Safe Environment
Safe Environment Requirements to Minister/Work/Volunteer in the Catholic Schools
Anyone who will be working or volunteering at a Catholic School in the Diocese of Fall River will find all necessary forms and instructions pertaining to our background check process on this webpage.
THE ESSENTIAL THREE:
All persons aged 18 and older must complete the “Essential Three” as outlined in the Diocesan Policy for the Protection of the Faithful in order to minister, work or volunteer in the Diocese of Fall River. For purposes of these requirements, the term applicant is used.
Minors: (under the age of eighteen) are not required to be CORI processed at this time. However, a minor who is an employee or a volunteer within the Diocese and is in contact with minors or vulnerable adults must be assigned to an “Essential Three” compliant adult in order to fulfill their obligations as an employee or volunteer. A minor together with the parent/guardian and respective diocesan supervisor will sign a Diocesan Youth Code of Conduct each year. If the applicant has attained eighteen years of age, they will be required to complete the Essential Three.
1. CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK:
All potential school employees, subcontractors, and volunteers will complete a CORI Acknowledgement Form which requests a clear copy of a valid, government photo identification, residency within the past ten years and verification of the form by a diocesan representative. CORI’s are conducted every three years for clergy, religious and lay employees. CORI’s are conducted every year for seasonal employees and volunteers. Completed CORI acknowledgment forms should be submitted for verification to the school where the applicant intends to work or volunteer. Rhode Island residents may need to complete a State of Rhode Island – Authorization to Release Information form. They will be instructed to do so by the school representative, if necessary.
Anyone who completes a State of Rhode Island – Authorization to Release Information form must return the original notarized form to the school where they will work or volunteer. The school will submit the form to the Office of Safe Environment for processing.
CORI ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM (ENGLISH)
CORI ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM (PORTUGUESE)
CORI ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM (SPANISH)
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND – AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE INFORMATION
2. SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING
All applicants within the Diocese must complete Safe Environment Training. The applicant must register online at CMG Connect under the Diocese of Fall River to begin the training. When applicants create their account, they should use their legal name as shown on their license or the form of identification used to verify their CORI Acknowledgment Form. Once registered, the applicant will view three Safe Haven videos with a Q&A session. Please note that these videos cover sensitive material. If anyone has any questions, please contact the Office of Safe Environment (OSE).
A certificate of completion for the Safe Environment Training can be downloaded or printed and submitted with the CORI Acknowledgement Form to the school where the applicant intends to work or volunteer. Training will be renewed every six (6) years or when directed by the OSE.
Spanish: On-line training is offered in Spanish. Please choose so when registering.
Portuguese: A written transcript of the three Safe Haven videos in Portuguese is available through OSE.
Hearing Impaired: A written transcript for the three Safe Haven Videos is available through OSE.
3. CODE OF CONDUCT
All applicants within the Diocese will be provided with a Safe Environment Code of Conduct. When taking the online training, the Code must be read and acknowledged online. This acknowledgment is part of the Essential Three requirements. All who minister, work or volunteer within the Diocese are subject to the obligations within the Code of Conduct at all times. The Code of Conduct shall not expire.
Fingerprinting
In addition to the Essential Three policy requirements, all school employees must submit to a fingerprint-based state and national criminal history record check. Fingerprint-based criminal history record checks are authorized by the state of Massachusetts in compliance with M.G.L. C. 6, §§ 167-178 and 803CMR §§ 2.00, et. seq. If an applicant had fingerprints processed for another school district in Massachusetts, they may obtain a letter of suitability from the district or school where they originally had the fingerprints processed. Letters of suitability should be sent directly from the school or district to Lynn Medeiros, Background Check and Data Entry Specialist, at lynn.medeiros@dioc-fr.org.
51A Mandated Reporter Training
51A Mandated Reporter Training is required of all school employees and may be required for certain volunteer positions.
When this training is required, the employee or volunteer will receive an email from the Office of Safe Environment with instructions to create an account and complete the training. A second email will be sent inviting the employee or volunteer to accept the invitation to complete the training. A certificate can be downloaded at the end of the training for the employee’s or volunteer’s records. The Office of Safe Environment will receive a notification when training is completed. If the employee or volunteer does not receive the invitation email, please contact Lynn Medeiros at lynn.medeiros@dioc-fr.org.
If you are a current or former employee who needs a letter of suitability from the Diocese of Fall River, please complete the Suitability Request Form and send it to Lynn Medeiros, Background Screening and Data Entry Specialist, at lynn.medeiros@dioc-fr.org.
SUITABILITY LETTER REQUEST FORM
If you have questions pertaining to any of the background check requirements, contact Lynn Medeiros, Background Screening and Data Entry Specialist, at 508-676-8943 or lynn.medeiros@dioc-fr.org.
For more information about Safe Environment within the Diocese of Fall River, see the Office of Safe Environment website.