Thank you for your interest in Safe Church training! If you’d like to make a report or discuss any concerns you may have, please call the Bishops office at (518) 692-3350. This department is responsible for training only
Policies for the protection of children and at-risk adults
In August of 2021, the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany adopted the current policies of the Episcopal Church. The policies can be found below:
The Episcopal Church Model Policy for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults
The Episcopal Church Model Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth
These training modules were adopted, and the assignments for the roles outlined below were also adopted at this time.
How to Get Started
First up, you will want to take a look at this Infographic which gives a good start-up plan for your parish.
To get started and to create an account go to: https://www.praesidiumacademy.com/redeem
You will need a specific code for your deanery to correctly link your account to the correct community. If you are not sure which deanery your parish is a part of, you can find that on our website here. You can click on any of the deaneries below to access their individual code.
Metropolitan Deanery (except for Cathedral of All Saints – see below)
Who Needs to be Trained?
The more people who have the training, the safer the space will be. Training not only keeps us informed of best practices that protect ourselves and those you serve, but also trained communities are not attractive to people who may want to harm our communities. When more people understand how things should be happening, it helps with accountability and making sure they are happening. Check out this Infographic with a detailed explanation of the different roles the Episcopal Church outlines for training.
What Training Do I Need?
Check out this Infographic that lists each role of a parish and what training they each should have. The trainings need to be completed every 3 years.
According to New York State law every employer in New York State is required to provide employees with sexual harassment prevention training. This is offered on the Praesidium Academy as well: Promoting a Safe Environment: Employee Sexual Harassment Training – New York State Version. Anyone employed by the Diocese, or your church should also take this training.
All of these roles outlined should also be familiar with The Episcopal Church Model Policy for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults and The Episcopal Church Model Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth. You can read these documents or complete the online training offered about them at Praesidium Academy.
I’m not the best with technology – is there a different way to complete the trainings?
Completing the training at your own pace in the comfort of your own home is the best way to complete the required trainings. A limited number of in-person classes are offered for those individuals who are not able to complete the program online. While the training is mandatory for the necessary roles, taking it in-person is not. The trainings are not made to finish all in one sitting. You can access the training from any device that can access the internet: including cell phones. Parishes can support other parishioners by setting them up for a training each coffee hour, or some other arrangement. The in-person training offers nothing different from the online training. For the in-person training, the online videos are played one after another, so to keep continuity of training.
The Diocesan Abuse Prevention Officer is Kaitlyn Hyde.
The office for Safe Church is available via email at SafeChurch@AlbanyDiocese.org
or by calling 518-692-9550 Option 3