Requirements for employment and volunteering

Safe environment programs are in place to assist parents and children - and all those who work and volunteer in Archdiocesan parishes, schools, agencies, and Curia offices- in preventing harm to young people and vulnerable adults. Please read through the following steps regarding what the Archdiocese of Detroit, its parishes and schools, require prior to volunteering and employment:

These requirements apply to any volunteer at a parish or school-coordinated ministry or event, whether that happens on or off school property. Whether or not a volunteer or employee interacts directly with children or vulnerable adults, all volunteers play a role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our parish and school communities.

PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN CERTIFICATION

1. First Time Users register here (Instructions for registration)
2. VIRTUS will automatically send a notice of recertification fifteen days prior to the three-year anniversary of your most recent certification or recertification. This notice will be sent to the email address on file. 

FINGERPRINTING & BACKGROUND CHECKS

1. Fingerprinting is required for clergy (priests and deacons); archdiocesan, parish, and school employees; and any volunteers who work directly with children and/or vulnerable adults. 
2. Volunteers who do not work directly with children and/or vulnerable adults are required to undergo an iChat (Michigan State Police) background check every 2 years. 
3. Employees of third-party vendors doing contract work at Archdiocese of Detroit parishes or schools are not subject to our fingerprinting and background check policy.
   • All other contract employees are subject to our background check policy.
4. Please read our background check and criminal convictions policy (updated August 1, 2026)
5. Additional information and resources related to fingerprinting can be found at protect.aod.org/fingerprinting

CODE OF CONDUCT

1. Code of conduct for volunteers: English | Spanish
2. Pastoral code of conduct for employees, educators, priests, and deacons

For further information, please read the Safe Environment guidelines below.

Training for Clergy, Employees, Volunteers and Children

Safe environment programs are in place to assist parents and children - and all those who work and volunteer in Archdiocesan parishes, schools, agencies, and Curia offices- in preventing harm to young people. The following age-appropriate safe environment training programs are taught in the Archdiocese of Detroit

*NOTE* This includes those who fall in the above categories but do not interact with children.

For Adults: Protecting God’s Children

• New Employees and Recurrent Adult Volunteers
  • All newemployees, volunteers, coaches, educators, priests, and deacons must complete:
    1. A live Protecting God’s Children training, available either in-person or via Zoom
• New Volunteers who volunteer fewer than 3 times per year
  • Occasional new adult volunteers who do not serve in a recurring role with youth (as listed above) may complete Protecting God’s Children certification by completing the Protecting God’s Children Online Awareness Session 4.0 and Vulnerable Adults 2.0 combined self-paced training module.
  • The online modules take approximately two hours to complete. The online modules are available in English and Spanish, with closed captioning and Polish or Vietnamese subtitles. The registrant can pause, save, and resume their position in the training if they cannot complete it in one sitting. Individuals in this category will receive a certificate showing completion of the combined module.
• Recertification for all current Adult Employees and Volunteers
  • All clergy, employees, and volunteers with a certificate dated 2023 or older must recertify by completing the online, self-paced module. Read the full recertification policy.
  • Everyone who has completed a Protecting God’s Children session (even as far back as 2002) has an individual account in the Virtus platform. As such, please log into your Virtus account to begin your recertification. 
    • Fifteen days prior to your certification expiring, you will automatically be assigned “Teaching Boundaries and Safety Online Module 2.0" and will receive an email from Virtus reminding you to complete this recertification module. 
      • Log in to your account and go to "Online Training Modules" to access and complete this recertification module. 
    • If you cannot access your account, do not create a new account. Instead, proceed with the username / password recovery option by clicking HERE or contact the Virtus Helpdesk at [email protected] or 888-847-8870.
      • Once you have regained access to your account, go to "Current Trainings" and click “Teaching Boundaries and Safety Online Module 2.0.” 
• Ongoing Triennial Recertification
  • All individuals are required to complete the Protecting God’s Children online recertification module within three months of the third anniversary of their previous Protecting God’s Children certification (every three years). 
• Annual Mandated Reporter Training
  • All priests, as well as all school administrators, teachers, support staff, and coaches, are required to annually complete mandated reporter training. The module will review the current Michigan Child Protection Law, which, due to central registry reform effective November 1, 2022, has seen extensive statutory changes necessitating a comprehensive review. The module will also teach all mandated reporters the various methods available to report suspected abuse or neglect in Michigan.
  • Training modules have been assigned in Virtus effective July 5, 2026 and are required to be completed by October 1, 2026.
    • With the permission of the Archdiocese of Detroit Office of Safe Environments, a small number of schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit will continue to use non-VIRTUS mandated reporter training. 
• Training for Local Administrators
  • At least one person per site must be identified as a local VIRTUS administrator. 
  • All training materials for local VIRTUS administrators are available via Microsoft Teams. 
    • New local administrators should contact the Archdiocese of Detroit Office of Safe Environments to access training materials.
• Please note that there is no longer a grace period for new employees or volunteers to complete a Protecting God's Children session and background check.
  • Individuals CANNOT be employed or serve in any volunteer capacity in the Archdiocese of Detroit until they have digitally signed the revised Code of Conduct, supplied background check information, and completed the appropriate Protecting God's Children session.

For Children in Grades K-12: Empowering God's Children

• Youth in Our Schools, Faith Formation and Youth Groups
  • Beginning August 15, 2023, Virtus’ Empowering God’s Children online lessons is the only acceptable safe environment program for school-age youth in kindergarten through grade 12 in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
    
    This online program is presented by teachers and catechists in schools, parish faith formation, and teen group sessions. Each instructs youth about boundaries, how to recognize boundary violations, how to respond to persons who violate their boundaries, and how to report such violations to parents, family members, and other trusted adults. There are two lessons each year automatically selected to ensure grade- and age-appropriate content.
  • Teachers and catechists are required to document within the Virtus platform when they present the lessons. This record-keeping will ensure that all the Archdiocese of Detroit schools and parishes are following the Safe Environment requirements of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (The Dallas Charter).
• Teen Volunteers
  • High school students who wish to volunteer at any AOD parish or school must complete Virtus’online workshops: Healthy Relationships for Teens 2.0 Online Module Expansion with SafeEnvironment Components. This module is accessible online through Virtus and is intended to help youth identify the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships. The module also equips teens to follow a plan to do the right thing for themselves and others upon recognizing an unhealthy situation. This module takes approximately 35 minutes to complete. To access the module, teen volunteers need to register on the Virtus site. After inputting their date of birth, the system will know they are minor and will assign them the Healthy Relationships forTeens 2.0 module.
  • Certificates and/or notification of completion of the module will be available to local Virtusadministrators.

Coverage from Detroit Catholic: Safe environment programs, annual audits help archdiocese prevent abuse

Background Checks / Screening

Employees and volunteers help the church flourish and are crucial to our parish and school communities.  Our parishes and schools must be safe places.  There’s an assumption that churches and schools are filled with people who love children and can be trusted.  How often do you find children wandering away from their parents and other adults at a parish or school event, whether to the playground or even the bathroom?  Yet, in any place where a group of people is gathered, whether it be a parish or school function, a parish festival, or a regular parish event, there is always a risk of unwanted incidents that could harm children.  Running background checks for ALL employees and volunteers can help deter criminals and sexual predators from participating in any parish or school ministry or event.  If a criminal understands that they’ll have to undergo a background check,  they will less likely attempt to volunteer.  This helps weed out potentially dangerous people before they even begin serving. 

Regular background checks add another layer of security to keep kids safe.  Not allowing potential criminals and sex offenders around children is critical.  Completing background checks and rescreens protects children from harmful people and creates a safe environment for all.  Background checks can also help identify adults who should not drive children and vulnerable adults.

The Archdiocese of Detroit uses the Michigan State Police’s ICHAT system for most background checks in our parishes and schools. The ICHAT is a simple process; it only requires inputting a person’s name, date of birth, gender, and race.

For information on obtaining an ICHAT account, contact the Office of Safe Environments at (313)-237-5826. 

Please note: Michigan State Police regulations require that each parish and school have their own agency ID. Agencies are not permitted to share ICHAT background check results.

Expectations

Adopted by the Archdiocese of Detroit, the Pastoral and Employee Code of Conduct and Volunteer Code of Conduct (English | Spanish) outline acceptable and unacceptable behaviors for all clergy, employees and volunteers and all are expected to adhere to the stated practices. All clergy and employees are to receive the Pastoral Code of Conduct. All volunteers are to be provided with the Volunteer Code of Conduct.