The mission of the Safe Environment Office is to insure that children, young people, and vulnerable individuals who worship, study, or participate in activities sponsored therein can do so in the safest and most secure setting possible. We are responsible for implementing and overseeing the full Archdiocesan compliance to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (Charter).

We strive to comply with Articles 12 and 13 of the Charter, which require every diocese in the United States to maintain Safe Environment programs and to perform background screenings.  Article 12 is applied with the Safe Environment programs in place to help educate involved parties on how they can contribute with the promise to protect our children, young people, and vulnerable individuals from abuse.  Furthermore, Article 13 is also applied by performing background screenings on all those individuals working with children, young people, and vulnerable individuals.

Volunteer Policy & Protocol

The Archdiocese of Atlanta created a Safe Environment program for employees and volunteers who work in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. 
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All clergy, all employees regardless of duties, and volunteers working with children and/or vulnerable individuals must attend a VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children training before they begin paid or volunteer work for the Archdiocese of Atlanta or within 60 days of their scheduled start date*. Continuing Education training consists of monthly bulletins sent via email to each user after attending a VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children.

*The 60 day grace period is ONLY applicable for employees and/or volunteers who DO NOT work with children and/or vulnerable adults.

Please click here to learn more about becoming Safe Environment compliant.

Renewal Process

​Individuals will be notified by the Safe Environment Coordinator and/or Ministry Leader when it is time to renew their background screening and/or VIRTUS Protecting God's Children Training: both are required to be renewed every five years.

Two weeks prior to the five-year anniversary of your live VIRTUS session an online renewal module will be assigned in your VIRTUS account. You will receive an email from system@virtus.org regarding your renewal. Please make sure your email is correct in the VIRTUS system (virtusonline.org), and check your spam!

Please click here for detailed renewal instructions. ​

In order to complete your Safe Environment Clearance, please make sure to complete all the following steps:


​STEP 1: READ ALL SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICIES
STEP 2: ​PRE-REGISTER & ATTEND A LIVE VIRTUS PROTECTING GOD'S CHILDREN SESSION
VIRTUS PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN ​
MANDATORY SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING FOR ADULTS WHO HAVE CONTACT WITH CHILDREN AND/OR VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS
​Training adults in our Archdiocese is an important part of our commitment to our sacred duty to protect the most vulnerable among us. The Protecting God’s Children training is about 3 hours in length and presented by VIRTUS certified facilitator. Sessions are scheduled at different locations throughout the Archdiocese of Atlanta for your convenience. No one under the age of 18 will be allowed to attend the session. Please make sure to pre-register to attend a session near you by visiting the link below:

​In addition, please know effective July 1st, 2012 Georgia Reporting Child Abuse Law was updated to include ALL VOLUNTEERS to be consider mandatory reports.

​If you are a mandatory reporter and have reasonable cause to believe that child abuse has occurred, you must immediately report this information but in no case later than 24 hours to DFCS from the time there is reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused.

​STEP 3: COMPLETE & SIGN ALL ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS
Adult Volunteers (18+ years old) must complete and sign the following documents:
If you are an adult volunteer within youth and/or vulnerable populations, you MUST also complete and sign the following: 
  • Sterling Background Consent Form if you would like to complete this form electronically, please email the Safe Environment Coordinator, Brittany Fagan at safeenvironment@corpuschristicc.org.
  • If you do not have a social security number at this time, please fill out Volunteer Verification Form instead of the Sterling Background Consent Form, and submit to the Safe Environment Coordinator, Brittany Fagan at fagan42@gmail.com.

​If you are an adult volunteer wanting to transport youth and/or vulnerable populations MUST also complete and sign the following:
Minor Volunteers (17 or younger years of age) must complete and sign the following documents:

STEP 4: SUBMIT ALL ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS
Send via email, mail or fax, the Volunteer Application, Sterling Background Consent form and the Safe Environment Acknowledgement of Receipt and Compliance forms to the Safe Environment Coordinator, Brittany Fagan. 

​Contact Information: 
​Safe Environment Coordinator, Brittany Fagan
Email - fagan42@gmail.com
Mail - 600 Mountain View Dr, Stone Mountain, Ga 30083
Fax - 770-469-0568