A View From the Balcony

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A View From the Balcony

• Responsible leadership when sex offenders are
  part of your faith community

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We would like to thank

• The Archdiocese of Seattle
• King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
• Seattles Department of Corrections Sex Offender
  Supervision Unit
• The Interfaith Group

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Agenda

• Introduction by speaker
• A view from the balcony
• Technical view
• Policies and Procedures view
• Practice and application view
• Coming down from the balcony and putting it all
  together for your faith community
• Closure

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A view from the balcony means

• A focused look at the three areas for
  accountability and safety of all
• through addressing the
• have tos,
• the how tos
• and the what abouts of responsible leadership

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The Technical view Statutes, laws,
requirements, etc

• Guiding questions for responsible leadership
• How are we balancing our mission with vigilance?
• Will our faith community score 100 on the
  readiness assessment?
• Who are the people and/or organizations outside
  of our faith community who are our partners in
  our mission?

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Readiness Assessment

• Take the time to complete. Answer yes to only
  the questions that you are sure about.
• Dont worry if there are questions that have a no
  or are left blank. You are here to learn.
• A view from the balcony will let you know where
  your faith community is on the continuum of
  readiness.
• If you know where you are at, then you will also
  know where you need to go.

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The technical view agenda

• Readiness assessment
• Statutes
• Registration and Notification Requirements Det.
  Lauchau
• Supervision and treatment Dana Hufford, CCO
• Juvenile sex offenders Cristi Devers, JRA
• Partnering with professional

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Sexual Assault Statutes in the state of
Washington

• Refer to handout in packet
• Offer Sexual Assault Resource Line as an
  opportunity for assistance

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Registration and Notification requirements for a
sex offender

• Detective Michael Luchau
• from King County Sheriffs Office

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Supervision and/or Treatment Requirements for sex
offenders

• Dana Hufford,
• Community Corrections Officer III
• Department of Corrections

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Juvenile Sex Offenders

• Cristi Devers,
• Program Manager,
• Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration

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Partnering with Professionals

• Ensure that all partners share the same goal No
  More Victims!
• No one agency, program, faith community or person
  can do this work alone. Partners are necessary
  for successful faith communities.
• Making contacts and networking
• Remember,
• service providers are people who want to help

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Insurance Information from Brotherhood Mutual,
an insurance company

• Decide your churchs response
• Assess each case individually
• Establish procedures
• Establish a contract
• Assign accountability partners
• Decide who needs to know
• Restrict contact with children
• Work with helping agencies
• Consider participation carefully

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Technical view from the balcony Putting it all
together

• Complete the readiness assessment to address the
  places your faith community may need work.
• Utilize the numerous resources that are
  accessible online.
• Connect with the professionals who can offer
  assistance and information
• Website www.kcsarc.org
• Contact sheet from symposium
• The monthly interfaith group meetings

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The policies and procedures view from the balcony

• Guiding questions for Responsible Leadership
• How will our policies and procedures contribute
  to the success of our mission?
• Who agrees with the mission? Who disagrees?
• How do our policies and procedures contribute to
  the safety of each and every member of our faith
  community?

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Policies and Procedures view agenda

• Policies and Procedures that are developed and
  implemented for keeping children, youth and
  adults safe from sexual violence by
• educating adults, youth and children about
  sexual violence and the prevention of sexual
  violence .
• responding to a person who has been a victim of
  sexual violence against children, youth or
  adults
• .responding to a person who has been convicted
  or accused of sexual violence against children,
  youth or adults.

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Policies and procedures for keeping children,
youth and adults safe from sexual violence

• Foundation of polices and procedures
• Screening Process application, references,
  criminal history background checks
• Attend training signs of abuse, how to handle a
  report, sex offender characteristics/behaviors
• Leadership understands and signs off on faith
  communitys prevention policies and procedures
  annually review and sign, sexual misconduct

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Education Models

• Interfaith Groups Safety starts here
• Safe and Secure from the Churches Advisory
  Service in the United Kingdom
• Faith Trust Institute's Preventing Child Abuse
  curriculum and Bless the Children DVD/Video

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Policies and Procedures for educating adults,
youth and children about sexual violence and the
prevention of sexual violence

• Make sure that these topics are covered in your
  education policy
• Overview of abuse and violence
• How abuse happens
• Signs of a child or person in crisis
• Reporting
• Helping a victim
• Resources available in your community

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Policies and procedures for responding to a
person who has been the victim of sexual violence

• Include elements to facilitate justice and
  healing
• Believe
• Acknowledge the violation, the pain
• Show compassion someone needs to suffer with
  the victim
• Educate on available resources
• Empower and encourage choices
• Refer you are not alone

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Policies and procedures for responding to a
person who has been convicted or accused of
sexual misconduct or sexual violence.

• Incorporate these practices
• Screening of offender
• Require a signed code of ethics
• Individual accountability plans including the
  accountability group/team
• Individual sex offenders safety plan and their
  list of risky situations
• Daily, weekly or monthly check-ins

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Policies and Procedures view from the balcony
Putting it all together

• Faith community leadership has developed,
  documented and are implementing policies and
  procedures for keeping children, youth and adults
  safe from sexual violence which include
• Steps for educating adults, youth and children
  about sexual violence and the prevention of
  sexual violence.
• Response system for a person who has been a
  victim of sexual violence against children,
  youth or adults
• Response and accountability system for a person
  who has been convicted or accused of sexual
  violence against children, youth or adults.

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The practice and application view from the balcony

• Guiding questions for responsible leadership
• How will our attitudes and skills contribute to
  the success of this initiative?
• How will my attitude and skills contribute to the
  success of this initiative?
• Are there things I should be involved in? Are
  there things that I should not be involved in?

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Practice and application view agenda

• Connections in the faith community exercise
• Supporting and deepening the practice of
  compassion
• What about MY feelings and thoughts?
• Putting it all together

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Supporting and deepening the practice of
compassion

• Faith communities are unique in their
  uncompromising message that the doors are open
  to all. The fact is a significant number of sex
  offenders may be walking through those open
  doors. This reality may be a surprise to some, a
  shock to others. One thing can be said for
  certain, it will stir up all sorts of feelings
  and strong opinions.
• Small group scenario work to look at how they
  would practice and apply the work to create an
  environment safe for all

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What about my feelings?

• Feelings
• Fearful
• Panicky
• Apprehensive
• Angry
• Betrayed
• Isolated
• Shamed
• Ashamed

• Other feelings

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The practice and application view putting it
all together

• Make sure your faith community has already
  addressed and documented the technical issues and
  has policies and procedures. Remember, it isnt
  real unless it is written down.
• Develop a way for people to share their deepest
  thoughts and feelings.
• With a critical eye, look to see that people are
  actually practicing and applying the policies and
  procedures you have documented.

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Coming down from the Balcony

• Next steps for Responsible leadership when a sex
  offender is part of your faith community in our
  four corner activity.
• Where am I right now?

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Human web

• Web exercise
• Group will form one large circle
• Ball of yarn will be passed to other participants
  by throwing ball to people who are opposite one
  another
• Continue to hold onto end of string until end of
  exercise
• Result will be a tangled web of yarn, yet still
  all are connected

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Closure

• 2009 meeting topic schedule for the Interfaith
  Group
• Final thoughts and thanks
• Evaluations
• Retired Rev. Marvin Eckfeldt