Parishes and organizations within the diocese also often sponsor sessions that are available to all. These sessions are listed on the Virtus website, www.virtus.org. You may wish to arrange your own Virtus session for your coaches and volunteers.

All coaches should be certified before beginning with the children but MUST be certified within 30 days of their first scheduled contest.

 For additional information onthe Virtus program including packets for sponsoring a Virtus session, please contact the CYO office at 718-281-9550 or the Office of Safe Environment at 718-281-9670.

To register for a Virtus session, go to www.virtus.org.

Click on Registration.

Click on View a List ofSessions.

Our ‘organization’ is Brooklyn,NY (Diocese of).

This will show upcoming sessions and availability.

Return to www.virtus.org.

Click on Registration andthen follow instructions to register for a session.

Sessions are regularly scheduled at the Immaculate Conception campus in Douglaston and also at 310 Prospect Park West in Brooklyn. Additional sessions are scheduled in parishes of the diocese.

On your registration, Location is the parish you volunteer for,not the parish where you are taking the Virtus session.

Please list CYO as an ‘additional location.’

Program you will be serving is CYO.

Position is Sports Coach.

For referees/officials, list CYO as your location if your only involvement is through officiating. Position is Sports Official.

Staff will regularly promote sessions that are specifically targeted for CYO.

You must register and complete Virtus Training before coaching, officiating, or volunteering with children in the diocese.

Our children are the most important gifts God has entrusted to us. As a volunteer, I promise to strictly follow the rules and guidelines in this Volunteer’s Code of Pastoral Conduct asa condition of my providing services to the children and young people of our Diocese, parishes or affiliated agencies.

 As a volunteer,

·       I WILL treat everyone, including clergy, religious, parents and other adults and children with respect, loyalty, patience, courtesy, and dignity.

·       I WILL represent the teachings of the Catholic Church with integrity in word and action.

·       I WILL work collaboratively with the clergy, other supervisors and associates in ministry.

·       I WILL avoid situations where I am alone with children and/or young people before, during or after Church activities.

·      I WILL maintain appropriate boundaries in my relationships with children and/or young people.

·      I WILL use positive reinforcement rather than criticism, competition, or comparison when working with children and/or young people.

·       I WILL refuse to accept expensive gifts from children and/or young people or their parents without prior written approval from the pastor or administrator.

·      I WILL refrain from giving gifts to children and/or young people without prior written approval from the parents or legal guardian and the pastor or administrator.

·       I WILL immediately report suspected abuse to the pastor, administrator, or appropriate supervisor and to appropriate authorities as required by law.

·      I WILL cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of children and/or young people.

As a volunteer,

·       I WILL NOT interact with children or young people through E-mail, social network sites or other forms of electronic communications except for delivering information for the program I am providing.·        

·      I WILL NOT assist children and young people to access pornography or other sexual material online or influence their exploration of pornography through any media outlet.

·       I WILL NOT use parish, school or any agency computers to participate in chat rooms.

·      I WILL NOT photograph children or young people without the explicit permission of the parents or legal guardian.

·       I WILL NOT touch a child and/or young person in a sexual or other inappropriate manner.

·       I WILL NOT use, possess, or be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at any time while volunteering in any diocesan, parish or church activity.

·       I WILL NOT pose any health risk to children and/or young people.

·       I WILL NOT strike, spank, shake, or slap children and/or any young person.

·       I WILL NOT humiliate, ridicule, threaten, or degrade children and/or any young person.

·       I WILL NOT use any discipline that frightens or humiliates children and/or young people

    I WILL NOT use profanity, sexual language or any other inappropriate language in the presence of children and/or young people.