The Diocese of Honolulu has a new safe environment sexual abuse prevention training program called VIRTUS for church employees and volunteers who work with minors.
VIRTUS became active Jan. 1, taking the place of the old program, Shield the Vulnerable.
VIRTUS offers two training options: online or in a class. Online training takes about 60-90 minutes, depending on reading speed. A teacher-led classroom session lasts about three hours.
As of mid-March, 148 people had taken the on-line training, and 83 attended two class sessions on Oahu, said Kristin Leandro, the diocesan director of the Safe Environment Office. More classes are being scheduled.
According to Leandro, Oahu has 21 facilitators trained to give classroom training. Maui has two and the Big Island and Kauai each has one.
To receive credit for completion of the training, all trainees, whether online or in a classroom, must register on the VIRTUS website, review and acknowledge the Diocesan Safe Environment Policy and Code of Conduct, and answer the eight-question quiz.
Diocesan employees and volunteers must take safe environment training every five years. Previous training by the former Shield the Vulnerable program remains valid for five years.