Safe Environments / VIRTUS
As Catholics, we all share a sacred obligation to protect the children, youth and vulnerable adults in our community. As issued by the Diocese of Bridgeport and consistent with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, all Our Lady of Grace Parish clergy, employees, lay ministers and volunteers, aged 18 and over, are required to adhere to all VIRTUS requirements as outlined by the Diocese of Bridgeport. This includes vendors, renters and independent contractors, also aged 18 and over.
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VIRTUS REQUIREMENTS1. ATTEND VIRTUS PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN LIVE AWARENESS TRAINING
ON CHILD ABUSE PREVENTIONBegin by pre‐registering on‐line at www.virtusonline.org. Select the green box in the left margin that says FIRST-TIME REGISTRANT and you will be lead through the registration process. Please store the VIRTUS USER ID and PASSWORD that you created in a secure location. This information is necessary for VIRTUS re‐certification and background check renewals in the future. If you do not have internet access, call the Safe Environment Office to pre‐register (203) 416‐1406/1407 or The VIRTUS helpdesk at 1‐888‐ 847‐8870.STEP BY STEP REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS (click here)2. BACKGROUND CHECKS (18+)Criminal background checks are conducted by Mind Your Business, Inc. (MYB) and is part of the online registration process, through VIRTUS. If you did not see this option on the VIRTUS website when you registered, please print, complete and submit the following authorization and release form to the school or Parish office where you work or volunteer.3. 2015 SAFE ENVIRONMENT HANDBOOK (click here)All of the policies related to Safe Environment programs in the Diocese of Bridgeport are included in the 2015 Safe Environment Handbook. The registration process requires an electronic acknowledgement of your review and understanding of this handbook.4. RECERTIFICATION- Required every five (5) years for those who have direct contact with children
- Required every ten (10) years for those who do not have direct contact with children
Access your VIRTUS account by visiting www.virtusonline.org and log in with your User ID and Password.
If you have attended VIRTUS training in the past, you will have an existing account. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT CREATE MULTIPLE VIRTUS ACCOUNTS.
Please contact the Parish Safe Environment Coordinator for assistance, if you are in doubt or do not remember your login information.
Once logged in, renew your criminal background check. Note, if you are not due for a background check, this option will not appear and you can go directly to the next step.
Complete re-certification requirements by selecting Protecting God’s Children® Online Awareness Session 3.0
located at the bottom of the page. You will need at least an hour to complete this portion, but note you may start the session and return at a later date, if necessary.** Please note: If you are using Internet Explorer and experience difficulty, switch to a different browser (ie. Chrome; Mozilla; etc.)
Continuing Education on abuse prevention is critical in maintaining Safe Environments into the future. Following the 3-hour live awareness training, select categories of personnel will receive continuing education online. Pastors, School Principals, Directors of Religious Education, Local Safe Environment Coordinators, and VIRTUS Facilitators will receive updates online. All parents and interested volunteers may access the free home page at any time to learn more about child safety and abuse prevention