Report Abuse
If you or someone you know has been abused or victimized by someone representing the Catholic Church, believe in the possibility for Hope, Help and Healing. Please contact:
- The Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1.800.392.3738
- The Missouri Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1.800.392.0210
- Your local civil authorities
- Diocese of Jefferson City Victim assistance coordinator: Jacqueline Baldwin at 573.694.3199
Attorney General Clergy Abuse Victim Resource Form
Click here to report sexual abuse or related misconduct by a bishop.
Safe Environment Key Contacts
Office of Child and Youth Protection
Director
Accepting Applications
Victim Assistance Coordinator
Jacqueline Baldwin
573-694-3199
Safe Environment Coordinator
Alicia Isdes
573-635-9127, ext. 252
Alphonse J. Schwartze
Memorial Catholic Center
2207 West Main St
Jefferson City, MO 65109-0914
Accountability Reporting
Creating a Safe Environment
“Let me be clear: we must understand sexual abuse, whether by clergy or others, is still a present reality in society. This requires a proper vigilance and the necessity to follow through with safe environment protocols to ensure our children and youth grow and flourish in a healthy Church environment and a societal culture that protects the vulnerable.”
— Bishop W. Shawn McKnight
The Office of Child and Youth Protection in the Diocese of Jefferson City is here to help protect and heal. In our diocese, we are preventing the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults in these four ways:
Safe Environment Policies
The policies and procedures of the safe environment program of the Diocese of Jefferson City govern the practices of employees, volunteers, religious brothers and sisters, priests, deacons and bishops in fulfillment of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (“USCCB”) Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and its Essential Norms.
In addition to the schools and parishes of the diocese, these policies also pertain to all Catholic institutions for which the diocesan bishop is a member of the corporation
(collectively, “Catholic Institutions”). The primary goal of these policies is to provide a safe environment for our children by preventing the opportunity for the abuse of minors.
Please see the PDFs below, and contact our office if you have questions on any of these policies and procedures.
Volunteer roles and responsibilities
In the Safe Environment Policies, the definition of "volunteer" is anyone who serves the mission of the Church with no expectation of being paid.
We categorize three types of volunteers:
Safe Environment Training
To begin the process of completing your training in safe environment, go to www.virtus.org and create an account.
Within the Virtus website you will be able to register for safe environment training (in person or online), read and consent to the Pastoral Code of Conduct and consent to the background screening applicable to your role (see our policies for more information).
See our tutorial video (below) for more information on how you can create your account in Virtus.
Quick-Reference VIRTUS Resources available for download
Resources for Parishes
Resources in English
- Poster to be displayed in every building on parish property
- Message to be inserted into bulletin:
- Breaking the Silence of Abuse - As a diocese, we are committed to breaking the silence of abuse. When someone is reporting abuse, we must acknowledge their pain and how difficult it is to talk about it. False allegations are very rare. Our initial response to someone who is disclosing abuse for the first time must be compassionate. For those who need to report abuse, encourage them to contact our Victims Assistance Coordinator, Jacqueline Baldwin, (573-694-3199) and to make use of the appropriate State of Missouri hotline (1-800-392-3738) or the Attorney General’s clergy abuse online form. All of this information is also on our website, under the ‘report abuse’ tab. For those who want information or want to convey a message to Bishop McKnight, please encourage them to write to us at reportabuse@diojeffcity.org
.
- 12 graphics to promote Safe Environment in your parish
Resources in Spanish
- Poster to be displayed in every building on parish property
- Message to be inserted into bulletin:
- Rompiendo el Silencio del Abuso - Como diócesis, estamos comprometidos a romper el silencio del abuso. Cuando alguien denuncia un abuso, debemos reconocer su dolor y lo difícil que es hablar de ello. Las acusaciones falsas son muy raras. Nuestra respuesta inicial a alguien que revela un abuso por primera vez debe ser compasiva. Para aquellos que necesitan denunciar el abuso, comunÍquese con nuestra Coordinadora de Asistencia a las Víctimas, Jacqueline Baldwin, (573-694-3199), a utilizar la línea directa correspondiente del Estado de Missouri (1-800-392-3738) o a llenar el formulario en línea de abuso del clero del procurador general. Toda esta información también se encuentra en nuestro sitio web, en la pestaña 'report abuse'. Para aquellos que deseen información o enviar un mensaje al obispo McKnight, escribanos a reportabuse@diojeffcity.org.
- 12 graphics to promote Safe Environment in your parish (Spanish)