safe environment guidelines for virtual meetings
If you are NOT Safe Environment Trained please contact Yvonne Bower at ybower@rcdlc.org for more information on how to be trained.
If you are working with teens in your parish you must be virtus certified - click here to learn more at virtusonline.org
It is important that you fill out the permission slip at the top first with your contact information and then SHARE this slip with the parents.
They can either fill it in on word or send you their verbal permission via text or email after receiving the slip. Please keep RECORD of all texts/emails that give permission.
1. Make sure that there are at least TWO adults (who have had safe environment training) present on the online platform.
2. At this moment we have created a Word Permission Slip that have to share with the parents first before you continue with the online youth group.
3. Make sure that you let your participants know that proper attire is required. Also, request that any young person joining over video does not join from the privacy of their bedroom - rather request that they join the online platform from either an open living space in their homes.
4. If the program that you are using has chat options please refrain from using the chat options, and turn off all chat features!! If you are going to use chat features please make them only open to the WHOLE group and keep record of the chat for any future reference.
5. Make sure to keep a written record of who is attending the meetings, the date of the meetings, and what they were being help for.
6. If the online platform you are using allows you to create a password to enter into the video please create a safe password and share with only the children-youth who are going.
7. Leaders (who are safe environment trained) should log on early and make sure that no one 18+ is entering the video conference call.
8. Send the link to join over email, or a private group text (that also has at least 2 adults present in the text) to only those who are going to be joining the video conference.
If you are going to use ZOOM meetings for virtual youth group or online catechesis click here for instructions on how to use ZOOM.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please email me at vzuleta@rcdlc.org