Issue 146 - April 2024
NEWS: WORTHY
The Authority Highlights the Praesidium Resource for Child Abuse Prevention Month
April marks National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and local government administrators and staff play a vital role in promoting a culture of safety within their communities. By prioritizing awareness and education, agencies can create safer environments for children to thrive. This ethos promotes healthy interactions, mitigates risks of abuse in programs, and empowers staff to remain vigilant against potential misconduct.
The Authority has partnered with Praesidium, an abuse prevention organization, to provide members access to targeted solutions to help your organization strengthen its abuse prevention efforts. California JPIA members have access to various Praesidium resources, including the following, which the Authority fully funds.
Model Policies
These policies set the stage for safe environments by defining acceptable and unacceptable employee and volunteer conduct. Policies also facilitate effective monitoring and supervision by helping others to recognize and act when they see policy violations.
Screening and Selection Toolkit
This toolkit includes the resources your organization needs to screen employees and caregivers effectively, including “red flag” indicators for identifying high-risk applicants and hundreds of examples of high- and low-risk applicant responses.
Crisis Response Toolkit
This toolkit includes written resources and guidance to navigate crisis response before, during, and after an allegation. It also provides guidelines for:
- Assembling a crisis response team.
- Considerations for the first few days and weeks.
- How to create a transparent, victim-centered response.
- Sample media holding statements.
- Sample community communications for participants and families.
- Other response considerations.
Praesidium Helpline
The helpline gives your organizational leadership team a confidential mechanism to discuss concerns or allegations involving sexual abuse and receive support to navigate the next steps. Available seven days a week, Praesidium’s team can provide immediate recommendations to ensure the safety of all parties, external reporting, internal reporting, mid-term recommendations to course correct, and long-term recommendations to support a culture of safety.
Online Training
Members can access 26 of Praesidium’s online, self-paced training modules via myJPIA. Topics include Foundations of Abuse Prevention for Youth-Serving Organizations, Basics of Youth Behavior Management, and Keeping Your Day Camp Safe.
Praesidium Academy overcomes the limitations of traditional online training by including an Action Plan to help learners apply what they’re learning, a Discussion Guide for use in a group setting, and a Coaching Playbook for supervisors with each course. Your staff and volunteers get the proper training—at just the right time!
Authority members interested in learning more can visit the Praesidium webpage on cjpia.org, sign up for Praesidium’s complimentary tip-of-the-month newsletter, or contact their regional risk manager.
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