Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY :

The Office of Child Protection and Safety for the Diocese of Arlington provides programs to ensure a safe environment for children within the community of the Church. Programs include comprehensive training for employees, volunteers, parents and children; safety procedures for persons working with children, including formal background checks; monitoring child and youth activities to ensure that all contact with young people is appropriate; responding to allegations of sexual assaults of minors; and outreach and support for victims of child abuse and their families.

The Executive Director provides the leadership necessary to develop, meet, and maintain the goals, policies, and procedures for the Office of Child Protection and Safety that are in alignment with the mission, vision, values, and culture of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. The Executive Director is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administration and staff of the Office of Child Protection and Safety.

The Executive Director is directly responsible for creating and maintaining diocesan protocols for responding to allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors, coordinating the proper and timely execution of investigations, ensuring that open lines of communication are maintained with all involved parties, and facilitating the mental and spiritual care of the victim and/or the victim’s family.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES :

• Provides day-to-day leadership and management to the Office of Child Protection and Safety; directly supervises the Director of Child Protection and Safety and Director of Victims’ Assistance, including development of the position descriptions, recruitment, professional development and performance evaluation.

• Establishes departmental goals, objectives, and operating procedures.

• Develops, tracks, and controls the office’s annual operating budget.

• Ensures policies and practices adhere to applicable laws and regulations.
• Creates and maintains diocesan protocols for responding to allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors.
• Upon receiving notice of an allegation, coordinates and facilitates initial and subsequent communications and meetings with appropriate parties.
• Maintains a list of responsibilities for all diocesan parties involved during an allegation; advises involved parties of their responsibilities; ensures that processes are followed, and actions executed, in accordance with diocesan protocols.
• Coordinates with the assigned diocesan representative, or acts as the representative when appropriate, to conduct a timely initial outreach to the victim and/or the victim’s family to explain diocesan protocols, including expectations for the investigation and communications, and to facilitate the mental and spiritual care of the victim and/or the victim’s family, as necessary.
• Collaborates with the Chair of the Review Board; prepares the agenda and background information, sends materials to members, distributes meeting minutes, and performs other tasks as appropriate.
• Coordinates with the assigned diocesan representative, or acts as the representative when appropriate, to provide regular updates and engagement with the victim and/or the victim’s family regarding the status of the investigation and to ensure that the victim and/or the victim’s family are receiving the mental and spiritual support necessary.
• Coordinates reporting and engagement with CPS and law enforcement as required; serves as liaison to CPS and law enforcement to provide or gain information.
• Facilitates engagement of victim and/or victim’s family with the Director of Victim’s Assistance or other resource as necessary.
• Maintains a written record, including the timeline of events, throughout the lifecycle of an allegation.
• Coordinates with the Office of Communications and facilitates appropriate internal and external communications, including crisis communications.
• Creates and maintains procedures, checklists, and training aides for the proper handling of allegations and responses.
• Regularly provides training to parish and school staff on the response procedures for allegations of inappropriate conduct with a minor.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS :

• Knowledge/Skills:
• Must be a practicing Catholic with a solid understanding, appreciation, and respect for the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People as well as working knowledge of the criminal justice system and the various social service agencies that can provide assistance to victims
• Understanding of the structure and culture of the Catholic Church
• Excellent interpersonal, communications, and public relations skills, including proficiency in public speaking and the ability to work collaboratively and foster teamwork
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Active listener with patience and the ability to show empathy and compassion and to maintain confidentiality
• Strong conflict resolution skills
• Analytical and methodical with strong problem-solving skills
• Detail, process, and documentation oriented with strong organizational and time management skills
• Facilitation skills
• Strong project management skills
• Sense of discretion
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or related field or equivalent experience

• Licenses/Certifications: Valid driver’s license must be maintained at all times

• Years and Types of Experience: Five to ten years’ experience in a leadership position, preferably for the Church or other non-profit organization, involving social work, counseling, law or related work, with hands-on experience in case management and communicating with victims and families in crisis; experience supervising employees

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